A bullet whizzed by my face, missing by only a margin as I ducked back behind the wall. "Cover me," I said.
Logan shook his head. "No chance. He'll shoot you before you even line him in your sight."
With a deep breath, I ignored his advice and threw myself to my stomach on the floor in the middle of the hallway. I didn't bother lining up my shot perfectly, firing into the enemy’s general direction. At the very least it should interfere with his shot.
He cried out as a bullet caught him in the gut, clutching his abdomen and dropping to his knees. Logan's shot followed, hitting him square between the eyes, and he dropped to his face in the debris on the floor.
"Let's move," I said, shoving to my feet and notching my M4 against my shoulder, positioning my body to view through the scope as we moved in slow, measured steps. Clearing each room as we passed the doors, we each took a side of the hall and moved as silently as possible in perfect unison. The building shook around us with another explosion nearby as we came to the back stairwell. We moved down the steps quickly, speeding past the windows as one and negating any chance of someone having time to get a decent shot at us.
The ground floor was largely vacated, only a few of our team members lingering. "Sarge!" I yelled over the sound of gunfire outside.
"Vescovi, get them the fuck out here!" he commanded, pushing me to step up as the highest ranking officer underneath him. The sergeant to his staff sergeant, I knew what my duty would be.
It just didn't fucking matter. Billings knelt at his feet, tying a tourniquet around the thigh where Sarge had been shot. Moving to take over the duty and tug it tight, I ignored Sarge's cry of protest as the fabric tightened around his flesh and cut off the circulation. "Billings, lead the squad out. Take out as many as you can and get your ass to the rendezvous. Logan will cover Sarge and I," I ordered, glancing up when Billings looked at me with uncertainty. "Move!" Hauling Sarge to his feet, I tossed his arm over my shoulder and supported as much of his weight as I could with my left side so that my gun arm stayed free. One handed was better than nothing.
The room emptied of the squad as they started moving quickly through the streets, grenades exploding as they tossed them at the insurgents keeping us pinned in the hellhole of a town covered in dust and sand.
Weight hit my chest like a bullet, throwing me backwards and I hit the ground with a pained thump.
The knowledge of the difference between that and the reality hit me, drawing me out of the dreamscape from hell with a pained groan. Opening my eyes and grabbing my head, I saw that Sadie knelt on the couch with a heaving chest and watching me intently. Studying to see if I'd woken up yet.
"It's me," I said.
"No shit. It's you when you're sleeping too," she snapped back, standing from the couch. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I groaned, staring up at her as she stepped over to offer me a hand and help me up. "We must have fallen asleep." I'd thought lying with her on the couch and cradling her in my arms would be a safe option. Thought there was no chance I could fall asleep there with how uncomfortable we were crammed onto it.
I needed a wider couch.
"You passed out within five minutes of laying down with me," she admitted. "I felt it."
"Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked, pushing to sit up and shake off the last vestiges of the dream that lingered in the back of my head. "You've got to wake me up when I fall asleep, Baby Girl. It's the only way to keep you from getting hurt."
"Do I look fucking hurt?" Sadie asked, quirking her brow up and crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying and lack of sleep, her skin pale because no matter how hard I pushed she refused food, but there wasn't so much as a red mark on her from me getting too rough. "Pretty sure you're the one who got knocked on your ass."
Looking over at the couch compared to my position, I realized the little psycho must have kicked me off her body so hard that I tumbled backwards over the arm at her feet.
Fucking Christ, but I loved her.
"I'm not a fragile little girl, Enzo. Sure, you're a little dangerous when you sleep, and we're nowhere near a place where we can sleep together regularly because neither of us will sleep through the night. But the last thing we need to do is avoid falling asleep in each other's arms altogether," she said, going to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some aspirin. She handed me both, and I grinned at her as I threw them back and swallowed them down.
Rebel inserted herself between us, twining between Sadie's legs and nearly knocking her over. Pride written in every one of her features, she glanced over at me with utter possession on her face. "Hey, Little Monster," Sadie murmured, petting the dog who was more like Sadie than I could have ever guessed when we found her.
My little psycho and her little monster.
"What time is it?" I asked, glancing at the sun rising over the horizon beyond the pool.
"About 6:30," Sadie murmured. "We have that tour of the new location you set up at ten. I'm just going to go hop in the shower and get the day started," she said, making for the stairs. While she was still subdued, more melancholy than she normally was, there was also a boundless determination in her honeyed eyes as she moved.
"You still want to go?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. The thought of her anywhere public after the last couple of days built my anxiety into a pit. But despite the lingering rage I felt for her reckless choice to try to run into a building, there was nothing I would deny her in the face of everything she'd been dealt.
"Of course I want to go. The investigation is still ongoing at the original Fists of Fury. You said we won't be able to get in there to start rebuilding for at least a few weeks, so what better time to focus my energy on the new location? I can't do that until we have a new location," she said.
"It is okay to stop and take a few minutes to relax before you just jump right into the next..." I trailed off, noting the look in her face.
Like talking to a wall with how damn stubborn she was.
"Right," I said, turning to go shower in my own bedroom. As much as I'd have loved to shower with her, I'd just be happy we were even speaking to each other after how much I wanted to throttle her.
The need to hear how she felt about me pulsed through me with every step.
What if Sadie didn't think anything of running into a burning building because she didn't feel the same way I did?
I didn't think I'd let her go regardless.
Sadie took much longer showers than I did. Such was the nature of military precision compared to a woman who loved hot water. So I sat myself on the floor with my back to the couch, occupying myself with a game of tug o’ war with Rebel.
She growled at me playfully, pulling with all the strength in her body.
My phone ringing in my pocket distracted me from our game. “Yeah?” I grunted, pressing it to my ear.
“I’ve got eyes on her,” Seb said. He rattled off a timestamp.
“Shit. I have to take Sadie to tour the new property. Have Ryker snatch her up—”
“You’re going to want to reschedule after you see for yourself. Watch the feed.” He ended the call, leaving me to heft myself up off the floor and make my way to my office. Dread filled my gut like lead as I tapped the touchpad on my laptop. Moving the cursor to the open feed from Tease, I skipped to the time Seb had indicated.
She wore a navy dress, the color subtly different from the way I normally saw her, but the cut was all the same. Ice froze my body solid, a cold fury the likes of which I’d rarely experienced for myself. She did her best to hide her face from the cameras, but I was paranoid and liberal with my surveillance. There was nowhere for her to hide as I toggled to another feed.
Her face stared back at me in clear resolution.
I skipped my shower, pulling on shoes and striding out my bedroom door.
The bitch had no idea what was coming for her.
Sadie was silent at my side as I threw myself out of the SUV. My fingers twitch
ed for the gun at my waist, but I’d strangle the woman with my bare hands before I’d ever waste a bullet on her. “Enzo!” Sadie hissed as she caught up to me. Rebel hurried at our sides, no leash in sight since she didn’t need one. That dog wouldn’t leave Sadie’s side if her life depended on it. “What’s going on?”
Throwing open the doors of Indulgence, I shoved past Dom who jumped back. It was probably the smartest move the man had ever made.
Ash looked up from the bar, his face paling as he read the expression on mine. “Shit,” he mumbled, glancing at the woman where I focused all my attention.
She’d wanted it, been desperate for it.
I had a feeling this wasn’t what she had in mind.
Vanessa looked up from the bar as she felt the change in the air, and the moment she saw me thundering toward her she backed away. With the wall at her back, she cowered and turned her face away as I approached. “Please, Enzo!” she begged. “I didn’t know!”
My hand covered her throat, squeezing as her hands came up to claw at my skin. “You didn’t know that distracting a guard would be dangerous?”
“He said he was her ex-boyfriend. He just wanted to talk to her and convince her to take him back,” Vanessa wheezed.
“Patrick’s a fucking dick, but he would never do something like this. It doesn’t add up, Enzo,” Sadie whispered at my side. As much as I hated the little dickhead and his persistence, I knew she was right. He was a cockroach, not a snake.
“Give me his name,” I ordered, clenching my fingers tighter. Sadie looked like she might interfere, but she stilled at the glare I shot her way. Vanessa was breathing.
For now.
I made no promises that she would still be by the time I finished with her.
“He didn’t tell me his name. He came here looking for her the other night.”
“What did he look like?” Sadie asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she studied Vanessa curiously. Something churned behind those honey eyes, her brain constantly trying to make connections, even if she didn’t have all the information.
“He was maybe thirty-five or forty,” Vanessa said in a hurry. “Dark blond hair, creepy pale grey eyes.” Sadie went still at my side, a mirror of the unending rage I felt.
“And Sadie was the target?” I asked.
“I guess so?” Vanessa asked, tears staining her cheeks. “I didn’t know he wanted to hurt you, I swear,” she said, turning her attention to Sadie. “All I know is that his guy called me to say you were at Tease and asked if I could get him into the back to talk to you. I remembered how you ran out of here when Dom was busy staring at me. I thought it was worth a shot to get rid of you.”
My fingers tightened on her, having all the information I needed, considering what she’d done. I’d killed people for less.
I would continue to kill people for less.
But Sadie’s grip on my arm pulled my hand away from her throat, forgiveness in her gaze as she studied the other woman. “I’m okay. I wasn’t hurt. I think we can show some forgiveness with that in mind,” she whispered as the front door opened and closed behind us.
“Have I missed out on the fun?” Rafael asked, striding across the floor. His odd gaze fell on Sadie briefly and she shrunk away from whatever she saw there, tucking tighter into my side. “Is this the traitor?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as they fell on Vanessa.
I’d thought her too self-absorbed to recognize danger where it lurked, but even she saw Rafe for what he was. “Yes,” I agreed, wrapping an arm around Sadie.
He turned his attention to the bodyguard who trailed after him. “Brand her,” he ordered, and the man nodded before stepping up to Vanessa who screamed as he took her by the arm.
“No!” Sadie protested, her wide honey eyes landing on me and begging me to stop it.
“That’s not how Matteo does things,” I told Rafe. He pursed his lips, looking disappointed for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
“How boring,” he sighed, nodding for his man to release Vanessa.
“You are banished from the city,” I said to Vanessa. “You will not find another job within the limits. You’ll quickly find yourself evicted from your apartment. I suggest you go home and pack what you can and get the fuck out, Vanessa,” I said, leaning into her space to growl. “Know that it is only Sadie’s kindness that has allowed you to walk away from this. If I ever see you again, I’ll feed you to Rafael and Ryker,” I said. She backed away, glancing from Sadie to me with a red face.
Then she turned on her heel and ran. If she’d thought I may show her kindness, she had no such disillusions about Ryker and Rafael.
She was smarter than I gave her credit for.
Sadie nestled into me. “Can I go see my fucking gym now?” I chuckled, touching my lips to the top of her head while Rafael studied us curiously.
Like a man taking notes. I shuddered to think of what he may be filing away for later use with Isa.
32
Enzo
The old warehouse was a little outside the area Sadie wanted, but I'd known the moment I saw the photos that she'd love the building enough to make up for it.
It was close enough to the Loop, prime real estate property that sat unused because of a death in the facility years before, when it had been a building where they built commercial engines. Despite the rough shape of the building that I saw in the photos Lino had sent back, I knew it could be converted to a perfect gym for Sadie's purposes.
"Enzo,” David said, his brittle lips pulling into a smile. "Miss Hicks. It’s so nice to see you again." He turned a polite smile to Sadie, but just as before, his eyes didn't linger in the way I might have worried with a male agent who wasn't familiar with Bellandi men. He glanced down at Rebel, smiling indulgently at Sadie’s constant companion.
He'd clearly spent some time around Ivory or Samara and knew his eyes belonged elsewhere. He moved to the front door without another word, shoving it open as Sadie looked around the building hesitantly. "This isn't the Loop," she observed.
"No, it's not," I admitted. "But it's close enough that people will come here if you build a good enough gym. You're a boxing gym, Baby Girl. Embrace that and you'll find the right clientele. You'll never have the regular clients just looking to go jog on a treadmill at the end of the day. This is the complete opposite side of the city from the original location, so once both are up and running, you'd have the option to open an East or West branch or both one day to accommodate everyone."
She eyed the damage to the structure as she fiddled with the tote she carried at her side. "This looks like a lot of work, Enzo. I told you I can't even buy the place, let alone pay for these repairs. I'm just looking to kind of move into a ready-made space."
"Just keep an open mind," I reassured her. I wouldn't tell her it wouldn't be Matteo funding the purchase and repairs or that if she insisted on making payments monthly, all that money would go back to our bank account in the end. Sadie wasn't the type to tolerate that. So she never had to know.
She stepped inside, wandering through the building slowly. The first thing the smart ass commented on were the windows. "Those are floor to ceiling," she commented.
"We'll make them smaller in the remodel, and the building is big enough that the entire interior isn't visible through them. There are blind spots where people could hide away from the windows. That's what's most important," I said.
She walked from the windows and strolled around the space, her eyes immediately drawn to the loft and windows overlooking the ground floor. "The one on the right would be a perfect office for you. We'd replace the glass with a two-way mirror so nobody can see in while you work up there, but you can still supervise downstairs." I guided her to the alley-like space between the two lofts, showing her how far back the warehouse went.
"This place is enormous!" she yelled, but excitement colored her tone despite the hesitance as the dollar signs added up in her head.
"Rings out in the open space," I said
, spinning her to look behind us. "Beneath the lofts would be weight training and bags and all that stuff on one side, and I thought if you wanted, we could close in the space underneath one of the lofts and use it for your defense courses. Give the women some privacy and make it so you wouldn't need to close the gym and only operate once a week. I know you love it, but it could be more of a full-time enterprise if you hired a staff member for that specifically. Paid courses with either individual focus or small groups, but offer some classes to large groups for free a few times a week too." I guided her further down the alley, to the back where the two lofts connected. "Seal up back here and make it the locker rooms and showers on the bottom floor." I took her to the stairs at the back, guiding her up even though they were rickety. Rebel looked at them in hesitant consideration for a moment before dropping to sit at the foot of the stairs. I couldn’t blame her. David had assured me he’d had them inspected before we came to tour the property and they would hold, and that was the sole reason I guided Sadie up. "Your office and the staff space to the left. The right side could be used for treadmills or cardio equipment, or we could put the women's space up here for more privacy if you wanted and leave the whole bottom floor for the gym to limit the foot traffic. That might be a better idea actually," I murmured, guiding her through the space.
"You put a lot of thought into this," she observed.
"I tried to think about all the things you might want. Is there anything missing?" I asked, matter of fact and keeping my hands to myself. I'd expected more excitement from her, but she seemed hesitant to give me anything.
"Yes," she said. "What's missing is the fact that you aren't touching me. You're a foot away from me, and I just can't get excited knowing you're still pissed." In the urgency of dealing with Vanessa that morning, we hadn’t had time to settle things between us. I’d known it ate away at me, but it felt good to know Sadie couldn’t stand fighting with me either. The admission pulled at me, drawing me to close the distance and pull her into my chest.
Shielded Wrongs: A Dark Mafia Romance (Bellandi Crime Syndicate Book 4) Page 30