My fingers are knotted in Adrian’s jacket, gripping so tightly my knuckles have gone white.
“Stay behind me,” he growls.
Antonio steps forward, standing next to Adrian and also shielding me from the intruders.
Adrian mutters beneath his breath to Antonio. “It’s the same people who attacked before, when I was shot. Same emblem on the sleeve,” he says.
Antonio lifts his chin and cocks his head to the side.
“Who the fuck are you?” he demands. “No one walks in here without an invite.”
Adrian is scanning the wall of men. I’ve never seen him so alert.
One man steps forward through the forces. He shoves his hands into his pockets as though he’s walking through the park.
“Antonio. You still playing second fiddle to this asshole?” the guy taunts.
“Rat, you still pretending you have any influence in this city?” Antonio snaps back.
Antonio lowers his voice to a whisper that only we can hear, “And?” he asks.
“Twenty-seven men inside, five outside,” Adrian whispers. “Might be more in the truck.”
He was taking stock while Antonio was distracting. They have clearly been working together for a long time.
Antonio lifts his gun as though he’s admiring it. “It’s been a while since I’ve fired a bullet with purpose, Rat. Did you come here to give me a reason to do just that?”
“Why the fuck am I talking to you and not the boss over there? Cat got your tongue, Adrian?” the guy snarls angrily.
Antonio laughs. “What makes you think the boss wants to talk to scum like you?”
“You fucking call me rat one more time and I’ll…” he steps forward, losing his cool, but another man grabs his arm and pulls him back.
The second man moves in front of Rat.
“You’ll have to excuse Ramit. He hasn’t learned the art of tact yet,” the new man says.
Adrian lets out a low growl of anger before he decides to speak. “Rodion Popov, this is the second time you’ve bought a fight into my territory,” he says dangerously. “Do you really think I’m going to let you get away with it?” he asks.
“I already got away with the first lot. How’s that bullet wound going for you? Heard my men got you right in the side. Must have stung a little,” he snorts.
Adrian sneers.
“What do you want, Rodion? What the fuck are you doing here?”
Rodion cocks his head to the side and smirks. “I want the girl. Give me the girl, and we’ll walk right out of here. No shots need to be fired. No one needs to get hurt,” he says.
Me? What in the world! Why would they want me? Panic surges, and I struggle with the urge to turn and run. Just run. I don’t even know where I would go. But logic wins, and I know there is no safer place than next to Adrian.
Adrian reaches behind himself and grabs hold of my arm, too tight, but his firm grip grounds me. My heart is beating out of control. I can barely breathe. I’ve been standing here listening to this back and forth and waiting for all hell to break loose. I have no idea how anyone can look so calm in a situation like this. And now I hear that they’ve come to take me. Confusion floods me.
“You’re not getting the girl,” Adrian says sternly. “So, you may as well turn and leave now.”
“Yeah, unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen. And from my count, you’ve got … what…. fourteen men behind you there? Maybe more on the way, but they won’t get here in time. You’re outnumbered.”
“I have more trust in my fourteen men than any amount you bring in here. Look what happened last time. Did any of your guys make it out alive?”
Rodin laughs. “Cannon fodder. We were testing your defenses and reaction time. Anyway, that’s all in the past. This situation is new, and that girl needs to come with me. Debts must be paid.”
