“Tane!” Jacob cried, ducking down in the passenger seat. “What’s happening?”
“It’s a fucking ambush,” Tane roared. “The Cardini men must have known we’d come this way. Hold the fuck on. I’m getting us out of here if it’s the last thing I do.”
With the sound of bullets whizzing past the car, Tane slammed it into first gear, then second, and pulled away with his foot to the floor and luckily without taking any direct hits.
But with the Cardini safehouse no longer an option, Jacob knew that if him and Tane were going to get out of this alive, they’d need to come up with a new plan and come up with it quickly…
* * *
“Are you sure we’re safe here?” Jacob said, wiping his forehead and unbuckling his safety belt.
“We’re as safe as we’re going to be right now,” Tane replied, turning the engine off and taking a moment to look in his rearview mirror.
Tane had managed to evade the Cardini ambush and power along for a couple of blocks before realizing that the car had in fact been hit. With a blown rear tire, it wasn’t an option to keep driving, but fortunately Tane had found a secluded side alley to park down.
“We’ll be safe for now,” Tane said. “But I need to speak to Antonio and explain our predicament. It’s also going to help if I know precisely where we are and what kind of potential hideouts we have around here. Do you know this area?”
“Not really,” Jacob said, his heart still racing.
“Okay, I’m going to need you to be the bravest boy for me,” Tane said. “I’m going to get out of the car and have a look to see if I recognize any businesses on this block that are owned by the Cardini family. Even one Cardini owned business will mean that we’ve got a safe place to hide until Antonio sends a car for us.”
“You’re going to leave me alone in the car?” Jacob said, his bottom lip trembling.
“I know you’re frightened. But this is the best play, you have to believe me,” Tane said. “I’m your man, and I’m your team captain too. This is my play to call and I’m going to make it work. Got it?”
“G-G-G-G-g-got it,” Jacob replied, the conviction in Tane’s voice giving Jacob the belief he needed to steel himself and follow Tane’s plan. “Come back soon.”
“I will,” Tane replied. “I love you boy, and I’ll be back before you know it.”
Jacob felt his heart flutter as Tane uttered those words to him. It might have been the heat of the moment that prompted Tane to say that he loved Jacob, but for Jacob it meant the world to hear his man speak in those terms.
But as wonderful as it was to hear Tane say that he loved him, Jacob was now alone in the car and waiting for Tane to return.
“I’m not scared,” Jacob said, totally unconvincingly. “I’m tough. I’m not scared. I’m not, I’m not, I’mnot.”
Jacob knew that there was nothing he could do but wait.
And rather than wait alone and in silence, Jacob decided to message Ricki and let him know what was going on…
JACOB: Ricki, everything’s gone wrong. We were going to a Cardini safehouse and a bunch of mean men pretending to be roadworkers tried to kill us. Tane says it was the Cardini family. I don’t know what to do or what to think. I’m scared XoXo.
RICKI: Jacob! OMG! I can’t believe it. I’m with Antonio right now and he’s talking to Tane on the phone. I know they’re going to work everything out, so just stay strong and think about bubblegum, videogames, and Tane’s cock! XoxoXo
Jacob smiled and was super-glad of having a friend like Ricki to talk to in a moment like this. They had a shared sense of humor, that was for sure. And Ricki mentioning Tane’s cock was exactly what Jacob would expect, and he welcomed it. Anything to try and take his mind off things. But one thing in Ricki’s message made Jacob do a double take… Ricki was with Antonio?
There was no way that Jacob was going to let that slide, even in a situation as dangerous and scary as the one he was in at that moment.
JACOB: You’re with Antonio?!?!?! Why? What are you two doing? TELL ME! XoXoXo
RICKI: I’ll tell you when you’re all safe and this is over ;) Gotta go. See you soon XoXoXo
Jacob shook his head in frustration. Could it be possible that there was something going on between Ricki and Antonio? After Ricki mentioned Antonio earlier, it did seem like Ricki hadsomething of a complicated crush on Antonio, but Jacob had no idea that something might actually be going on between them.
But as exciting as the prospect of Ricki and Antonio being an item was, Jacob knew that his own predicament required his attention.
Jacob decided that he was going to keep a more active watching brief and adjusted the rearview mirror so that he could see if any suspicious men were walking around the neighborhood.
“I feel like a real spy!” Jacob said, seeing the funny side as he imagined himself wearing a pair of fake glasses and a trilby hat.
