Chapter 23
DANTE
“Dante! Dante, come on! We’ve got to get out of here.”
My eyes fluttered open. Rafe was standing over me. Was he real, or was I dreaming?
I tried to move, but my arm throbbed. I looked around. Where was I?
“Dante, you were shot, but you’re going to be fine.”
Was I?
“We’ve got to get out of here. Can you stand?”
I forced myself to try, but the room spun around me. Was that my blood on the floor? There was so much of it.
“Come on, bro. Alex needs you.”
That did it. I pushed up to a sitting position. “I’m not going to die.”
“No, you’re not going to die. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Did I text you?” I hadn’t thought I’d actually sent the message.
“You did. And then Lorenzo called Remington because he’d seen you get shot on the cameras.” Ivanov’s daughter had joined our side and put her hacking skills to use.
“I bet he fucking panicked.” Lorenzo, Nikolai, and Ivanov’s daughter, Alaina, were all at a safe house out in the bayou.
Rafe laughed. “He did. But we managed to use your phone’s location and what he’d seen to locate you. We need to let him know you’re all right, but we’ve got to get out of here first.”
“You’re the best.”
“I love you too. Now, get up.” He grabbed my good arm.
“I bet Lorenzo’s mad he couldn’t come for me.”
Rafe snorted. “Probably, but it’s my turn to take care of you. Come on.”
I put my good arm around his shoulder and managed to get my feet under me. I wobbled after I got fully upright, but Rafe didn’t let me fall.
“You can do this. Just focus,” he said.
I did. I focused on Alex. I saw him waiting for me. Needing me. I would not let him down. “Alex is in danger.”
“Remington already sent someone to watch over him.”
“You told Remington?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
I couldn’t find the energy to. All I could do right then was remind my feet how to move. The stairs were hell. Every step jostled my arm, but I did it. I got out of the house and into Rafe’s car.
“How’s everyone else?”
“They’re fine, some scrapes and bruises, but that’s all.”
“Thank God.”
“A doctor will meet us at Bébé’s house. But if she can’t fix you up, we’ll have to go to the hospital. Remington will come up with a story.”
I shook my head. “No hospital. I want to go home.”
“Dante, you were shot. You’re not going to go home until you’ve been seen to, and we take care of you.”
“I’m fine now.”
“You absolutely are not fine, not even close.”
I wasn’t. But I wanted to go home and check on Alex. My arm hurt like hell, and I knew the wound needed to be tended to, but I hated being poked and prodded, and I really fucking hated needles. I didn’t want to be out of it on pain meds. I wanted to be able to take care of Alex myself.
“Take me to my house. The doctor can meet us there.”
“You want Alex to see you like this? Blood running down your arm, pale as shit, looking half-dead. You’ll freak him the fuck out.”
He was right. Alex had to be scared as fuck already. I didn’t want to make it worse. He was probably regretting ever meeting me. I should never have gotten involved with him. I was a mess, and I brought danger wherever I went. “He shouldn’t be involved in this.”
“He’s not involved.” I hadn’t realized I’d said those words out loud until Rafe responded.
“Where’s Ivanov? Did someone find him?”
“No. He wasn’t in the house, but we’ve got several men looking.”
“He’ll come for us. He’ll want revenge.”
Rafe laid a hand on my leg. “We’ll stop him.”
I wanted to believe that. “He got away from us this time.”
“We’re going to track him down and eliminate him.”
“I want to help. I know I said I don’t want a part in the business, but I’ll take a leave of absence from teaching or whatever I need to do. There’s no way in hell am I going to let that monster run free.”