Page 64

What?

No.

“Let’s move,” Maverick orders and Diego nods, holding me tightly to his body as he begins moving, stealing my opportunity to object to this plan. Oh, God, no. This mess is mine and mine alone so I can’t let him risk his life like this for me but looking up at his face, I know he won’t back down. Doesn’t he know that I care too much about what happens to him to allow him to die for me?

What the hell would I do if I lost him?

My heart hammers against my ribs as we creep down the side of the building, moving quickly but quietly with Henn leading us, his gun held in front of his body and Maverick behind us. His back is to me as he watches our backs, making sure Luca doesn’t try to sneak around the corner of the building and take us out before we can reach safety. When we get to the end, Henn stops and holds his hand up to signal for us to do the same as he listens for any movement on the other side. The only thing I can hear is the sound of far-off traffic and the current of the Mississippi River, rushing past the city not far from us but that doesn’t mean Luca isn’t lurking on either side of the building and waiting to kill us all. Finally, Henn peeks around the corner before glancing back at us with a nod.

“Clear.”

The breath I was holding rushes out of me as we round the corner and keep moving, all of us focused on getting to the end but once we get there, what the hell are we going to do? Diego’s truck wasn’t parked all that far from the door but Luca will still be between us and the vehicle from this angle so either way we’re screwed. Plus, with the street on the next side of the building, there is no cover for us to hide behind if he starts shooting again and the parking lot is a straight shot forward, making us easy targets. The sound of sirens fill the air and I sigh.

Oh, thank God.

Help is on the way.

At least, I hope it is. Diego’s words about Luca’s friends on the force come back to me and I chew on my bottom lip as my mind spins. I know there is someone or several people who helped cover up the murder of the man I saw in the alley, as well as the attack on me and probably the fire at my home at this point, but surely, they wouldn’t abandon us in the middle of a shoot-out so Luca could complete his mission and kill me… right?

When we reach the next corner, Henn motions for us to stop again and we all pause, waiting with bated breath for him to peek around the corner and give the all-clear. He leans against the brick, looking like he’s going to drop any second as he takes a deep breath and his entire body tenses. Shit. He’s not looking good and I grip Diego’s shirt as I wonder if he’s lost too much blood to keep going. But after a moment, he stands up again and motions for us to wait as he peeks around the edge of the building. Slinking back slightly, he quickly pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and snaps a photo of something around the other side of the building. “Got you, you son of a bitch.”

“What?”

Henn glances back with a grin. “He’s sneaking back to his car and I got his license plate. That should help Streak track down this asshole.”

“Nice job,” Diego answers, nodding as he claps Henn’s uninjured shoulder but he still winces. “Shit. Sorry, man.”

He shakes his head. “No worries, brother.”

As he shoves his phone back in his pocket, he peeks around the corner again and a shot rings out, disappearing into the trees that line the back of the property and I yelp, trying to burrow into Diego’s body. The sirens get louder as our aid gets closer to us but if Luca decides to confront us now, it won’t matter because it will be too late. Then again, there’s three of us and only one of him. Unless he’s got his friend with him from the night of the murder.

“He’s torn between leaving and coming after us,” Henn relays, his voice tight with anger. “I think we make a run for it. Mav and I can cover you two and hopefully he’ll decide it’s too risky and bail.”

Diego takes a breath. “Is it just him?”

“I haven’t seen anyone else,” Henn answers and I shake my head.

“I don’t like this. Let’s just wait for the cops to get here.”

Diego pulls away just enough to glance down at me and cups my cheek, stroking his thumb over my skin. I close my eyes as my body melts into him, soaking up his embrace and the peace it brings me despite the chaos raging around us.

“It’s not safe, Mama. We’ve got to move but I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

I grip his shirt and open my eyes. “I’m not going to let you get shot for me, Diego. I forbid it.”

“I don’t give a shit,” he snorts in return before pulling me close again and nodding to Henn. He peeks around the corner and another shot rings out as the sirens creep closer.

“Now.”

We move as one, the guys perfectly in sync as Diego practically carries me with his back to the street where Luca is standing by his car. Henn and Maverick stand in front of us, blocking our bodies with theirs and then the shooting starts. It’s deafening, so many shots ringing out into the air that they all just blend together and tears stream down my face as I cling to the man holding me. Our group moves quickly and as the sirens reach a fever pitch, only a street or two away now.

“Looks like he’s bailing,” Maverick says. I peek over Diego’s shoulder just in time to see Luca slip behind the wheel of his shitty little car. He glances back at us and meets my eyes, gritting his teeth and the same look he flashed me the night this all started, the look that told me that he’d hunt me down and do whatever it took to kill me shines back at me. A smile that makes my stomach churn stretches across his face a moment before he starts the car and peels away from the curb.

“Get to the truck, now!” Diego yells, scooping me into his arms and cradling me to his chest as he runs, Maverick and Henn right behind us. We’re almost to the vehicle when I glance over Diego’s shoulder again. Luca flips a U-turn in the middle of the road and races back toward us, his driver’s side window down.

“He’s coming back!” I yell, fear clawing at my throat as my hands shake and tears sting my eyes again. Diego sets me on my feet and gives me a little shove toward the truck.

“Take cover.”