“Jeremy?”
All heads snapped to the doorway where Casey Gomez stood. She was in leggings and a graphic T-shirt. Her face was flushed, and her hair was slipping from her ponytail, as if she had just finished running. I looked at the man and watched Jer’s demeanor change. His dark gaze softened as he drank in the sight of her, and the gun fell away from the enemy’s head.
“You,” Romano sneered, and Casey stiffened. “You're the little bitch who hacked into my system.”
Excuse me?
My feet moved, and my hand drifted down to my thigh, where I had my new dagger sheathed. The blade was against his neck, and my hand was fisting his hair, yanking his head back. “You need to learn how to talk to women,” I hissed, pressing the blade into his skin. I heard movement around me, but I had tunnel vision. I only saw this man before me, dying.
My thirst for revenge would be finally quenched.
A big hand landed over mine and lips touched the shell of my ear. “Rein in it, baby girl.”
I yanked the blade away with a snarl and turned back to where Casey stood. Jer wasn’t near her, but his eyes kept bouncing back and forth between her and Romano. Kay and Haley ushered her inside and stood around her. The Mafia King coughed and gasped for breath. James was still in his seat, and he merely smiled.
“Ms. Gomez is the best for a reason, Mr. Romano.”
“I want my money back,” he spat.
I gaped at the beautiful Latina.She hacked into his bank.
“Your money is evidence in a decades old case,” James deadpanned, flipping open the file. “Now, let’s discuss the matter of your son.”
Evil dark eyes met James’ stern ones. “I don’t have any more sons,” he spat. “My firstborn and my bastard both failed me.”
“You failed them,” Kay hissed, stepping forward, but Dean held her back. Ray Romano turned his head slowly to face her.
“I should have let my men rape you,” he sneered. “You're used to that anyways, aren’t you? Being used like a whore.”
My blood ran cold, and the temperature in the room dropped. My chest felt heavy as I looked at my best friend—my sister. Her sky-blue eyes were filled with tears, her chin was trembling, and yet she still raised it. “You don’t—”
He chuckled. “I don’t what? Darling, who do you think put out the order? Hm? You're the niece of a crime lord in a city that I wanted.”
James slowly stood, Jer frozen in place, Dean’s hand gently falling away from Kay as Romano continued, “It was easy to find boys to do it. Of course, recruiting them was a waste of time, but Ian Matthews.”
“Another word, and I’ll have your tongue,” a deep, angry voice sounded from behind the bar. All heads turned as Collin Stevens rose up, buttoning his suit jacket. A broken sob left Kay, and she tried to go to him, only to be held back by her brother. Guns were raised, and the shouting began.
“Col!”
“You motherfucker!”
“Arrest him!”
“James, stop!”
It was my turn to remain frozen. I couldn’t move. All I could do was watch. James had his gun point at Collin, as well as Jer. My fiancé was studying him, tilting his head to the side as he rested the barbed wire bat on his shoulder. Casey and Haley were in the middle.
“Dean, get the girls out of here!” James barked, stepping forward, his gun aimed at Collin’s face.
The mafia hitman gave away nothing. He stood calmly with his hands in his pockets, his ice eyes scanning all of us.
“Put your hands where I can see them, Stevens!”
“James—”
“Enough, Haley,” he growled.
“No.”
