Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“I’m on my way.”
“What? No. Aiden, you can’t. I’m okay. We’re all okay.”
She didn’t know if she was telling the truth about the O’Malley men who’d been stationed out front. It sounded like Carrigan had let her security detail go get food, since it didn’t seem necessary to double up. She swallowed hard and knew without a shadow of a doubt that they hadn’t made it if they’d been in the last place she’d seen them—right outside the window. “I…”
You can do this. You’ve faced down worse than this.
It was a long time ago, though.
She did her best to draw on her training about how to operate in an emergency. What had Carrigan said? “We’re coming back. We can get to the house faster than any other place—and it’ll be faster than it would be to wait for you and then turn around and go back.”
“I’m coming with a group of my men to meet you halfway. Can you reach the car?”
She started to say yes but stopped. Normal drive-by shootings—it was so sad that such a thing existed—were over as soon as the car drove away from the scene. But she couldn’t be sure there was anything normal about this situation. “I think so.”
“Then get your ass in the car, bright eyes.”
She hung up and looked around the room. “Aiden’s sending men to meet us.” They had to get out of here. The restaurant staff hadn’t ventured out, and she wasn’t in the mood to hunt them down. “Keira, come on.”
The younger woman stood on shaky legs, her eyes too wide. “I’m going to kill that motherfucker.”
Charlie didn’t ask what she meant, just turned to Carrigan. “Can you walk?”
“Yes.” She shoved to her feet, teetering a little in her heels. She made a face at the blood running down her legs. “I guess that’s one way to ruin a pair of shoes.”
“My least favorite way.” Charlie’s jeans had saved her legs from the worst of it, but Carrigan’s bare legs…“Do you have a doctor on staff?”
“Keira can call Doc Jones as soon as we get to the car.” She sighed. “You’re a New Yorker, right? I guess that means I’m driving.” She pulled a gun out of her tiny purse, checked to make sure it was loaded, and nodded. “Let’s go.”
They still had to get out of the restaurant. It made sense to leave the back way, into the alley, but Charlie had to know if there was some kind of body count.
If we hadn’t left today…No. She couldn’t afford to think like that. The men knew what they were potentially signing up for when they took jobs as enforcers for the O’Malleys.
That knowledge didn’t make her feel the least bit better.
Carrigan’s phone rang before she took a step. She frowned. “Yeah?” Whoever it was didn’t have good news. Her gaze cut to Charlie. “We’ll go out the back and meet you at the O’Malley house. Take care of it.”
Even though Charlie was certain she didn’t want to know, she had to ask. “What?”
“The two men working your security detail didn’t make it. I’m sorry.” She glanced at the front door. “We have to leave now.”
“But—” She cut herself off. “You’re right.” There was more than her guilt to think about right now. Carrigan could clearly carry herself just fine in a crisis, but Keira’s adrenaline was obviously running rampant. She had to get the girl to safety.
She pulled her own gun from her ankle holster. Should have pulled it before now. Apparently, her instincts weren’t as great as she’d thought. She took up the rear position in their little group.
The back entrance let out through the kitchen. A chef and two servers were huddled near the walk-in freezer. Carrigan ignored them, but Charlie stopped. “Stay here until the police arrive. You’re safe.” They didn’t look like they believed her, but she couldn’t do much about that. She’d tried.
Carrigan’s town car was two blocks over, and they made it there with no trouble—though everyone they passed gave them a wide berth.
Not a single person asked if they needed help.
Anger rose, pounding in time with Charlie’s heart. Three women, two covered in blood and limping, and…nothing. She jumped when Keira took her hand. “Deep breaths, Charlie.”
She didn’t want to take deep breaths. She wanted to rail and scream at how fucked up the universe was. The longer she was on this earth, the harder time she had convincing herself that people defaulted to good. They didn’t. They defaulted to selfish.
Every. Single. Fucking. Time.
“I’m fine.”
“I know.”
Carrigan pulled a key out of her purse. “It pays to be paranoid and carry an extra key. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Charlie took one last look down the street in the direction of the restaurant and then climbed into the car. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”