“You think I’d leave you? Give me a gun,” I demand.
“Not a chance,” he dismisses. “There are cameras. I won’t let you get involved in this. Get back inside and leave through the back with your family. We’ll buy time until the police arrive.”
“If you’re staying, I’m staying,” I tell him, and he shakes his head before tucking me closer as bullets hit the car.
“I’m sorry, Nikko,” he says as we hide from the barrage. “I had no idea they would do this tonight. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I reply as he climbs to his feet and fires. He looks so fucking sexy, but now is not the time to ponder that as he crouches again as gunfire explodes where he was just standing. “What do we do?”
“Buy time. They only want me, I promise, and the police will run them off.” He pushes me closer to the ground. “Stay down,” he orders as he stands again, firing.
I can hear police sirens, and one of the guards turns to us. “Sir, get out of here now—” His head explodes, and he falls right in front of us.
Snarling, Zia turns and shoots before I even see the man sneaking up on us. He falls over the dead guard, and Zia looks at me. “Go now, out the back. I’ll cover you.”
“He said for you to go,” I argue.
“You can’t be arrested here, Nikko,” Z snaps. “Go.”
“Sir, please go!” another of his guards calls as the sirens become louder. “We can hold them off.”
It’s clear Zia has no intention of leaving his people, and I can’t lose him, so I make the decision for him. I know he’ll be angry later, but at least he’ll be alive.
Gripping his hand, I look at his men. “I’ll get him out. Cover us.” I yank him up and force him to run to the building with me. I drag him as he fights me.
Gunshots explode behind us, but I ignore them, focused on getting him to safety.
My bike is around back, and I pull him inside as he yells for me to let him go. Ignoring him, I lean down, scoop him up, and rush through the venue and out back, only putting him on his feet to shove a helmet at him.
“I have to go back, Nikko. They are my people!”
“And they need you to be safe. Let’s go!” I roar. “Put it on.”
He does as he’s told, his eyes wide, and I press my forehead to his. “Please, baby, I need you to be safe.”
“I won’t be until this is over,” he whispers, startling when there’smore gunfire. It’s tearing him apart not to be there. “I thought we could wait, that he might change their mind, but I was wrong. We need to end this.”
“Then let’s end it. I’ll go with you.”
I expect him to argue, but if anything, he looks relieved. He climbs on my bike after me, and I gun it away from the firefight and sirens, his hands clutching me tightly.
We meet Yuki at my place, where I quickly change, and with some soft-spoken words, Zia looks at me. “He’ll get my people out and the camera footage has been deleted, so no one will ever know you were involved.”
“Good. How do we end it?” I ask.
“Are you sure you want to come with me?”
“Where you go, I go, so where are we going?” I ask.
“Sir, I can bring men,” Yuki begins.
“No, I won’t need them. They won’t expect me to come to them. They still think they are smarter. Besides, if what you said is true, then he’s already there.” Taking my hand, he nods. “Come on, Nikko. Let’s face the people who want me dead.”
“Sir, please let me come,” Yuki protests.
“I need to do this.” Zia presses his palm to Yuki’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, okay?”
“It’s my job to,” he defends, “and as one of your friends, it’s my right.”
