“Be fierce later. Yell at me later,” he rasps. “Right now? Get me to the paramedics before my father puts a bullet in my head.” He wraps his arm around me. “Or yours.”
I scan the backyard one last time, then pull his good arm over my shoulder and haul him toward the front.
“Give me your gun, Luisa,” he rasps.
“No.” My grip tightens. “I was just in the neighborhood. Saw the news about a fire,” I shrug, keep moving. “Then I did my job.”
Angelo sighs, but we keep moving. By the time we reach the front, I call out for Eric and he rushes over, helping me haul Angelo onto a gurney.
Not gently. But he can take it.
Eric glances at Angelo before turning on me. “What are you doing her, Luisa?”
I throw up a hand. “I saw the news! You think I?—”
“What areyoudoing here?” His eyes search mine. “Don’t you tell me ...”
I hold his gaze. Try to lie, dodge, deflect. Then Angelo coughs. Wet, ugly, wrong. My feet move before I can think, stepping toward him.
Eric lets out a long, exasperated sigh. “Are you serious?”
I turn back to him, lips curving. “You started this. How is ‘Emmy?’”
“That’s not-”
I walk around Eric and jab a finger at Angelo. “You are too much trouble to be under house arrest, you know that?”
He stares at me, not reacting, ignoring the paramedics fussing over him. His eyes lock onto mine, dark, unreadable. “What are you saying,officer?”
I cross my arms. “I’m saying you’ve got three options. Witness protection, a cross country move, or a jail cell. And considering your own family is gunning for you ...” I shake my head. “You should talk to someone who’s been in your position before.”
He coughs again, too rattled or running too high on adrenaline to grasp what I’m getting at. Even when I try to mention Emilia’s name, the paramedics push me aside, focused on loading him into the ambulance.
One of the paramedic’s steadies me with a hand on my hip.
Angelo sits up with pure hatred in his eyes.
“Touch her again. I dare you,” he threatens the man.
The paramedic freezes. “Sir, you need to go to the hospital. You may need surgery. That means leaving-”
“Put her in the fucking ambulance,” Angelo growls, voice low, dangerous. “Or I’ll get off this gurney and show you why I was in jail.”
The paramedic looks at me. I glance back at Eric, who just shakes his head. But I’ve already made up my mind. I climb into the ambulance, keeping my eyes on everyone inside. Let the paramedics do their jobs, but I’m not letting my guard down. They strap an oxygen mask over Angelo’s face and work on his bullet wounds.
Angelo puts his hand out toward me. I ignore it, glancing at the driver, then towardthe back of the ambulance. I don’t trust this. Not even a little bit. I keep my gun at the ready, thumb brushing the safety.
Angelo rips the oxygen mask off, sending the paramedics into a flurry of protests. “Fuck off, I’m breathing just fine.”
“You asked who takes care of me,” he says, voice rough.
I glance at him. “No one’s strong enough.” The words come automatic, but my gut tightens.
Something feels off.The Rossi family has people in my department, who were unafraid to try to kill Angelo. Would it be a stretch for them to have someone in EMS, too?
My grip on my gun tightens
I look at him. His face is pale, his breathing ragged.
