by Lia Ellison
“I don’t understand.”
“Can your men find enough bicycles quickly? No one will hear that, and if you all come from different directions, they might not even see you in the dark. Hell, they won’t even think to look because it’s not something they’d expect from you, is it? That area might be quiet at this time, but the rest of the city isn’t. You’d have to wear a hoodie and hide the guns, but...”
Aiden stared at me, his mouth open.
“Just let me try. I can have something with me to give you a signal when to attack, and I’ll do my best to get out of there before the shooting starts.” And I really hoped I wouldn’t die in the process.
“Are you sure?” he finally said, worry filling his eyes. “I don’t want you to do this. I really don’t.”
“I am. I’m sure.”
He kissed me then, quick and hard. “Then you have to get ready. Now. Or we’ll be too late.”
“If they see I’m on the way, they might wait a bit longer.” At least I hoped so. “I’ll put on a dress. Do you have a necklace that at least looks like diamonds?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’ll be right back.” He raced for the door.
Maybe I was about to make a huge mistake, but I didn’t want to think about it. I rushed for the closet and pulled out the first dress that I could find, but before I could even finish putting it on, Aiden burst through the door with something black in his hands.
“Put this under the dress.” He tossed it to me and then stormed out again.
It was a bulletproof vest, and I had no clue how it was going to fit under the dress, but I was lucky the dress was stretchy.
I slipped into a pair of sneakers. No one had said anything about wearing high heels, and it would be easier to escape in normal shoes.
Aiden was back with a shiny necklace, and he quickly put it around my neck.
“The gun!” he said. “You need your gun!”
“I’ll strap it to my thigh in the car. Where’s the tracker? And that pager thingy or whatever we’re going to use so I can alert you when it’s time to attack?”
“My men are working on it. We’ll get it on the way. Come on!” He took my hand and we sprinted down the hallway.
Hopefully, we’d all get out of this alive, and Jo would be back with us.
Chapter 22
“IF ANYTHING HAPPENS to her, I’ll have your heads. You do exactly as I told you,” Aiden said to the two guards who were supposed to come with me, and they nodded.
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to be fine.”
“I can’t believe I’m letting you do this.”
“It’s what I want, okay?”
“This car has bulletproof windows. Just stay inside for as long as you can. You don’t have to get out at all. The guards know what to do.”
“We’ll see, but I can protect myself. Promise.” I gave him a reassuring smile.
He pulled a ring out of his pocket. It must’ve been one of those things that his tech team had handed to him when we’d rushed through the hallway.
He took my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. “The blue stone is actually a button. It emits a signal on a frequency that only we should be able to pick up. You should press it as soon as you see the Ritos, but even if you don’t do it, it doesn’t matter. We’ll be coming, okay? Stay in the car. Don’t do anything risky. Promise me.” His eyes bored into mine.
“Okay, I won’t.” I eyed the ring. “Do you think they might be able to detect it too?”
“I don’t know. Let’s hope they won’t have the time to react. If something goes wrong, the guards will protect you and get you out of there.”
“Isn’t it weird the Ritos are letting me bring my guards?”
“Not really. It should look like a fair exchange, and they want us to think you’re safe. But if something happens to them, you need to run, or find someplace to hide.” His eyes were swirling with concern for me.
“Yeah, I know, but I really have to go now. We don’t want the Ritos to leave or hurt Jo.”
“Listen to me,” he said, clasping my chin. “Don’t worry about Jo. Your safety is the only thing that matters.”
His lips found mine, and he wrapped his arms around me so tightly that I could barely breathe. My fingers slipped into his hair and I tugged him toward me as our mouths moved against each other.
“You should be careful too,” I said as we broke apart. My lips still tingled from his touch. “You’re the one who’s going to be shooting and attacking, and I don’t want you to risk your life either. Actually, why don’t you just stay here and wait for your men to handle everything?”
“You know I can’t do that.”
I bobbed my head, but it was worth a try. “I really need to go now.”
It was possible we’d be late, but if the Ritos wanted me, they could wait a little. As I stepped toward the car, Aiden caught my hand, and then my fingers slipped out of his.
The guards closed the door after I got in the car, and the one who was going to drive offered me a thigh holster and a gun. Oh yeah, I’d almost forgotten about that.
Hopefully, the Ritos would never come close enough to me to be able to search me. The tracker was already in my bra, and I couldn’t reach it even if I wanted to. I’d probably have to take off the bulletproof vest first.
What if the Ritos wouldn’t show until after they made sure I wasn’t armed or wearing anything dangerous on me? What if they asked me to strip?
Well, if the car was bulletproof too, then we could just turn around and get the hell out of there before they could get their hands on me.
As the car lurched forward, I thought that I was going to throw up. My stomach was swimming with anxiety, and I took deep breaths to calm myself.
I could do this.
If I played it right, I could even save Jo’s life.
Aiden’s car zoomed past us, and I was sure he was already on his way to wherever he was supposed to meet with the rest of his men. They’d managed to get the bikes, and I hoped our plan would work.
The clock on the car dashboard told me that we had less than ten minutes to get to the meeting spot.
I lifted my dress, trying to get the holster onto my thigh.
The guard in the passenger seat glanced at me over his shoulder.
“Hey!” I snapped. “Keep your eyes on the road. Someone might jump us while you’re busy staring at me!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.” He immediately straightened in his seat.
My palms were sweaty as I finished adjusting the gun, and then I lowered my dress.
What the hell are you doing?
You shouldn’t be risking your life like this.
You’re not really a gang member. Why do you care?
Let Aiden deal with it.
Yeah, and if I wait, then what?
Jo will be dead and those people will still be coming after me.
“We’re almost there,” the driver said, and my shoulders went stiff.
Breathe.
Don’t forget to breathe.
The stupid dress was too tight over the vest, and the fake diamond necklace was biting into my skin. My back started to itch, but there was no time to scratch it now. We were getting closer.
The streets were dark and empty around us. All the buildings were in the darkness, except for a random light in some of the windows. This area was full of old factories and facilities that were no longer used, and those that were, were closed right now.
A shadow on one of the rooftops caught my eye, and I gasped, but it disappeared a second later. Had I imagined it or was that one of the Ritos watching us?
I cracked my knuckles, peering into the darkness, but I couldn’t see much.
Finally, the car slowed down, and I realized we’d arrived at our destination. There was a large metal gate in front of us with a symbol painted on it.
I didn’t have time to study it and figure out what it was because two masked men in black c
ame out of the shadows and pulled the gate open for us. There wasn’t much light, but I could see car parts lying around.
It was a junkyard.
A car with bright lights was just in front of us, but I couldn’t see much, just that there were men standing around it.
“Stop the car,” I said to the driver.
If we went too far, they could just close the gate behind us, and then we wouldn’t be able to get out, and Aiden and his men wouldn’t be able to get inside. Sure, there had to be another exit, but I had no idea how to find it.
“What do we do now?” the driver whispered.
Hadn’t they been listening when Aiden had told them the plan? Shit.
“You!” I leaned forward and tapped the shoulder of the guy in the passenger seat. “Get out of the car and tell them to turn off those lights. We can’t see anything.” I wasn’t about to get out and be blinded.
No one was shooting at us yet, which was great, but I had no idea where Jo was. If she wasn’t here, then all of this was for nothing, and we should just get the hell out of here as soon as possible.
“Stay in the car, ma’am,” he said, and then got out. The light was still too bright, but I could see him inching forward.
What if I’d just sent him out to die? The Ritos could shoot him, but they had to know I’d run, and they’d lose me, so I had to believe the guard would be safe.
Someone approached him, and they were armed. That was all that I could tell.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, my whole body tense as I waited to see what would happen. After what seemed like an eternity, the light went out, and another was turned on somewhere above us, but we could finally see something.
A group of armed men was standing around an SUV, but I couldn’t see Jo anywhere. My guard trudged back toward us, and when he opened the door, his lips were pressed into a white line.
“Ma’am, they’ll only bring out their prisoner if you get out of the car. The boss gave us orders to leave, so once I close the door, you just...”
“No! Wait! We’re not leaving yet.”
“But ma’am...”
“I know what Aiden said, but it’s going to be fine, okay? Just stay close to me and be ready.”
I inhaled deeply.
It was going to be fine.
Everything was going to be fine.
I had to believe it.
Chapter 23
“MA’AM, PLEASE, WE CAN’T let you do that,” the guard implored.
“Don’t worry. Aiden’s not going to kill you if we survive this. Just come with me and be ready to run back to the car or shoot.” I leaned toward the driver. “Leave the key in the ignition, okay?”
He nodded, and then I opened the door. Nothing moved in the darkness, and I hoped no one was going to try to shoot me. Maybe I should tell them that I had a bomb on me.
Once I was in front of the car, I stopped, my guards on each side of me.
“I’m here,” I yelled. “Where’s Jo? I want to see her.”
“Why don’t you come closer? We’re not going to hurt you,” one of the Ritos said. He was a big bald guy with broad shoulders.
“I don’t know who you are and I don’t trust you, so no, I’m not getting any closer, and you’re not getting the diamonds until I see Jo’s fine.”
If they started shooting, I’d have to duck behind the car and hope for the best. There was no way for me to get my gun right now. My ring felt heavy on my finger, and I held my hands close together so that I could press the button and alert Aiden that it was time for the attack.
And what if he doesn’t come?
What if the Ritos spotted him and his men?
What are you going to do then?
There was no time for me to think about that. Hopefully, the Ritos would think that I was just a frightened woman who was close to losing her mind for being involved in all this.
Maybe Aiden was already on his way if he thought it was taking me too long to press the button. Hell, maybe it didn’t even work, but I trusted that he’d be here when I needed him.
The bald guy whispered something to the guy next to him and then waved someone over. “Bring her!” he shouted.
It was a good thing I’d decided to get out of the car because Jo wasn’t in that SUV in front of us, which meant if we’d taken off or attacked them thinking she was in that car, they would’ve killed her.
A few long moments passed, the breeze cold on my skin, but I was actually sweating. Two of the Ritos’ men were pointing their guns straight at us, but they didn’t fire. Then a movement caught my eye, and three more guys emerged.
They were dragging Jo with them. Her hands were tied behind her back with a zip tie, a gag in her mouth. I couldn’t see if she was injured, but at least she could more or less walk on her own.
My finger hovered over the button, and then I pressed it.
“Here she is,” the bald guy said, grabbing Jo’s arm and tugging her toward him. “Now where are my diamonds?”
“They’re right here.” I touched my necklace.
“Bring it over.”
“I’ll take it off first,” I said. “And then my guard can take it to you and you send Jo over.”
“Nuh-uh.” The bald guy shook his head. “You come over here with that necklace right now. That was the deal.”
“You can’t expect me to just walk up to you. How about we meet in the middle?” I was stalling because I had no idea how long it would take Aiden and his men to get here, but none of the Ritos seemed to be worried.
I wondered what exactly Carter had told them about Aiden. Maybe they believed he wasn’t going to try anything or that he was gullible enough to fall for this. Hell, they probably saw his compassion and desire to save Jo as some kind of weakness, which was utterly ridiculous, but hey, if they underestimated us and we got to defeat them, I had zero problem with that.
Let them believe whatever the hell they wanted.
“Are we that scary?” Someone snickered.
“Yeah, you are. Do you want the damn necklace or not?”
What did they think? That I was going to try to prove to them that I was brave and do exactly what they wanted me to? I was sure they intended to jump forward and snatch me if I did that, but they weren’t going to wait patiently either.
I was running out of time.
Where was Aiden?
“Come on. We’ll meet in the middle. See? We can be nice.” A guy with dark hair and a large tattoo on his neck took Jo by the arm and stepped forward.
“Which one of you is in charge?” I asked as I moved slightly. “You?”
“Does it matter?” the tattooed guy said. “Come on now.”
“Okay, I’m coming.” I reached for the necklace, pretending to fiddle with the latch. “Ouch. It’s stuck. Give me a moment, please. My hands are a little shaky.”
Someone laughed from the shadows. I was just some silly girl to them, wasn’t I? But at least they weren’t rushing at me, probably because they were sure they could easily trap me.
They found this entertaining, I supposed.
Just as I took off the necklace, someone whizzed past me.
And then it all started.
Shots rang out.
Someone shouted.
Everyone was scrambling for cover or for their weapon. My guards jumped in front of me, and before I could do anything, they shoved me to the ground with them.
My heart drummed in my chest, my ears buzzing. The guards were on top of me, covering me as best as they could as they tried to get me behind the car.
Where was Aiden? I couldn’t see anything in the chaos.
A bullet hit the car light, breaking it into pieces.
I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them, the guards were pushing me back, and one of them was panting, his eyes way too wide. Had he been hit? They were wearing bulletproof vests, as far as I knew.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” one of them shouted, but all I could hear were the
guns being fired everywhere around us.
I nodded, pressing myself against the car.
“We need to get her out of here.”
“Ma’am, you need to get in the car.”
I pushed myself up on my knees, but as I tried to open the door, a bullet hit the car just above my hand. Shit! I pulled back as if I’d been burned.
The guards were busy firing at someone, and I reached under my dress for my gun.
I felt someone’s gaze on me, and when I looked up, there he was.
Aiden.
He was looking straight at me.
But then I spotted a guy aiming at him, and I opened my mouth to scream, fully aware that it was going to be too late.
He was never going to hear me in time, and I didn’t know what to do.
Everything seemed like it was in slow motion.
Chapter 24
VERONICA’S EYES WENT wide, and he immediately knew there was someone behind him, even before she could scream. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his enemy taking aim at him.
Aiden fired toward the shadow without looking and then spun around. His enemy fell to the ground, but he wasn’t dead yet, so Aiden fired again.
When he was sure no one was coming his way, he glanced back at Veronica. She was huddled behind the car, and her guards were doing their best to keep her safe, but it wasn’t enough. He had to get to her as soon as possible.
But then he heard a shout.
Jo was just across from him, her hands still tied behind her back as she kicked the man who was trying to hold her down in the stomach.
Now what?
Who are you going to help?
They both need you.
He focused back on Veronica, who gave him a little nod in Jo’s direction.
“It’s okay,” she mouthed. “Go.”
And then she lifted her gun, ready to shoot anyone who started toward her.
How was she so damn awesome?
He rushed toward Jo, shooting the guy who tried to jump her. As soon as she spotted him, a smile spread across her lips.
“Took you long enough,” she said as she ripped through the zip tie all on her own. The Ritos—at least the ones who weren’t lying on the ground—were pulling back.