Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“We’re surrounded,” I announce with a smile as my snipers reveal themselves, closing in on us from all sides. “So if one of you fires at the ground, you’re all dead. It’s as simple as that.”
Either he does it out of anger or because he couldn’t protect his boss and wants to prove himself.
No matter the reason, one of the men raises his weapon and fires.
The sound makes me flinch, crouching instinctively with my own gun raised. I fire before thinking, and he goes down, clutching the wound in his stomach. I’m fine, I realize—before realizing it wasn’t me the guy was aiming for.
My head swings around, my eyes searching frantically for Alicia in the semi-dark. She was standing behind the open car door, and I look that way now, expecting to find her.
What I find makes my heart stop: her body, prone on the ground, Prince lying on top of her.
Just like that day. The wedding. Lying on the ground after the gunshot rang out. Covering her. Thinking she was hit. Thinking my world was shattered—unaware of how correct I was, even if she was safe and unharmed.
How much longer can her luck hold out?
I’m haunted by the sense of the past and present overlapping as I lunge for the car. She can’t be hurt. She cannot be hurt. I won’t allow it. How do I live if she’s gone? “Alicia!”
29
ALICIA
I barely know what happened. One second, I was trying to make sense of Alvarez dropping to the ground. Then the next thing I knew, I was on the ground with Prince over me, shielding me. I can hardly breathe with his heavy frame on top of me. I bat at him with both hands. “Can’t breathe!” I gasp.
Enzo pulls him off me, maneuvering me into a sitting position. He takes my face into his hands, and the light from the car’s interior shows me the panic in his eyes.
“Are you injured? Were you hit?”
“I’m fine.” But I don’t think he hears me. Not over his heavy breathing—it sounds like he just ran a marathon, and now I’m afraid he was hurt. But there’s no blood to be seen on his shirt or his pants. He’s okay. Thank God.
“Sorry about that.” Prince is grim as he sits up and brushes himself off. “Reflexes.”
“No, thank you. You don’t have to apologize.” Even though I don’t think the bullet came anywhere near us. If it had, it would’ve at least hit the car. He was only protecting me.
“Get her out of here,” Enzo orders Prince, but I shake my head.
“I want to be here,” I insist. “I’m fine.” When I look over to where Alvarez’s men are now gathered in a cluster, I see Enzo’s guys disarming them. “See? They’re no threat now, and plus, I don’t want to leave you.”
He exchanges a look with Prince, who nods. “Finish this.” Enzo’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t offer any further argument, helping me to my feet before turning back toward the man he killed.
I watched it happen. I see the man with my own eyes. Somehow, I still can’t believe it. Enzo killed Josef Alvarez. Shot him dead. The act was so simple, like brushing his teeth or putting his shoes on.
And now I understand why Enzo didn’t want to give me any specifics about the plan. I could’ve guessed he’d try to have Alvarez killed, but I didn’t know he’d be the one to do it himself. Not right in front of me.
The Alvarez men look in all directions, heads snapping back and forth, muttering in confusion and anger. They have to know there’s no hope. They’re dead men, like the guard now bleeding out on the ground after firing a shot. He could’ve killed my baby. I’m almost consumed by the impulse to walk over and spit on him.
“I’m not an unreasonable man,” Enzo announces, holding his hands up. “I understand you’re all here to do a job, and I respect that. I also respect intelligence, which all of you need to exercise now, or you’ll end up like the stupid bastard drowning in his own blood. I want you to get the hell out of here. You don’t have to die tonight, so long as none of you do anything stupid. I would rather you live, in fact. I want the men now in charge of your family to know I showed mercy here. I returned the girl to her father and am prepared to let you go.”
Then he points at Frankie. “I only want him. We need to have a conversation. The rest of you, get out of here and be grateful I’m giving you the chance.”
The men exchange looks like they’re wondering whether they can believe this. I’m not sure I do, honestly, but after a few moments, they all do what they’re told. The guards from our side wait, though. They don’t open fire. And eventually, when the Alvarez men start to move away, they let them go.