He picked her shirt off the floor and pulled it down over her head, but as he eased her arm into the sleeve, her eyes shot open. Her lips parted as though she were about to scream. He clapped a hand over her mouth. “Don’t make a sound.”
Surrounded by the stench of cannabis, the incessant whir of the fans, and the red light bathing everything, Alyssa stared into the concerned gaze of her rescuer. Everything came back to her in a rush, and her eyes filled with tears. How had Rémi known where to find her? How had he even known she was missing? She wanted to throw her arms around him, hold him tight and never let go. But when she tried to move, liquid fire shot down her arm and she remembered falling on her shoulder. Rémi ran a thumb under her eyes, wiping away the wetness. “I’m going to get you out of here,” he whispered.
Unable to speak, she nodded and while Corey untied her feet, she wiggled her toes experimentally. Pete had shot her up with heroin. She’d watched it flow into her veins, felt herself be swept away by the euphoria—a feeling she’d never known before and hoped to God she never experienced again. And then she’d slipped into unconsciousness. So why wasn’t she dead? Had the Guardians fucked up another attempt to kill her?
As soon as Corey finished untying her feet, Rémi swept her into his arms. She winced at the sudden movement but gritted her teeth to keep from making any noise. He glanced at his watch and tensed as if waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, gunfire erupted above them. “What the fuck?” By his tone, the fighting had not been part of his plan.
He tapped his ear. “Kaden? What’s going on?”
Alyssa blinked in surprise. Nic’s bodyguard was here? Who else had Rémi brought on this rescue mission?
“Heavily armed company arrived. Defenders are in place.”
“Tommy’s here?” she whispered when he clicked off what had to be a two-way radio.
He nodded. “He’s scoping out the back room.”
A seed of hope planted itself in her heart. Even though in her current state she couldn’t be counted on for much, the four against two odds made a happy ending to this fiasco seem a little more likely. Of course, if more Guardians got past the Defenders and made their way down here, they were all fucked.
Several feet behind them, Chaz spoke, startling her. “Jim? You guys okay?” Her heart banged against her ribs as silence followed. Hugging her to his chest, Rémi crouched low and crept to the wall with Corey in tow. Where was Chaz? Jesus, she hoped he couldn’t see them through the plants.
Another round of gunfire blasted topside. Chaz shouted above the noise, “Corey, you traitorous slug! You’re fucking dead.”
Corey trembled. Alyssa reached out with her left hand, touching his arm, and smiled. “We won’t let him hurt you.”
“I’ll find the little shit.” Nitro’s angry voice boomed throughout the underground room.
Nitro was here? Her thoughts scrambled, she turned a questioning look to Rémi. He closed his eyes momentarily, then whispered, “He’s on our side.”
A scuffing behind the plants caught their attention. Rémi raised his weapon, but lowered it when Nitro’s blond head appeared. He crawled up beside them and touched her cheek. “Thank God, the antidote worked.” Somehow he must have known about the heroin and managed to get word to Rémi. Grateful for his role in her rescue, she covered his hand with hers. But why wasn’t Chaz freaking out about him being here? She moved their joined hands to her temple as she remembered what Chaz had told her about Lalonde and the Vipers. If Nitro helped her, he’d be going against orders. And when the lead assassin went against orders, the lead assassin died.
Nitro’s hand snaked around to her back. Cool metal slid against her skin. Her brows lifted. He’d slipped her his weapon, leaving himself unarmed. Dropping his hands to his thighs, he offered her a sad smile that tugged at her heart. Her vision blurred again.
“Who’s shooting?” he asked Rémi.
Rémi’s eyes blazed as he cleared his throat and raised his voice above the chaos. “Guardians and Defenders. And two friends of mine.”
A full-out battle between the Defenders and Guardians, between members of his community, was the last thing Rémi would want. And now it was happening… because of her. Her fingers tightened on his arm as she tried to convey her understanding. Without meeting her gaze, he shrugged her hand off. Her heart plummeted like a crashing plane.
Why was he here if he couldn’t stand to even look at her?
She didn’t want to die with him still angry. She lowered her head and prayed for another chance. A chance to tell him she’d do anything to work things out. A chance to tell him she loved him. A chance to tell him she couldn’t live without him.
“Since we’re stuck down here, we need to neutralize Chaz.” Nitro reached into his back pocket and pulled out a handkerchief which he used to dry her face. Was she crying? Crap. Had to be the drugs.
“My guy down here has a smoke bomb,” Rémi said. “When he sets it off, we tackle Chaz. Corey, you stay with Alyssa.” Skin stretched taut over his tense features, he eased her onto the floor beside Corey.
Her eyes looked from Rémi to Nitro. She loved both these men, but only one owned her heart. “Be careful, both of you.”
Nitro bent to kiss her cheek. “Always, babe.”
Rémi turned his back on them, and Alyssa saw her future slip through her fingers.
Taking a deep breath to keep from pistoning his fist into the blond fucker’s face, Rémi tapped on the two-way. As soon as this was over, as soon as he got Alyssa out of here, he’d take great pleasure in introducing Nitro to his left hook. “Tommy?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Do it.”
A moment later, a thick haze filled the chamber as Tommy lobbed several smoke bombs into the space. Rémi scrambled around the plants as he headed toward the sound of Chaz shouting orders into his phone. “Jim, you fucker. They’re attacking the crop. Get a few guys down here. Now.” Oh shit! If they didn’t control the situation right away, none of them was getting out alive.
When Rémi poked his head into the starter room, all he found was Pete’s body in the wooden barrel. Fuck. Chaz was on the move. When the smoke cleared, Rémi turned around and snaked through the plants, scanning the grow room.
Hunched over, Nitro was approaching a desk, ten feet away. Chaz sprung up on the other side of the desk, his face twisted into a mask of evil. He aimed his weapon at Nitro but then his eyes widened as he spotted something behind the man. “This is all your fault, you fucking whore!” he roared.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
“Alyssa!” Rémi shouted the warning as he dove at Chaz. The gun went off. Their bodies collided, hitting the floor.
Alyssa screamed. The sound tore through him, shredding his soul. He’d been too late. Too fucking late. Chaz kicked him in the face, sending him flying backward. The landing punched the air out of his lungs.
“No, no. Oh, my God. Nitro!”
Heart drumming in his chest, Rémi scrambled to his knees. Relief flooded him as he spied Alyssa. She was okay. Chaz had missed. But then he noticed Nitro on the ground beside her, his lids closed, his breathing shallow. Shit.
She pressed her hands to Nitro’s chest, blood bubbling through her fingers. “Corey, give me your shirt!”
Sucking air into his lungs, Rémi crawled on the floor to them. Taking the shirt from Corey, he showed the kid how to apply pressure to the wound. Tommy dropped down beside him and eyed the mess that was Nitro’s chest. “Fuck.” He swallowed and looked away. “Where’s Chaz?”
“Got away from me. Alyssa, call Gauthier. Tell him what’s going on. Tell him we need help. But tell him to come with troops. It’s a full-blown war up there.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked, her voice gentle.
“What needs to be done.” He turned to Tommy. “We start at the back and work our way to the stairs, one on each side of the room.”
Tommy nodded as he rose to a crouch. “Works for me.”
They edged along the walls to the far end of the room. Guns poised, they searched around plants, underneath the hydroponic beds, between the root systems, behind water and ventilation pipes, above lighting systems. Everywhere. Chaz was a fucking ghost. Had he somehow sneaked past them and was now making his way outside? When they’d searched half the room, Rémi tapped the two-way. “Kaden, be on guard. Chaz may be headed your way.”
Gunfire erupted in his ear as Kaden responded. “We’ve got the entrance covered.”
“Alyssa called the SQ. They’re on the way.”
Kaden snorted. “Hopefully, they’ll know the good guys from the bad.”
“When they show up, you guys need to disappear.”
“Nope. We leave no man behind.”
The simple snatch and grab had turned into the inevitable bataille royale. The one that had been brewing between him and Chaz ever since they’d chosen different paths, all those years ago.
And because of their loyalty, his friends were in danger. Chaz was going to pay for this. He’d spend the rest of his miserable life in a white-run prison as an enemy of the state.
As Rémi ended the connection, Chaz rose like a specter from a thick grouping of plants behind Alyssa. Oh fuck. They’d passed that area and missed seeing him. Chaz pointed his weapon at the back of Alyssa’s head. Rémi tried to shout a warning but his throat sealed shut.
Time slowed. Blood rushed to his head, and all he could hear was his own heartbeat. Chaz had taken away every other option. There was only one thing left to do. Rémi lifted his 1911 and squeezed the trigger.
The bullet sliced through the air, hitting Chaz. He staggered backward and clutched a hand to his chest. “You chose a white bitch over your own cousin?” Chaz asked, his words slurring.
“I didn’t make the choice, Chaz. You did.”
And when Chaz aimed his gun at Alyssa again, Rémi shot him a second time. In the head. A third bullet from Tommy entered Chaz’s chest. Blood and gray matter sprayed the cannabis plants as he fell to the ground. Weapon still in his hand, Tommy jumped over the plants and stood staring down at Chaz’s body.
Rémi dropped the 1911 as though it were a snake trying to bite him. His stomach rolled and he turned to retch in a garbage can. He’d killed his cousin. His own flesh and blood. If he never touched a gun again, it would be too soon.
As he straightened and sucked in huge lungfuls of air, two bullets zipped past his head, followed by a thud. He whipped around to see Jim’s body hit the floor, his AK-47 clattering against the hydroponic beds. He’d taken a bullet to the chest and another to the head.
“Wow, great shot, Alyssa.” The sound of Corey’s awed voice rang out in the ensuing silence.
Slowly, Rémi turned back and recognized Nitro’s M1911 in her hand. He didn’t know how she’d gotten it or how she’d managed such dead-on aim despite her injured shoulder, but she’d just saved his life.
Kaden’s voice came over the two-way. “Rémi, one guy got past us. We’re coming in!”
“No need. He’s down.” He looked at Alyssa, bent over Nitro’s still body.
“And Chaz?”
“Dead.”
“Sorry, man.”
A quake rumbled through his chest. “Yeah, me too.”
“Gauthier’s coming down with the paramedics.”
Nitro’s head cradled in her lap, Alyssa called to Rémi. His chest caved in, as empty and limp like a burst balloon. “Medics are on their way,” he said, his voice gruff.
Her gorgeous brown eyes glittered with tears. “I know that was hard, Rémi. But you saved my life.” She ran her fingers through Nitro’s spiky hair. “All our lives.”
And you saved mine.
Without Nitro, Alyssa would have died, Corey would probably be dead, and the drug deal with the Vipers would have gone through. Chaz would have led the Guardians, armed to the teeth, along with the entire community, into a war against the Canadian government. The result would have been massive bloodshed on both sides, and monumental conflict for generations to come. Nitro had saved them all.
And the hero always got the girl.
Acid burned a hole through his stomach as he walked past her toward the stairs. “No, your Viper boyfriend saved the day.”
CHAPTER 28
Rémi walked out of the elevator, his footsteps echoing on the hospital’s tile flooring. When his phone beeped, he stopped to check the display. Shit. Another message from Alyssa. He wanted to talk to her—needed to talk to her—but not until he cleared up a few things with Nitro. But he hadn’t had the heart for it until now. The brutal aftermath of the battle between the Defenders and the Guardians—days spent dealing with the SQ, arranging funerals, notifying family members—had drained him.
As he walked down the long hall toward Nitro’s room, his steps slowed and he almost turned around, headed out, and chalked the whole stupid idea up to temporary insanity. What the fuck was he doing here? Had he come to wish the happy couple well, or had he come in a last-ditch effort to win Alyssa back? What kind of life could she possibly have with a known assassin? Then again, what kind of life could she have with an exiled Indian?
He white-knuckled the fast-food breakfast he’d picked up for Nitro as a peace offering. Squaring his shoulders, he gathered his resolve and walked faster. The man had saved Alyssa’s life, and Rémi would never forget that. Whatever he needed, whatever he wanted, Rémi wouldn’t stand in his way. Even if what he wanted was Alyssa. The hole in his chest ached, and he rubbed it with his free hand. Did he really mean that? Could he give up Alyssa like she was some sort of prize? Fuck that. He’d fight for her with his last dying breath.
With renewed enthusiasm, he entered Nitro’s room only to skid to a halt in front of the empty bed. Maybe the hospital staff had taken the man for some tests. Someone at the nurses’ station should know.
“He’s gone.”
At the sound of Alyssa’s voice, he spun around and his heart stalled. A little banged up, but just as beautiful as the first time he’d seen her in uniform, she leaned against the doorjamb. The snug tan short-sleeved shirt showed off her assets while the green uniform slacks hugged her hips and thighs. The heavy gunbelt accentuated her narrow waist, and it was all he could do not to drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness.
Say something, asshole. He opened his lips to respond, but his mouth had gone as dry as the Sahara. She pressed a hand to her chest. “Hello? I’m up here.”
Busted. Again. Heat flared up his neck and burned his cheeks as his eyes moved up to her face. “Uh… what?” Fucking brilliant, Whitedeer.
She frowned. “You’re looking for Nitro, right? He’s gone.”
“Gone? As in dead?” His gut clenched and he prayed he’d misunderstood. Prayed that no one else had died because he’d been unable to face the fact that fanaticism had corrupted his cousin’s spirit.
“Nope. Not dead. Disappeared. The night nurse found his bed empty during rounds this morning. After searching the hospital, they called the SQ. But there’s no trace.”
He searched her face, trying to gauge how this news was affecting her. She tilted her head and studied him back. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
Holding up the bag, he offered it to her. “Thought I’d bring the guy breakfast. Want it?”
“Thanks, I’m starved.” She pushed off the wall, but kept her right arm cradled against her stomach as she entered the room.
He frowned. “How’s your shoulder?”
Cautiously she stretched it out and grabbed the bag. “A little swollen and a lot sore. Doc says I’ll be as good as new in a few days.”
There’d been a lot of blood on her face that night, but her lip was nearly healed, and her bruises had faded to yellow. His anxiety about her injuries fled as he watched her inhale the egg and ham sandwich he’d brought. Her appetite hadn’t suffered. He grinned. “Wish I’d brought coffee.”
She wiped the crumbs from her chin. “You and me both. I don’t do well on no caffeine.”
His gaze travelled from her full lips to her toes and back up, pausing on all the good parts. When her nipples poked through the material of her tan shirt, his cock stirred, hardened, until it pressed unrelentingly against his zipper. “You look like you’re doing just fine to me,” he said, not even trying to mask the huskiness in his voice.
“Why didn’t you return any of my calls?” she asked, eyes narrowing.
“I was going to call you back today.” Like a glass of cold water, her question instantly doused his arousal. He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Okay, honestly, facing Sarah and the boys, Chaz’s parents, and Raksótha to tell them I killed Chaz destroyed me.” Now Chaz’s sons would grow up like Rémi had, without their father. Pressure built in his chest and he had to breathe out slowly to ease the pain.
Tossing the breakfast bag onto a nearby chair, Alyssa stepped forward and rested her good hand on his chest. “I could have helped you with that.”
He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent, feeling her touch, trying to keep himself from crushing her against him. Opening his eyes, he jerked his head toward Nitro’s bed. “What about him?”
Rising on her tiptoes, she slid her lips along his neck. Her warm breath sent shivers racing to his arms and legs. His fingers shook as he slipped his hands around her waist. “I’ll always be grateful to him, and I’ll do anything I can to help if he’s in some sort of trouble.” She lifted her head and met his gaze. “But he’ll never be more than a very good friend. What do you want to be, Rémi?”
His heart raced and his vision tunneled until all he saw was her face and questioning eyes. Was she saying—? He wanted to be so much more than a friend. His fingers gripped her hips, pulling her closer. “Everything. I want us to get married and have beautiful babies. I want us to grow old together. Best friends, lovers. Everything.”
“I want that too.”
His lips dropped to hers in a crushing, consuming kiss. Her mouth opened beneath his and their tongues tangled together in the way he wanted their spirits to be entwined. The way he imagined their bodies entwined.
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