Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Penn
What the absolute fuck! Dean and I were able to duck behind the bar as soon as the shooting started.
The bartender saw us and was about to put one in Dean’s head when I saw a KA-Bar strapped to his leg, grabbed it, and jabbed it into his thigh.
As he crouched in pain, I punched him in the head, ripped the gun from him, and shot him pretty much across his body. I wasn’t well versed in shooting a gun.
“Holy shit,” Dean gasped. His eyes were wide with fear.
“Breathe, Dean. We have to find the kids.”
“And Rita.”
“I’m sure they’re all running from her. She’s terrifying.”
I didn’t mean to joke, but I processed moments like this differently than others. Was I angry? Yes. But fear and worry didn’t hold space in my head, and that often helped me see rationally in situations such as these.
Dean reached across me and yanked the knife out of the man’s leg. “Okay, the kids. Where’d you see them last?”
“Owen and Matteo were eating. Olivia went with Jennifer to get ready, so they may be near the orchestra or a different room.”
He peeked over the bar quickly and ducked back down. “It’s a nightmare out there.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured. Stay low, right? Turn every table that isn’t already flipped. Use them as protection and look for Owen and Matteo. I’m going to go search for Olivia.” I thrust the rifle at Dean. “Switch with me.”
“What!”
“I’m sure you can shoot this better than me. I’ll take the knife.”
His brow scrunched but he didn’t argue. “Be safe,” he said before crawling out to the nearest table, flipping it like I instructed.
There was a set of doors behind the bar which would be the easiest way to get out.
The orchestra was on the opposite side of the room, and going across the dance floor would surely get me killed.
I’d have to go out the door and through the hallway to the other set.
Hopefully there wasn’t a massacre out there too.
Three of Gideon’s guys were by the exit I needed, so I ran toward them and got behind Raff.
“I gotta find Olivia.”
He nodded. “Corridor is clear, I’ll go with you.”
“No. Find Gideon, keep him safe. Look out for Matteo and Owen.”
“Sir, Penn…all you have is a knife. Take my pistol…” He fired at a man to our left and he crumpled to the ground.
“I’m not good at shooting.”
“But you know how, now take it!”
I rolled my eyes but did as instructed and rushed out the door. I was careful as I rounded the corner and Raff was right, it was empty. I had to get to the opposite side and hope Olivia was there.
There was no doubt that Benito was behind this, but with his reputation in tatters how’d he get a fucking army behind him? That I didn’t know.
As I rounded another corner, I saw Alex against the wall holding his shoulder that was gushing blood. I crouched. “Alex.”
His eyes were glazed, he’d lost a lot of blood. “Penn? What…? I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“We need to stop the bleeding.”
“I can help.” A man maybe in his forties kneeled beside Alex. “I was in the bathroom and I heard the gunshots. I’m a doctor—a friend of the Popovs.” That was Mila’s family.
He had a wad of paper towels and a black bag. “Okay, I have to look for Olivia.” I handed the doctor the KA-Bar. “Take it. If someone comes near you both, stab them until they stop moving.”
He eyed the knife. “I heal, I don’t kill.”
“Doc, if someone is about to kill you, I feel like you’ll get over it.”
He reluctantly took it. I squeezed Alex’s leg and rushed past them. I didn’t encounter anyone else. The gunfire was dying down, and I just had to hope that meant our side was winning here.
I spotted the doors, and I knew once I opened them I’d see the orchestra set up. I didn’t see Olivia or Jennifer in the hallway, but I noticed a room across from it. I decided to check that out first.
When I entered the room that was clearly for special conferences, the scent of vanilla and roses lingered. Jennifer’s perfume. They were either here or had been.
“Livy?” I whispered but there was no answer.
I peeked under the table and searched the bathroom that was off to the side. Nothing, no one was here. Maybe Jennifer had gotten her to safety once the shooting had begun.
I slipped out of the room, checking left and right. The shooting stopped, the silence was eerie. No shouts or screams. As I backtracked toward the ballroom, crouching low, I could hear whimpers and soft groans. I was about to open the door, but something pressed against the back of my head.
“Don’t move. Stand up slowly.”
“Um…don’t move or stand up?”
“Don’t be an idiot.” I noted the light Russian accent.
I stood and was about to turn around, but he stopped me by applying more pressure. “Drop the gun and take two steps to the left.”
I calculated the probability of me getting shot if I refused, but this guy hadn’t killed me, and I didn’t know why. He clearly wanted me to go with him.
“I feel more secure with the gun. I think I’ll keep it.”
“The order was to bring you alive, but no one said I couldn’t shoot you.”
Okay, so I was being taken somewhere. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll find out soon, now drop it.” When I didn’t, he said the one thing that made me let it fall. “We have the twins, and I’ll take you to them, but only if you drop the gun and don’t give me problems.”
I complied and he shoved me in the direction he wanted me to go, so I went. He’d better be taking me to Owen and Olivia, or I would beat the shit out of him with his own pistol.
There were sprays of blood on the corridor walls, bodies slumped over. I recognized two of Gideon’s guys, and one of Mila’s friends who was at the engagement party dead by the entrance of the venue.
Outside of the venue there was a black van idling. The door opened and Owen and Olivia were sitting inside, wrists tied, gagged, and tears streaming down their faces.
“As soon as this is over, I will find who did this and kill them.”
The man laughed. “Okay, big man. Get in.”
Because I didn’t want to risk being separated from the twins, I stepped in and sat right in the middle, wrapping my arms around them.
“Remove the ties and gags, they’re children!”
He rolled his eyes and nodded to the right. A guy snipped the zip ties and I helped them pull out the gags.
“Penny!” They pressed their faces against my chest as they shouted.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“I’m sorry, Penny. She said to follow her. She’d take me to daddy.”
I looked at Olivia. “What are you talking about?”
Olivia hiccupped. “J-jennifer.” I turned toward the van doors and right before they shut, I saw Jennifer Everton next to the man who’d brought me to the van.
Her eyes were wide; there wasn’t a trace of smugness on her face. But it didn’t matter. Gideon had trusted her with Olivia, and she’d gotten her into this situation…the list of people that were going to pay was getting longer and longer.
When the van started moving, Owen and Olivia sobbed harder. I wrapped them in my arms and promised I wouldn’t let anyone hurt them, and I’d keep that promise or die trying.