Tennant and I step over the body as we enter the room. The space is small, so it’s not hard to spot Cecily. She grins widely as she holds a gun to my Boy’s head.
“Well, well, look who decided to show up.” Her words are hard to hear due to the commotion still occurring behind us, while the echo in the room adds to the difficulty for me. Not only that, most of my focus is on Antonio. His face is cut up and bleeding, and there’s nothing I want more than to shoot the bitch.
“You’re surrounded and outgunned, Cecily,” Tennant says.
She laughs. “Do you think that matters? I can still kill him before you can kill me.”
“Oh? You think we’re going to kill you?” Ten taunts. “No. I won’t be making the same mistake I did with Tom.” He steps further into the room. “Go ahead, shoot him. See if I care.”
If I didn’t trust Ten with my life, I’d fucking shoot him.
Cecily’s grin widens, but whatever taunt she throws at Tennant is lost to me. Ten takes another step forward.
“Shooting an unarmed man doesn’t make you special,” Tennant tells her. “It only proves you have no balls, and can’t actually fight your way out of the corner you’ve put yourself in.”
“Balls,” she repeats. “You and Roman do love using that word. Did you like our present? Did you think that was lacking ‘balls’, as you so eloquently put it?”
The mention of Roman has me settling my finger on the trigger as I take aim.
“When I’m done with you…” Tennant doesn’t finish his sentence.
Cecily whips her head up and looks off to the side as the ground shakes once more, as if another explosion has gone off. I’m just as confused as her, as there should have only been three for the distraction…
Tennant uses her inattention as an opportunity to launch himself at her. The gunshot that goes off is loud in the echoing room, and my ears ring as I sprint across the distance to my Boy.
Cupping Antonio’s bloody face in my hands, I look into pain-filled eyes and give him a small smile. “I got you, Bello.”
He lets out a sob that shakes his entire body, and I assess his injuries, getting more enraged by the second as I find the new cuts on his face that are certainly going to scar, along with the word “WHORE” etched into his forehead.
My poor Bel Fiore.
“Catch, Jude,” Tennant says.
Looking up, I find him sitting on a subdued Cecily. He tosses me something, and I manage to snag the keys out of midair.
The chains release easily, and I don’t hesitate to scoop Antonio into my arms as soon as he’s on his feet. “I’m fine,” hetries to argue, but still, he relaxes into me, as if needing the touch as badly as I do.
The body in the doorway is moved off to the side, so Tennant and I can walk our charges out.
“Are you hurt?” I look Ten over.
“No. Her shot hit the ceiling. Whoever taught you how to handle a gun needs to be shot,” Tennant tells Cecily, shaking his head.
She tries to jerk out of his grip, but somehow, he has managed to get zip ties around her wrists and forearms, so he gives her a little shake and then leads her to the front of the warehouse.
I'm surprised when Nicolo and Nario meet us at the entrance. They were supposed to set their explosives and then make sure that anyone not on our side didn't escape. I watch them carefully.
“You two were responsible for the last explosion.” It's not a question.
I glance at Tennant, and decide he was probably the mastermind behind that decision. Since he seemed to have a plan while confronting Cecily.
Sighing, I shake my head at them. “We'll talk about taking risks without letting me know your plans—later.”
They exchange a glance, and look at me with guilt in their hazel eyes. “Sorry, Sir.”
When they glance at Antonio in my arms, I shake my head again, encouraging them not to say anything.
“Let's get home. Antonio needs to see Doc.”
