Time to fight. I pushed my friend behind me and raised my fists.
I wasn’t going down without a fucking fight. Romano would have to take me kicking and screaming.
The door burst open, bouncing back against the shelves. Bella screamed for Cameron, and I widened my stance ready to fight the bastard –
“Haley?”
My fists slowly dropped as the light above us flicked on, and Casey Gomez walked through the door. She immediately lowered her gun after glancing at Bella who was peeking around me now.
Casey pushed her glasses up her nose as she smiled at me.
“Good to see you, Haley,” she breathed.
I lunged for her, not knowing what the fuck came over me. She greeted me the same. We collided in an embrace that had never happened before. Trauma would do that to you, I guess. She pulled away and pressed a finger to her ear.
“Found her. Pantry in the kitchen, left side of the house. Unharmed.”
She listened intently to the other person on the side, and I couldn’t help myself.
“Is he here?”
“Haley, who is this?” Bella asked from behind me.
Casey ignored my question and focused her gaze on my new friend. “Casey Gomez, FBI.”
Suddenly, Bella was pushing past me and Casey, whispering in Italian. My feet moved, and I followed her, leaving Casey in the small room.
“Bella!” I called after her. She was frantic. Looking right and left, grabbing her hair.
“Cameron!” she cried as she went into the foyer. I ran after her, ignoring the pain in my hip.
“Bella! Wait!”
I rounded the corner and came to a screeching halt.
Jeremy.
My friend stood in black jeans and a gray Henley, pointing his gun directly into Mr. Waller—Cameron’s—face. Bella lunged, but I held her back as she kicked and thrashed against me.
“Let me go! Cam!”
He turned his head to her, keeping both of his bloodied hands in the air. His forehead featured a huge gash, blood trickling down the side of his handsome face. His green eyes found hers, and she stopped moving. Their world was frozen around them.
My eyes moved to Jeremy to find him scanning my body. His jaw was tight with anger, his nostrils flared.
“Hi, Jer,” I whispered.
He didn’t flinch, remaining a hard, angry statue.
“Look at me, darling. It’s going to be okay,” Cameron said to Bella. She broke free of my hold and ran for him. My eyes went to Jer’s gun, and suddenly, I was moving too. I pushed Jer’s arm up, but he didn’t fire.
I twisted my neck to see Bella caged in Cameron’s arms. Jer gently stepped away from me as Casey came into the foyer. That’s when I felt it.
The tension.
Not between the mafia maid and her guard.
Between Casey and Jeremy. The air crackled around us, and I looked between Casey and him. Their gazes were unwavering, and Casey’s chest seemed to rise a little faster than usual. Jer’s features were still hard but his eyes—they were molten—for Casey.
