Badger cupped my cheek. “It’s for the best. I need to be focused on finding my sister. I can’t?—”
I glared at her and moved from her touch, feeling empty as soon as I did.
“Fine, go.”
Before she could respond, I walked out of the room and out of the penthouse, slamming the door as I left.
I was walking back to the penthouse, my mind swimming from the conversation with Badger.
“We both knew that this was only temporary.”Her words had shoved me into a vortex that I couldn’t seem to get out of.
“Please stay. Stay, Jessica.”My words had only made me look weak. Of course she wouldn’t have stayed. Why would she? She was only staying with me because of the damn letters, and now that Ricci was gone, she was free to go.
She was no longer bound by an order. Of course she wouldn’t want to stay with me. I was broken. Sure, we had some awesome sex, but that’s all it was. Something physical.
My self-deprecating thoughts were cut off when I heard tires squeal and the sound of men shouting as they jumped out ofa blacked-out SUV. Before I knew what was happening, I was being jumped by four shorter men in suits. I threw out my fists and hit two of my assailants’ faces, but it was no use. It was four on one. As three of the men grabbed my arms, the other stood in front of us with his gun drawn and pointing right at my head. I recognized these guys. They were Stefanos’ men.
I looked toward the SUV and saw Stefanos on the phone, a grin on his face. I glared at him, anger coursing through me.
I was snapped out of my trance as white-hot pain hit me, and then again. I wasn’t even sure where they had shot me; my whole body hurt. I grunted as I slumped forward, and the men let me fall to the ground.
“Tell your boss that if he fucks with the Sinaloas again, this will look like child’s play,” one of the men said in a heavy Spanish accent before spitting on me.
I clenched my stomach, pain radiating through my body. I heard car doors slam and tires squeal as the men left me alone on the ground.
My phone began to ring incessantly in my pocket. After the third time it went off, I finally mustered enough strength to retrieve it and answer the call.
“Hel—” I choked out.
“Where are you?!” Kade demanded through the speaker.
“Mason Street,” I coughed.
“Hang in there,compagno!”
I wasn’t sure how much time passed before I heard Kade’s voice and felt him trying to move me. Everything felt numb. My shoulder and stomach throbbed and only hurt worse as Kade tried to pull me to his vehicle.
“Hang oncompagno,stay awake for me, buddy,” Kade called over his shoulder while he zipped through the city’s streets. I was distantly aware of him saying more, but I couldn’t focus on it as my vision faded to black.
I woke to nurses and doctors in green scrubs, connecting me to cords and machines. My heart began to race as panic took over. I couldn’t be in a hospital. Not again. I couldn’t bear to be here. I started to thrash and buck as the medical staff tried to pin me down. I couldn’t breathe; I was going to die.
“Mr. Amaro, we need you to stay still. We need to stop the bleeding,” one of the doctors said, holding my shoulder.
“Get the fuck off of me,” I cried out as a nurse tried to put an IV in. I fought back as five medical personnel held me down.
“Get me lorazepam!” I heard the doctor call out.
I swung my good arm, clocking one of the figures that held me down. I heard them cry out in pain, but it wasn’t good enough. I needed to be out of here. Before I knew what was happening, I felt a rush of warmth spread over me, and I slipped into darkness.
THIRTY-THREE
MACHINE
I woke to the sound of the heart monitor beeping, my body aching like I had been hit by a freight train. I groaned, and moments later, felt a soft hand on mine. Could the woman I needed really be here? As I opened my eyes, I saw blonde hair and pink tips. Lennie. My heart ached at the realization that it wasn’t Badger.
Lennie gave me a soft, knowing smile. “Hey, big guy.”
I grabbed her hand and squeezed.
