by S. M. West
Word’s out that Drago is going berserk looking for Slaughter. He’s using my asshole plan. Grab Maggie to lure Slaughter out of hiding.
I’m jostled from behind and almost tumble to the ground. Once upright, the guys are gone; the party has swallowed them whole. I’ve got to find Maggie.
The crowd has thickened, and it feels like forever before I spot her. Her raven tresses gleam under these bright lights. The goons are bearing down on her from the other direction, and she hasn’t noticed them.
I grab the crook of her arm, and she gasps, startled.
“Nick?”
“She told you to get lost.” Dan puffs out his chest in some primitive way of staking his claim.
He’s trying to be the dominant of the two of us. If I had time, I’d show this guy who the alpha is here, but I don’t. Shame.
“We gotta go.” I drag her from the small group.
“We. Are. Not. Doing. This. Again.” Her face twists into a snarl, and she tries to get out of my grasp but only succeeds in ricocheting into me.
“Nick, please. I do want to talk to you but not here and not like this. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
With her body flush against mine, my arm slides around her waist, fingers digging into her hip bone, and she wrestles with me.
“Stop this. We’ve got company,” I whisper.
Her alluring scent envelopes me and my cock hardens at the memory of having her.
She whirls her head left and right, searching for the threat, while Dan stammers for me to leave her alone.
Maggie stills, her gaze on the brute with the jagged scar from ear to ear across his neck known as Grim Reaper. Her lungs freeze, her chest ceasing to rise and fall and Grim leers at us from only fifteen feet away.
I frown at his crooked yellow teeth and the fact he’s too close for comfort. Grim’s friends are close behind.
“We have to go,” I growl, deep and harsh, baring my teeth.
She snaps out of her frozen state, sinking into me. She’s with me now, and I breathe easier, despite being nowhere close to safe.
We bob and weave through the throng of people. Maggie’s behind me and I want her in front, but there isn’t time or space to do so. People shout, and some even push back.
Dan yells Maggie’s name several times, and I glance back to see he’s unknowingly running interference with two of the three guys on our heels. He’s in their way, and they shove him to the side.
Knocked into a group, Dan sends a high-top table crashing to the floor, along with him and a few other people.
We burst through an exit into an alley, and an alarm blares. The ringing pierces my eardrums.
“Nick, wait. I can’t run that fast.” She’s breathless and frantic.
“You gotta pick up the pace.”
“I can’t run in these shoes.”
I spare a glance at her feet and groan. “Woman, you’re gonna be the death of me.”
My hands bracket her slender waist, and I heave her over my shoulder, running. A loud pop followed fast by a boom startles us, and a bullet whips by, hitting the dumpster only feet away.
“Shit,” she shouts, now gripping my waist.
A swath of bullets rains down on us, and I book it to my car where she scrambles on her hands and knees to get in.
Tossing her the keys, I order, “Start the car.”
We need to get the hell out of here. Drago’s not going to stop looking for her if she stays in town. He wants her brother and will get to Slaughter any way he can.
Something or someone slams me into the car, grabbing me by my collar, and shoving my face first into the metal.
“We only want the girl, Nick.” His gun is on me.
It’s Yegor. I glance over the hood toward the building; so far no one else has come out. It’s just the three of us. I could take him if I can get his gun.
“Get out here,” Yegor yells, bending his knees to peer in through the driver side window at Maggie.
Before I realize what’s going on, the engine roars and the vehicle takes off. I elbow the Russian and he’s caught off guard, stumbling back.
The car spins in a one-eighty, clipping Yegor’s side. It’s hard to tell if it’s intentional, but Yegor screams, falling to the ground, writhing in pain and holding his hip.
“You cunt, I’m gonna kill you,” he bellows. He’s lost his gun, now lying well out of his reach.
“Nick, get in!” Maggie screams through the window.
I slide in the car and she guns the engine. Yegor shouts profanities, and two guys rush from the alley. One stops to look after Yegor, and the other heads for us.
“Punch it,” I shout. “You’ve hit one of them. We gotta go.”
“I’m on it.” With clipped words, she kicks it into gear and we pick up speed.
“Where are we going?” I glance back to see if we have a tail, but so far, nothing.
“My place.” She’s heading west on Lakeshore.
“What the hell? That’s the first place they’ll look. We’ve got to get the hell out of the city.”
“What? Like last time?” She glances my way, her brows arched and lips pursed. “Not a chance. We’re not doing that ever again.”
“Mikhail Drago wants you, and you’ve hit his most respected man. You can’t stay here. We need to leave. Tonight.”
“There may be a way out of this. Maybe John can settle this.” She worries her bottom lip and refuses to glance my way.
“Are you crazy?” I don’t hide my disbelief. “Slaughter has never done anything for anyone but himself, you said so yourself. So what makes you think he’ll help?”
She’s mute. Her concentration on the road is exaggerated and my irritation grows. We pull in behind her garage, and she jumps out, jogging to the door.
“Maggie, wait. This is a stupid idea. Why the fuck did you come here? We need to leave.”
Twirling on her heel, hands on her hips, she glares. “I’m leaving. Okay? I just need—”
“Everything can be replaced. Let’s go.” I grip her arm and stand in front of her. “What’s so important that you’d risk coming here?”
She looks away, her lips mashed together. “Cherry. I’m not leaving her.” Her voice wobbles. “Kit told me what they did to his place.”
The door bursts open, and Grim grabs Maggie right from my grip.
She yelps, I lunge, and chaos follows. After a few punches and curses, he’s got my hands behind my back.
“Look, Prophet, we don’t have a beef with you. The boss wants her, and I do too for running down Yegor.”
“Take me instead.” Bartering isn’t wise, but I’m stalling.
I’m willing to bet Grim’s alone, and my gaze implores Maggie to run. She glares back totally understanding me but thinking I’m crazy.
“I’ll go.” She steps forward, and I want to kill her. Why the fuck is she putting herself in harm’s way?
“Pretty and smart.” Grim motions with his chin for her to come closer.
Before he can touch her, I stomp my heel on his foot and elbow him in the side. He bends over in pain, and before he can recover, I knee him in the groin.
My fist connects with his face, and he falls to his knees, releasing unintelligible sounds of pain.
With Maggie’s hand in mine, we don’t even get three feet away when the cock of a gun stops us dead in our tracks.
“Fucking stop or I kill both of you.” Even in agony, Grim never wavers in aiming the gun at us.
He only has one clear shot. He could try firing two rounds in succession, but the chances of two clean-kill shots are slim.
I don’t know how good a shot he is, but if he’s that good, I’d have heard. One of us could get away. It’s up to fate or fuck knows who if the second shot is fatal.
It’s fifty-fifty and I don’t like the odds. I won’t gamble with Maggie’s life.
We face Grim. “The boss said if you gave trouble to kill you.” His murderous glare is on Maggie. “Even in death, we
make a point with Slaughter.”
With his slow, sinister smile, his repulsive shark-like teeth are bared. Everything happens so fast. The wicked glint in his beady black eyes telegraphs his intentions.
I don’t hesitate. There isn’t a choice. I’d never be able to live with myself otherwise.
The crack of a gunshot barely registers, and I twist, pushing Maggie behind me. Shielding her from harm, my body jerks suddenly, and I’m stunned as heat rips through my chest.
Then nothing. Did I imagine it? I’d braced myself for a bullet. Did he miss?
Grim looms in front of me with a dumbass expression on his face.
Dropping my chin, I glance to my torso, but see nothing. Okay, I’m fine. Maggie’s distant whimper grates at the edges of my mind. Something is wrong. Fuck, no. Did he hit her after all? Fuck, I can’t have failed her again?
My legs are weak, and my vision blurs. A coppery stench hits my nostrils at the same time my side burns. I grab at my body. Wet. Sticky. Blood coats my fingers and searing agony blazes along my chest, tearing at my insides.
“Nick!” Maggie screams, and my knees buckle and my eyes close.
27
Friday 11:06 PM
Maggie
Like water washing onto a sandy shore, his blood blooms across his white shirt, some spilling onto the concrete.
Pulling back his jacket, my hands fly to the wound, pressing down to stop the flow. His warm, slick blood pools around my fingers.
Nick saved my life. Again. My eyes water and something foreign yet heart-rending slices through my chest. My sobs come fast and furious, laced with anguish and despair.
Forgetting about everything else, I’m startled when large fingers pull at my hair, stinging my eyes. Pain scorches my scalp and he forces me to stand.
“You know what they call me, pretty lady?” He sneers. “The Grim Reaper. You know why? Because I cheated death.” His finger traces the life-threatening scar across his neck. “Too bad Nicky can’t say the same.”
He drags me away from Nick’s body.
“Let me go.” I claw at the asshole’s arm.
“You’re coming with me.”
“We can’t leave him!” My high-pitched wail causes him to stall.
My expression hardens despite the tears spilling down my cheeks, blurring my vision. Nick needs a hospital. I’ve got to stop the bleeding, but I can’t do anything until I deal with this guy.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“He’ll die if we leave him here like this.” I point frantically at Nick, unconscious on the ground. “We can’t. Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”
“Your brother.” He waves the gun like a party streamer. “Give me Slaughter, and I’ll leave you with him.”
My stomach roils; I’m not sure if it’s because of his demand or because Nick looks worse than a minute ago. His usually healthy complexion is pallid.
“What do you mean?” Now is not the time to piss him off, but I’m not sure what he wants. My thoughts are muddled.
“Big brother has run. Chickenshit. We can’t find him. Tell me where he is.”
The pain of my teeth sinking into the tender flesh of my lip briefly alleviates the fog in my brain. There’s no choice. Even though Nick and I started off in a seriously bad place, he’s protected me and saved me. My brother? He only cares about himself.
“Tick, tock. He’s not looking too good,” Grim taunts.
“Okay.” My heart aches. “I’m going to take Nick’s phone out of his pocket, and while I call, you need to stop the bleeding.”
“I’m not getting my hands bloody.” Grim screws his face.
“Do it!” I kneel and pull out Nick’s phone. “If you don’t do it, I won’t give you John.”
My heart pounds in my ears and I don’t know how or why I think I can argue with this killer, but Nick’s life is on the line. I’ll do anything to save him.
He relents. “No funny business. If you call nine-one-one or someone for help, you’ll be dead before you hang up.”
He cocks the gun and presses the barrel against my temple. I shudder at the feel of the cold metal.
Nick did the very same thing to me, but it felt different. I can’t explain it, but I knew Nick wasn’t going to pull the trigger. It was in his eyes. This guy? He’d kill me in a heartbeat.
With my eyes on Nick, my hands tremble as I make the call. Grim makes me put it on speaker and I feel sick.
For everything my brother is, I can’t fathom leading killers to his door. I’m not like him, but Nick needs me, and I need him. I can’t let him die.
“What do you want?” Jesse’s familiar, gruff voice is both comforting and upsetting.
I’m reminded why I left him and want nothing to do with my brother’s dark world. Yet no matter what, I find myself smack dab in the middle, again, in a life and death situation.
“Jesse, it’s Maggie.”
“Gorgeous.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “Whose phone is this? Don’t tell me you’re with Prophet. Stay away from him. He’s nothing but trouble.”
I bite back my retort at the irony. Wiping my tears, I focus on what I need to say rather than lose myself in my frenetic thoughts of Nick dying on the ground.
“I need to speak to John…” I suck in a shaky breath, hoping I sound as normal as possible. He knows me too well, and if I slip up, he’ll know something is wrong.
“He’s right here…”
“No,” I say hurriedly before he passes the phone to John. “I need to speak to him in person.”
Drago’s guy nods in approval, his ugly smile widening. I grimace and look at Nick, taking his limp hand in my trembling one. It’s still warm, but for how much longer?
“Everything okay?” Jesse is no fool. I’m not doing a good job of hiding my fear.
“Yes. Well, no, that’s why I need to talk to John.”
“All right, gorgeous.” Right now, I’m comforted by the bothersome nickname. “We’re at Bluffer’s Park.”
“Okay. Where?”
The Bluffs are on the lakeshore with high cliffs, a sandy beach, and marina. When we were together, we hung out there a lot.
Jesse isn’t stupid enough to believe I forgot. Once when we were there, he pointed out a hotel and told me John owns it. That’s where he means.
He barks out a laugh. “Maggie, you okay? The Imperial.”
“Got it.” I swallow past the growing unease, and Grim scrutinizes me. I need to wrap this up.
“Maggie.”
“Yes?” Hairs prickle at the back of my neck.
“Baby, you in trouble?”
“No. I just need John.” Again, something I’d never say. Jesse would know this. I’m trying to clue him in that trouble is coming without giving away too much.
Grim’s heavy stare darkens and his eyes narrow, but he doesn’t end the call or pump me with lead. At least not for now.
“Okay. Gorgeous, get to safety and when this is done, you come home.”
I pinch my lips together and squeeze my eyes shut. Jesse shouldn’t say that. He wants me to come back to him, and perhaps my warning has given him hope. But that ship sailed a long time ago. My heart belongs to someone else, and if I don’t act soon, he could die.
“I know where it is. See you soon.” I hit end, and without missing a beat, dial nine-one-one. Grim moves the gun from my head to Nick’s.
“Fucking hang up now or he dies.”
Without hesitation, I end the call.
“Where’s Slaughter?” The brute asks.
“There’s a motel, The Imperial, in Scarborough. He’s there.”
Grim removes the pressure from Nick’s chest, and a panicked moan breaks past my tight lips. My hand flattens where his big beefy paw was and presses down.
“Please, let me call for help.” My tears fall steadily as I stare into his heartless black eyes. With every passing second, I fear for Nick’s chances of survival.
“I’m not leaving you with the phone.” He grabs it from me. “You think I’m stupid.”
Standing to his full height, the corners of his mouth slide into a ghoulish smile, and he looms over me.
“If you lied, I will hunt you down and kill you. But before I do, we’ll be sure to have some play time.” He bends to wind a lock of my hair around his finger, and bile claws its way up my throat. “We’ll have so much fun that you’ll wish for your death.”
If Nick dies, I’m pretty sure my heart will break. Grim can do whatever he wants to me at that point. I’ll already be dead.
His hand reaches for my face, but I swat it away.
“I didn’t lie, but Jesse isn’t stupid, and if you take too long, they’ll move. My brother and I are estranged, me wanting to see him is a red flag. They’ll be on high alert.”
I’m not helping him, I’m covering my tracks. Knowing Jesse, they are packing up as I speak or setting up their own trap. Either way, it’s done.
No matter what, I won’t speak to my brother again, or Jesse for that matter. And I’ll figure a way to get the word out that I’m worthless to my brother, not his weakness.
“You better hope we find ‘em.” Walking backward with his eyes trained on me, he leaves.
The second the door closes, I toss my heels and run to the office to grab the extra cell phone I keep in the drawer.
“Maggie,” Nick croaks so softly I almost miss it.
“Oh my God, Nick.” Framing his face, I lift his head and lean in. “Stay with me.”
His eyelids flutter closed and then open. He does this a few times.
“Nick, don’t you dare die on me. I swear to God if you do, I’ll kill you and haunt you.”
My threat is empty and desperate, hoping to ignite his will to fight. To live. I lay his head back down and pick up the office cell phone.
A ghost of a smile teases his pale lips.
“Please, Nick, don’t leave me. I need you.” Tears blind my vision, yet I can’t rein it in. “Oh my God. Nine-one-one,” I say it to myself, prompting my fingers into action.
“No hospital.” He’s barely audible. “Gunshot… Call… Kit.” He passes out with his friend’s name on his lips.