Chapter 2
2
LAZARO
Motherfucker!
Clearly, I miscalculated just how fast Marco’s men could get here. I need to get Amara out of here and fast. I roll us quickly, narrowly avoiding getting shot when one of their bullets hits the chair, sending leather flying just above my head. Sometimes being so damn big is a pain in the ass.
Just makes me a bigger fucking target. But my size is currently protecting the woman in my arms, so I won’t complain. The silent woman, who hasn’t yet started screaming, though I doubt that will last long.
I manage to roll us to the back room where I quickly shove her behind me as I get into a crouch, pull my gun, and return fire out into the salon. I hear a groan of pain, but I don’t have time to check the damage. We need to get the hell out of here. “Out the back,” I order Amara. “We need to get out of the back.”
Thankfully, she doesn’t argue with me and hurries outside. I follow, firing shot after shot while bullets whiz past my head until I manage to slam the door behind us.
I’m counting myself lucky that Marco’s guys have terrible aim.
I hear a cry behind me and spin around, cursing when I realize two additional men are trying to grab a hold of a fighting Amara. Fuck! I fire two quick shots, dropping both men like stones, though, they also drag Amara down with them. I rush forward, pulling her from their grip as her pale face looks at me.
“It’s okay, dolcezza ,” I reassure her. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to protect you.”
“Protect me?” she repeats. “From who? From what? What the hell is going on?” Each question gets more and more shrill.
“I’ll explain everything once we’re on our way, but I need you to calm down and come with me,” I urge her. “Because, I hate to tell you, they are not the only men who are after you.”
“What?” she breathes, stilling. “Why?”
“Soon, Amara. I promise I’ll explain everything in a minute, but I need you to trust me and come with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the heck is going on,” she says in a voice that is surprisingly firm, but the fear in her eyes hasn’t dimmed. She starts to squirm, like she wants me to release her.
“We don’t have time?—”
BANG!
A shot rents the air, and I feel the scorching lick of it as it passes my head. I hit Amara hard as we crash to the ground, and I instinctively wrap myself around her as we roll until I reach the dumpster that’s against the wall. Shots continue to fly as I maneuver us behind it. Amara doesn’t utter a sound, but I can feel her shaking, jolting at the impact of each bullet against metal.
I curse long and hard in Italian, trying to figure a way out of here without either of us getting shot. Fuck, I should have grabbed her this morning instead of sitting around and waiting so she could have one more normal day. Fucking hell, I’m an idiot.
I turn to look at Amara. Her face is ashen, and I try not to allow myself to be distracted. “I need you to stay here, and then when I tell you to run, I need you to do it immediately. Okay?” I try to keep the harsh tone from my voice, but it still comes out as an order. She nods rapidly, surprisingly handling this far better than most, but I can see her fighting the panic. “I’m going to handle this.” Then I’m up and firing.
Bullets fly, and I can hear sirens in the distance. Fucking hell. I don’t need this right now. I’m done playing nice.
I duck back down and wait for our assailants to stick their heads up over the now shattered glass of the window in the back of the shop. The moment they do, I fire two shots in quick succession, and hear two answering cries of pain almost immediately. I haven’t killed them, but I’ve given us just enough time to get out of here. At least one should have multiple injuries; that should slow them down even further. But these four won’t be the only ones here for her.
“Let’s go,” I bark at Amara, reaching down to help her to her feet and then dragging her behind me. She stumbles slightly, but she manages to keep up as we run for the alleyway. My grip is tight on her hand, both to keep her close and to keep her from getting away from me. I don’t need her flight instinct making her do something stupid or crazy.
I hear curses shouted from the men in the shop, but I ignore it. When we reach the end of the alley, I pull her forward and swing her in front of me so I can scoop her up and run across the road. More bullets fly behind us, making me duck and swerve to keep from giving them an easy target.
Brick explodes next to my ear when I run into the alley where my SUV is parked, making me curse when shards hit my face. Still, I don’t stop moving until I’m climbing into the driver’s seat and barking to Amara, “Get in the back and onto the floor. Now.”
She scrambles out of my arms and does as she’s told, flattening herself on the floor between the seats as I gun the engine and race out of the alley, my foot going to the floor when I hit the main road. It’s been a while since I’ve done a high speed getaway, and never in an American vehicle, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.
Amara screams when the back windshield shatters, but she doesn’t get up. A glance in the rearview mirror shows someone following us in an SUV much like mine, and there is no fucking way those bastards I shot got into a vehicle and caught up to me that quick. Looks like I’m right about them having more manpower.
Fucking Marco clearly isn’t taking any chances this time. But just like with Sienna, he’s going to lose.
I pull my gun, rolling down the window and firing before ducking back inside. I feel like a movie star. But this is very much real, and I’m at a disadvantage.
“Hold on!” I scream to Amara as I cut sharply onto a side road, the vehicle tilting dangerously onto two wheels for a harrowing second. I don’t know where I’m heading, but I need to lose these bastards fast. Then, I need to get Amara back to the plane and get up in the air. Once we land in New York, they will never touch her.
We just need to survive this first.
I manage to get us outside of town before they finally get lucky and shoot out one of my tires. I grit my teeth as I try to keep the vehicle under control. We’re both going to die if we crash. We need to get out of this death trap quickly. Good thing Papa prepared us for situations like this.
“I’m going to get us to a spot where we can get out, but when we do, you need to be ready to run,” I yell back at Amara. “Do you understand?” I turn my head just long enough to see her staring at me, grim-faced, but with a look of determination in her eyes. She gives me a quick nod, and that’s all I need.
I get us a few more precious feet before I hit the brakes. I’m moving even as the vehicle is grinding to a stop. Hell, I’m not sure how I don’t flip the damn thing. The SUV certainly rolls with the momentum. “Now!” I scream, as I bust open the door, firing at the SUV bearing down on us, a man leaning out of the passenger side.
All my training kicks in, and within seconds, I kill the passenger, his body hanging limp over the window. The driver swerves, no doubt in shock, but that gives me all the opening I need. I fire another shot straight at him, and blood splatters the windshield at my direct hit. I dive out of the way as the SUV comes barreling toward me. I see Amara running ahead of me, and I lengthen my strides until I’m directly behind her, lifting her up into my arms and sprinting away. The thunderous crash behind us is quickly followed by the unmistakable sound of two vehicles blowing up. Flames lick the smoky sky.
Shit. That’s definitely going to draw attention.
I don’t stop moving until I’m sure we’re far enough away from the crash site. I slow my steps, my breathing labored as I look around. I have no idea where the hell we are, and as far as I can see, there’s nothing but desert for miles. We have nothing to combat the sun, and no food or water.
No wonder all those American movies show people dying in places like these.
“Put me down,” Amara suddenly orders, squirming in my grip. I set her carefully on her feet, but I rest my hands on her shoulders to keep her in place, checking her for injuries. I see nothing but some cuts and bruises. Thank fuck. “What the fuck was that?” she yells at me, backing away. “What the ever loving fuck was all of that? Who are you? Why were they shooting at you? Why were they shooting at me?”
“I’ll explain it all as soon as I can, but we need to find shelter,” I tell her briskly. “There are probably more of them coming, and we’re too exposed here. We must hurry.” There has to be a place we can hide out nearby.
Amara stares up at me, clearly unsure if she should believe me, but finally she nods. “There’s an abandoned town about a quarter mile that way,” she finally says, pointing to the west. “There’s some old buildings we can hide out in there.” Then she turns and starts walking, muttering to herself. I can’t make it out, though I’m sure my name is in there somewhere. I follow, careful to stay close. I have to trust that she knows where we’re going and we’re not going to end up lost, but she knows the area better than I do. The notes I have on her told me that she knows this part of the county better than most. She’s been seen walking here almost every day for the past few years. I plan on asking her about that, but it’s probably not the best time.
This is not how I planned for today to go. Sure, I expected her to put up a fight, and I had a backup plan for kicking and screaming, but all of that was contingent on me getting here faster than Marco’s men. Hell, according to Papa, they were a solid day behind me due to flying into the wrong airport way up in the northern part of the state.
Either my math skills are faltering, or the data Papa gave me was wrong. Neither one matters now, but I make a mental note to talk to him about it.
Next time we might not get so lucky.
Sirens scream in the distance, and I glance back. We’re far enough from the road that I can’t even see the wreckage anymore, but the last thing I need is the cops coming after us, or using their dogs to find us. I can only hope that they’ll assume everyone is dead.
Hell, it might be safer in the long run. If news gets back to New York that Amara and I are both dead, it might keep Leonardo, Marco, and Giovanni from pursuing us further. Though I doubt we’ll be that lucky. Those fuckers are nothing short of persistent, especially where any of the new girls are concerned.
I look down at Amara, who is walking swiftly ahead of me. She moves with purpose, a quiet strength that calls to something deep inside me. I’ve been watching her all day, and I’ve wanted her more with each passing hour. First it was simply her movements around the shop, and the pride she takes in her work. It might not be the most glamorous shop or job in the world, but she’s fucking good at what she does, and she keeps the place meticulously clean.
The hidden cameras and mics I placed in the shop overnight kept me glued to the computer in the SUV. The same one that is now probably nothing more than scorched metal and ash. I’ll need to let Papa know so our men can get in there and wipe the thing. We don’t need any traces left behind.
Still, for those six hours I sat watching the screens today, I got a clear picture of just what kind of woman I’m dealing with. Smart, resourceful, and with a stubbornness that rivals my own. Why else would she put herself through the endless barrage of insults that were shot at her? Every single person that walked into her shop today insulted her in some way, and she never once got upset. She took it calmly, did her job, and let them go. Even when no one was around, she simply went about her day, seemingly none the worse for wear.
Meanwhile, I sat in the SUV, my temper boiling hotter and hotter with each one. Especially from that last bitch who spouted all that nonsense about her breaking up a marriage and sleeping with both the waste of space husband and his barely pubescent son. Fuck, I looked up that kid and there is no way in hell the son of a bitch knows what to do with his own dick, let alone a full-grown woman.
No, there is definitely no truth to any of that stupid gossip. But I’m getting the sense that Amara is the target of a lot of that bullshit - something I’ll be making sure never happens again. Hell, I want to burn that entire town to the fucking ground, but even I know that’s a bit extreme.
Still, Amara is making me feel and want to do crazy things. I’m starting to understand Nico and Alessio’s obsessions with their women. I want to grab her and take her away somewhere, never allowing her to leave me. I don’t do the kidnapping shit that Nico and Alessio have done, but its appeal can’t be denied. Especially not when I’m so close to her.
The similarities between her and her cousins are there, but there are also some differences. I put her at no more than five-five, and much like Gia, her figure is almost waif thin, with just a few hints of curves in the right places. Her hair is thick, and the same dark brown, almost black, as her cousins. Today she has it pulled back into a low ponytail, the length trailing down to the top of her ass. Even now, my hands itch to reach out and haul her back into me so I can wrap it around my fist.
I strongly suspect that will only get me stabbed. She’s still got those damn scissors in her pocket and I don’t need any new holes in my body. Tiny as she is, something tells me she can do some damage.
“We’re almost there,” she suddenly announces.
I tear my eyes from her to look up ahead, and sure enough, I see the outline of something rising in the distance. Thank fuck. It’s nearly the end of the day and the heat, though less than earlier, is still enough to have me sweating in my suit. “Is it a big town?” I ask curiously. I need to get the lay of the land quickly, so we can hide until I can call Alessio to get us out of here.
“It’s only one street full of buildings now,” she answers, glancing over her shoulder and up at me. I can’t quite read the look in her eyes from this angle, but I see the way they take me in. I bite back a smile. I’ll put money on her trying to figure out if she can take me if things go bad. “The only thing it’s been used for lately are some movie shoots and a couple of festivals, though that’s been a year or so. Most times the only people out here now are kids looking to make trouble.”
“How often have you been here?”
“I’ve walked by it a few times, and went in for the festival once, but that’s it. Not my thing to hang out with the locals much.” There’s a slight edge to her voice. Not bitterness, but something else.
“Why do you stay?” I ask. It’s the burning question on my mind. Why does she subject herself to their abuse and slander?
“It’s hard to leave when you don’t have the funds to do so,” she states matter-of-factly. “And also, pride. I’m not about to give them the satisfaction of letting them think they’ve run me off.”
“Or stubbornness,” I counter.
She shrugs. “Call it whatever you want, but I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to run me away.”
“Including that fucker who dared to put his hands on you.” She has no idea how much willpower it took for me not to shoot him. Or how much I want to go back even now and make him pay for hurting her.
No one gets to hurt her. Ever.
She glances over at me. “Including him. Ezra isn’t a man that likes to be told no, and we have some bad history from years ago, so he likes to throw that in my face when he’s not getting his way. Here we are. Old Mill Town. Not the most original name, but the locals like it. Apparently there used to be an old mill around here, but it burnt down a century ago, and since they never bothered to rebuild it, everyone left and resettled elsewhere.”
We’re almost to the wide archway at the town’s entrance. From here I can see two bulls running at each other intricately carved into the wooden frame. Time has eroded it, and the sun has bleached it, but it’s still clear enough. From the frame’s slight twist, it’s seen some harsh weather and wind. Beyond it, I can start to make out the buildings that Amara mentioned.
She’s right, it does look like a western town from all those old American movies my mother used to watch when we were growing up.
We walk through, and I count eight buildings lining either side of the main street. It’s certainly not a big spot; from the large old spools and one perfectly placed, broken down wagon, it feels more like a movie set than real life. Still, for being so old, the buildings are in damn good shape.
We just have to hope that hiding out in one of them will be enough to keep us safe until Alessio can send us an extraction team. I’m running low on bullets, so if more of Marco’s men show up, I’ll need to be strategic with how I use them.
We walk down main street until we get to the center and I stop, looking around. I see a post office, an old saloon, a general store, a barber shop, a tailor, a gun shop, a Sheriff’s building, and a brothel. Who knew they were so open with their sexual escapades? Then again, things back then were different than they are now.
“Do you know if any of these buildings are better to hide out in until I can get us out of here?” I ask Amara curiously.
She shakes her head. “I’ve only been here a few times, and the only one I went inside was the general store because they were selling drinks and snacks for the festival. But it’s empty inside; just a few prop shelves and the old cash register.”
“Do they leave things behind after those festivals?” Perhaps there is some food or water we can find.
She shrugs. “Possibly, but it’s old and moldy by now if they have. Or some teenagers or vagrants have already come and grabbed it.” Then she gives me a narrowed-eyed look. “How long do you think we’re going to be here? And when are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?”
“As soon as we’re out of here,” I promise her. “Right now, we need to get ourselves inside before they send more men here looking.”
“You think there are going to be more?” She sounds both shocked and wary, but not afraid. I’ll take that over fear any day.
“It’s only a matter of time. So let’s get inside and find the best place to lie low.” I hope we can get out of here quickly if things go south.