7. Lafe
LAFE
M aikel’s head snapped back from the force of my hit. Then I punched him again. And one more time to be sure he felt it.
For me? It was one of the most satisfying moments in my life to hurt the slimy bastard who tried to cheat the system and fuck us over more times than he had girls in the Gallery.
He pretended he was better than us, and probably believed it too.
But he wasn’t. Any man who beat and raped women with as much courage and heart as Killer had didn’t deserve to lick the dirt from her shoes.
Fuck it, I smashed my fist into his ear. This time, getting revenge for Amorette was the only thought on my mind.
Amorette grunted and I whipped around. I’d barely had time to see she was okay before Maikel caught me in the side.
That fucking hurt. I doubled over and started stumbling over to where she was down on her hands and knees.
Maikel tried to catch my arm, but I twisted and threw an uppercut, snapping his chin closed.
His eyes rolled back as he started to fall.
About damn time.
When I turned around, Amorette was spitting out blood.
No, no, no.
What had Vicente done to her? He fucking touched her. He had no right. She was ours . My hands shook as I reached out to her, even though I was too far away to actually touch her. It was like my body had a mind of its own, and I just needed to stretch myself a little farther to get to her.
She turned her head, and her fierce, beautiful blue eyes found me. Pain lurked in them, and I sucked in a breath. Some of that pain was for me, to save me. She was fine; she was breathing. Once we got back to the compound, I’d take care of her. Show her how much her sacrifice meant to me.
“Killer! Are you okay?” I crawled the last few steps on my knees. Grasping her shoulders, I pulled her up until she sat on her ass. She swayed like she was dizzy and then tried to jump up.
“They’ll get away!” she cried.
Fuck. She was right. But when I turned back, Vicente had his arm around Maikel and they were one foot out through the door.
She tried to push up from the floor, but I wouldn’t let her.
I couldn't. Instead, I tugged her into my chest, amazed at how small she was and how perfectly she fit against me.
Her struggles were in vain because I was stronger.
Clamping my arm around her back, I pressed my other hand to the back of her head.
“Shh…There’s nothing that we can do about it now. We’ll get them. Just not today,” I said quietly as I smoothed my hand down her hair. When she tried again to separate herself, I gripped her tighter.
The front doors banged against the walls, and the glass panes rattled from the force. Andre and Parker stormed in with a livid Grey on their heels. All three had their weapons drawn and teeth bared, yet they pulled up short when they noticed us on the ground.
“ Mamí, what the hell were you thinking?” Grey shoved Parker and Andre out of the way as he dropped to his knees in front of us. He reached for her, but I twisted and pulled her with me.
She might be his in a different way, but she was mine first. And after what she just did… I’d be damned if he took her from me right now.
“Where are they?” Andre scanned the lobby, but there weren’t any places for them to hide. His gaze coasted over Manuel. He didn’t matter, not when Vicente and Maikel were escaping.
“They ran when they heard the gunshots. There’s a getaway vehicle inside the warehouse,” I told him, holding Amorette a little tighter.
Andre yelled orders to a few men hovering around the door. They nodded and left, running down the sides of the building in opposite directions.
Then Andre and Parker rushed through the door that would lead to the portion of the building that handled the shipments. Their shoes squeaked on the tile and their footsteps echoed back to us.
They’d never make it in time. Vicente and Maikel had too much of a head start. The men outside especially wouldn’t make it around the perimeter of the building before they were a few miles away.
“Can I look now?” Amorette said against my chest. It didn’t even sting where her cheek pressed against the cut. Looking down, her face was plastered to me with my palm on the back of her head. Her own hands were twisted into the back of my shirt.
“I just want to hold you for another minute,” I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut and just enjoying the feel of her warm, shaking body against my own. Or was it my body that trembled?
I thought I was going to have a heart attack when she leapt at Vicente. The first thought in my head was to knock the gun out of Maikel’s hands. If I hadn’t, he would have shot her three times over before she ever reached Vicente.
My body quaked. Squeezing my eyes tighter, I clutched her so hard she gasped, causing me immediately loosen my hold.
I couldn’t believe she was alive. He must have hit her, but fuck, I couldn’t help but be relieved that was all he did.
Grey watched her with hungry eyes, but I wasn’t ready to share her. Not yet. She knew he was here, yet she humored me, and it filled the cracks in my chest. Maybe she needed the hug as much as I did. I just knew I couldn’t let her go. Not yet.
She pulled back enough to look up at me, her solemn gaze roamed my face as if she was making sure for herself that I was fine. A few bruises and a busted lip, but nothing that wouldn’t heal in a few days.
Under her careful scrutiny, I realized something else. I might not ever be able to let her go.
Vicente had tried his fucking best to dig up painful memories. They worked, but not in the way he thought they would. So many years ago, I tried to save another girl. She’d been broken and pitiful, begging me to save her. And I’d tried.
Fuck, I’d tried.
But Andre had caught us, and when a guard came, he’d turned her over to him. Vicente had been rounding the corner and thought it would be fun for me to kill her. And I had. Because I was a kid who didn’t know how to do anything else.
I’d sworn that day I wouldn’t do that ever again. It wasn’t worth it. I couldn’t stand the sight of myself, or Andre, for too fucking long. It took years before I could speak to him again without glaring at him.
Vicente gave me a choice. Hurt Killer, or he’d put a hit on Andre. It wasn’t even a choice. I couldn’t hurt Amorette. Not after I’d saved her. And not after she’d damaged her soul for mine.
We’d have to figure out how to save Andre, but I couldn’t have raised my hand to Amorette. I’d kill myself first.
“Killer?” I tipped her chin up. Her fingertips pressed into my back, and I still had a death grip around her back. Amorette slowly lifted her gaze to mine, and a shock traveled through my body when our eyes met.
I knew, without a doubt, I needed her.
She said nothing, just waiting to see what I would do.
Slowly, I lowered my mouth to hers until our lips brushed. I didn’t push any harder than that, but I did inhale her sweet scent to confirm she was alive and in my arms. My heart fluttered too fast in my chest, but it was a side effect of the powder, nothing to be concerned over.
I pulled back enough to see stare into her beautiful, blue eyes. “Thank you,” I breathed. “Thank you.” A spot of blood marred her bottom lip, and I wiped it away. No injury underneath meant it was from me. I licked my lips and tasted blood. A small cut was on my bottom lip, slightly off-center.
It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except holding Killer in my arms.
Amorette didn’t need me to say anything else. She understood precisely what meant so much to me. Nodding, she moved her arms around my neck. Her small stature was too awkward with me on my knees, so she sighed and wrapped her legs around me too.
I released a deep sigh and just held on.
Grey wasn’t happy. His brows were pulled down low, and his lips were pressed tight, but he didn’t move to rip her away from me. In a very unusual manner, Grey allowed me to have this moment. Andre and Parker hadn’t returned yet, but Amorette was starting to squirm in my hold.
With strength I wasn't sure I had, I released her. Blowing out a breath, I stayed on my knees as she clumsily pushed to her feet. Grey immediately reached out to help her up.
He put his fucking hands all over her as he checked her for injuries. Like me, she sighed and didn’t resist him, like she knew he needed this. When satisfied, he held her away by her shoulders, his fingers digging hard into her skin, and he shook her.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” he yelled.
Fiery anger displaced the calm, compassionate look. She jerked out of his hold and paced a few feet away. I thought he was going to chase after her, but he curled his hands into tight fists and leaned into her.
“Fuck off,” she retorted and turned to me. That was too much for him. He grabbed onto her arm and yanked her back around.
“Back the hell off,” I rasped, jumping to my feet.
“What do you mean, back the hell off? You realize what she did?” He tossed a hand toward her while he glared at me.
At least he let her go.
“I know exactly what she did.” I reached out, ready to put her behind me. But she stepped out of reach.
“You know she was shot at when she and Parker landed? You know she was kidnapped, a-fucking-gain? You sure as shit know what happened here! That’s okay with you?”
“No! But what are we supposed to do about it now?” I positioned my body between her and Grey.
He scoffed when he noticed. “Who are you protecting her from? Not me. I was coming in to save her ass and yours.” He tossed up his hands and walked toward the front doors. “Forget it. You both are two peas in an idiot pod. Fucking hell.” Pushing the door open, he called to one of the men.
In a few seconds, three of our guards blew in, and with a quick check of the room, they went to clear the rest of the building. I stood there, watching them leave as if I were in a trance. Then I glanced at Killer.
She stood over Manuel. To his credit, he breathed as quietly as possible and kept his eyes shut. The pendejo didn’t understand that wouldn’t save him. Nothing would at this point.
Grey didn’t give a fuck about him, but Andre would.
Either he would interrogate or dispose of him for what he’d seen today.
He wouldn’t know anything. With Vicente’s fun ruined and them on the run, there was nothing else he could tell us that would be worth our while to let him live. She didn’t know that, though.
The expression on Killer’s face was completely blank as she gazed down at Manuel. She probably felt too much, didn’t know how to handle it, and was shutting down completely. That was how most normal people reacted to trauma, wasn’t it?
I eased my way closer, not making any sudden movements. When I reached her, I touched her elbow. “Killer…” I needed to tell her that Manuel couldn’t live. We couldn’t take him with us. Vicente wouldn’t take him back. The kindest thing we could do for him was put him out of his misery.
“They got away…” she said softly as her glassy eyes remained focused on Manuel.
I glanced down, and he’d just opened his. It would be hard to ignore the shadow over your sliced-up body, knowing the boss had escaped without you.
“We need to get back to the compound.” I gently circled her arm and urged her away from him. Let one of my brothers kill him. She’d never know. And she’d never need to think about this ass stain ever again.
She didn’t answer me; she only continued to stare down at him. Their gazes locked, and Manuel did a great job of not showing his fear of death. When he flicked his gaze to mine, he nodded. He understood.
The rules of the Institution weren’t written, but we all lived by them. And died by them.
Grey slammed his hand on the wall as he glared through the glass. Men were shouting outside. Most likely our guys, with how calm Grey was.
Then we heard footsteps barreling down the hall. I recognized the pattern.
Andre and Parker were back.