Rami

Chapter 17

Rami wrapped his hand around the steering wheel and then unwrapped it, over and over, as Gigi and Todd’s house filled the rearview mirror.

The energy in the car was palpable. Ivy’s fear emanated off her like radiation, and Christ, he wished he could just take her back to that fucking pool and wash her clean of anxiety forever.

God help him he would.

When all this was said and done and he’d put a bullet in the head of every cartel member, he’d spend hours in the pool with her, days even.

As of right now, his plan wasn’t solid enough to get them out of a paper bag let alone protect her from some of the most dangerous men in North America. Men who wanted her head on a fucking spike.

Because of him.

“Where are we going?”

The question made him want to beat the dashboard with his fist.

She wouldn’t like his loose plan one bit. He sucked his bottom teeth as he steered out of the ritzy subdivision. He spotted Taschen, and Rami watched as his friend fell in behind them.

“Well?” Ivy prodded.

He sent her a weak smile. “This year we acquired two properties to use as safe houses. One is an apartment downtown—which is for urgent situations. And one is out in the country, about an hour and a half away. Both are stocked with food, clothing, shit like that to get us through a few days, two weeks tops. After that, one of the guys will get provisions in, but the less traffic, the better.”

“So we’re going to the country house?”

Keeping his focus on the road while he merged onto the interstate, he nodded. But the acknowledgment cut him, making him bleed guilt. It was too soon to tell her all the details. She’d probably resist, and he didn’t want to pull over and have a difficult conversation when the cartel was so close.

Ivy seemed satisfied with his answer. She folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes. It was late, 1:00a.m. If they were lucky, they’d make it to the safe house without interruption.

Streetlamps flickered like strobe lights as they drove out of town toward the mountains. The night was now shrouded in rain clouds, and the scent of the incoming weather hung in the air, detectable even with the windows up. Or maybe he was just so used to the coastal weather that he was simply anticipating it.

Ivy made a noise in her sleep. “Mmm. No,” she hissed sharply.

Unease sliced Rami’s chest. He stretched his palm over her thigh then gently squeezed. “Hey, wake up.”

She started and rubbed her face. “I can’t believe I fell asleep—I passed right out.” She scooched higher in her seat as if to safeguard herself from drifting off again.

“Rest. We’ve still got a good hour.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Ring, ring, ring

Taschen’s number rolled across the screen on the dash. Rami hit answer and tipped back his head to confirm his friend’s location in the mirror—but Taschen’s silver truck wasn’t in view.

“Hello?” A pit opened up in his gut. He hadn’t told Ivy the rest of the plan, and he’d bet his next breath Taschen was going to spill it before he could.

“Hey,” Taschen drawled. “A logger truck is in front of me and I can’t pass yet.”

“No worries. We’re coming up to a rest stop soon. You can catch up then.”

Taschen grunted his agreement. “Oh. Toth wants to know if you want an intern there, too. Or just me and Ivy?”

Ivy’s sharp gasp echoed in the car. Rami blinked several times but kept his gaze on the road while he steered around the edge of the mountain.

He didn’t bring his attention to Ivy’s lava-hot focus for fear she’d burn his ass to a crisp. “I’m hoping you guys won’t be there long. So no, I’d say let Toth keep the intern to help pick up some slack around the office.” Ivy moved in his peripheral vision, folding her arms more tightly across her chest. His bleeding guilt turned into a hemorrhage. “Stop at the next rest area. We’ll switch there.” He hung up before Taschen could ask another dumb question—and before Ivy’s fist met his skull.

“I can’t believe you,” she said, seething.

“Baby, listen,” Rami soothed, daring to reach for her thigh again.

She jerked from his touch. “Don’t.” Her voice was thick with tears, and the pain evident in her body language made him want to pull over and hold her in his arms.

But he couldn’t do that without alarming Taschen, so he drove. Signs for the next stop whizzed by. Soon he’d be able to touch her and rectify the harm he’d caused.

“Please, listen.”

Silence. Hopefully that meant she wasn’t tuning him out.

“We can’t keep running. And I can’t leave my team to fight a war that’s my doing.”

“So what’s your plan? You’re just going to keep me hidden away until this blows over or—”

“No. Hell, no,” he spat. “I’m going to end this. I just can’t be worried that they’re going to kill you while I do that.”

His words simmered in the tense air.

“Will you trust me?” he prodded. He held out his hand, his palm tingling with the need to feel her skin on his.

After several breaths, he almost tucked his hand away. But her fingers slipped through his, twining them together.

“I trust you, Rami. But this is huge. I don’t see how anything you say or do will appease them. You killed their men and, in their eyes, stole me, robbing them of whatever money they planned to get for my body.”

Her words ate through his guts like angry termites out to wreak havoc on the world. It took great effort for him to keep the hand holding hers relaxed. If he thought about those fuckers touching Ivy, he might accidentally crush her dainty fingers.

“Everyone has a price, babe. I’ll find out what they want—besides you—and I’ll work it out.” He had inheritance money from his father and investments he could liquidate. Hell, he even had the money from Gigi for rescuing Ivy, which was sitting in their safe at the office.

He hadn’t touched a dollar because it hadn’t seemed right. He’d planned to pay the guys for their time and resources but not keep a dime for the company. Now, though, he’d hand over the whole damn stack to the cartel.

“You think you can pay them off?”

“Yeah, I do. At the end of the day, everything they do is for coin. This is no different. They’re pissed about what I did, but my guess is they’re madder I made them lose face and hurt their pride.”

She nodded slowly and dragged her thumb lazily over his. “I hope you’re right. I don’t have much money, but—”

He squeezed her fingers and brought them to his lips. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”

“I can’t let you put up money for me. I’ll—”

“Stop. I wouldn’t do it if keeping you safe didn’t mean something to me, okay?”

Ha. She more than meant something to him, but that was all he was willing to admit to her and himself right now. The rest-stop exit sign loomed, and Rami turned on his blinker.

“Are you passing me off to Taschen now?”

Rami rocked his jaw. Damn, he hated this. Hated that he had to rely on someone else to keep her safe. “That’s the plan.”

Her sad gaze drifted to the window. “I need to use the washroom.”

“No problem. We need to wait for Taschen to catch up anyway.”

Hitting his turn signal, he took the off-ramp.

A lead weight settled in his gut. They’d separate here. And cutting off his right leg would be easier.

***

Ivy slid outof the passenger seat and into Rami’s extended arm. He’d made her wait until he came around the vehicle before letting her get out.

Part of her didn’t want to be fussed over, but another part of her basked in his affection like a cat in sunshine. Given the circumstances and the fact that she’d just been hunted down in her apartment building, she let her arm wrap around his waist and tucked herself close to his heat.

The bright fluorescent lights of the gas station shined through the windows, hitting the cement with their blinding glow. Rami pulled open the door and a bell chimed. Rows of junk food lined the center of the store. The salesclerk and till were to the left of the entrance, and fridges stocked with beverages filled the rear. Rami turned them in that direction and gestured to the sign dangling from the ceiling. “Bathroom’s this way.”

They walked by a couple of people lingering near the magazines.

When she reached the bathroom and Rami didn’t slow, Ivy paused with the door open. “What are you doing?”

He edged around her and into the single bathroom. “Can’t be too careful.” He checked behind the door and then, satisfied no one was lurking, returned to the hall. “I’ll wait right here.”

“Okay.” She shut the door and locked it then let out a shaky breath. God, he was thorough. Which was obviously why he owned a bodyguard company, but still. Seeing him in action was hot... and a little intimidating.

The idea that someone could have been waiting in the stall, or darted inside while she entered, hadn’t even been a blip on her awareness.

She quickly did her business and turned on the tap to wash her hands. She wanted to linger in the bathroom and not leave. Now, she’d have to trade Rami’s company for Taschen’s, and the thought made sludge form in her stomach.

With Rami she wasn’t just safe—she was content. Aside from the frantic butterflies he gave her, and the primitive desire she felt around him, something else made her feel as charged as an active electrical wire dropped into water.

She wanted to scream, to refuse to leave with Taschen and to insist Rami stay with her, but what would that accomplish? Whether she liked it or not, he was right. She couldn’t keep running. And not just for her sake, but also for the sake of Rami, his team, and Gigi and Todd. They were all affected by this situation, and the sooner it ended, the better.

She hated that Rami would endanger himself for her even more than he already had. Tears burned her eyes and clogged her throat.

After tonight, she might not see him again.

Up until now, she’d thought she could survive anything. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

There was no way she’d survive if something happened to Rami.

***

Rami stretched hisneck from side to side as he waited for Ivy in the hall just outside the bathroom. The buzzing fridges and beep, beep, beep of the cash-register scanner were like nails on a chalkboard to his abused senses.

Maybe it was the fact that he didn’t want to leave Ivy. Or the fact that he was jumpier than a crack dealer who’d just heard sirens. Either way, his fingers twitched to hold his gun, but the weapon needed to stay at the small of his back so the cops wouldn’t get called.

“Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom.” A little girl no older than five tugged on her mom’s hand a few fridges down. The mother’s arms were loaded with bottles of water. She sighed.

“Okay, honey. I just saw someone go in there. Let’s get our items and pay and then we can use the bathroom.”

“Can I get chips?”

Ding

Rami didn’t catch the mother’s reply. The chime of someone entering the store had snapped his attention to the door. Three masked men entered. Their faces were covered with black material that had cutouts for their eyes and mouths. They surveyed the store.

Sonofabitch.

He withdrew his weapon. “Get down!” he bellowed.

Crack, crack, crack!

The mother cried and covered her daughter. Rami returned fire, and two of his bullets connected with the store window, sending glass everywhere and triggering an alarm.

Screeching filled the store as customers screamed and darted between the aisles. One of the men locked gazes with Rami, his stance furious. He advanced.

“Mommy, I’m scared!”

Fuck.

“Ivy, stay where you are! Lock the door,” he yelled toward the bathroom. She was safe in there for now. It would take a couple of attempts to get through the metal door. He left his position, slid to his knees, scooped up the little girl, and grabbed the mother’s arm.

The child buried her face in her little hands as he carried her toward the employee door he’d spotted earlier, at the far end of the store. The man skidded around the shelves to the fridge aisle. He aimed and fired.

Rami ducked behind the closest shelves and covered the mother’s head with his arm. He couldn’t return shots with his hands full.

“Run,” he hissed. “Through the employee door. There has to be a back exit.”

The woman’s wide brown eyes landed on his, and she nodded. He passed the little girl to her mom and waited several beats to make sure none of the men went after them.

The masked guy was no longer in the fridge aisle. Rami’s blood turned acidic as he leapt to his feet and ran to the bathroom hallway.

Crack!

A bullet slammed into his shoulder blade, the force sending him to his knees. Pain spread through his neck and spine, but the familiar searing fire didn’t follow—the bullet had hit the vest. He sucked in a breath and got to his feet.

Two of the masked men came around the corner, separating him from the bathroom door.

Taschen, hurry the fuck up.

Rami lifted his weapon and fired at the men. One shot connected with a guy’s chest, and blood squirted through the air. The other man dodged the bullet and tackled Rami to the linoleum floor.

Bang, bang, bang!

Screams erupted from the bathroom.

Ivy’s screams.

His attacker’s weight bore down on Rami’s back, preventing him from getting to his feet.

They were breaking down the bathroom door. Rage pummeled Rami’s temples. He twisted the guy’s arm backward as the dude tried to put Rami in a chokehold. He tossed the man to the floor and kept his attacker’s arm in a locked position. The guy let out a howl as his back connected with the floor and his shoulder popped from its socket.

“Ahhh!” The man’s dark eyes widened with pain.

Rami aimed his gun at the bastard’s head and fired.

Crack!

Cold satisfaction swept over Rami’s fiery skin as the bullet entered the guy’s forehead and his gaze went blank.

Ping!

The sharp clank of metal on metal echoed over all the other noises. Ivy’s screams reached a sickening height. Rami bolted for the bathroom, but he was too late. The asshole already had Ivy’s hair in his grip and was dragging her away from her hiding spot.

Rage erupted inside him, and adrenaline flowed through his veins like heroin.

Ivy’s wild, terrified eyes landed on him, and a flicker of relief shined in the pools of her irises. He focused his gaze on the soon-to-be-dead man with his hands on her. Lifting his gun, he aimed for the man’s head.

“Rami, look out!” Ivy cried.

Rami’s finger hesitated on the trigger as a rush of footsteps sounded behind him. He wheeled around just as the butt of a gun whacked the side of his head.

Pain exploded through his skull, and he stumbled. Before he could right himself, the newcomer’s shoulder connected with Rami’s midsection, taking him to the ground. Ivy’s fearful cries pelted his heart as he wrestled the man on top of him.

“You’re fucking dead,” the newcomer wheezed. The barrel of his gun shifted to Rami’s forehead. Rami tossed the guy to the floor then aimed his gun at the man’s midsection and pulled the trigger.

The cocksucker jerked and gasped. Blood gushed from his abdomen to coat the floor in sticky ooze. Gurgles erupted from the dying man’s lips as he curled on the floor, his hand desperately trying to staunch the wound.

Rami kicked free from their tangled limbs and sprinted for the front of the store, where Ivy had been taken.

“Hey!” the store clerk yelled.

Leaping through the shot-out window, Rami ignored him. The night air met his sweat-soaked skin. Frantically, he scoured the parking lot. His chest heaved. The lights of the gas station illuminated a large white van.

“Rami!” Ivy’s agonized scream separated the airwaves and crashed into his brain. He broke into a run. She hung over the shoulder of one of the masked men, her hair in tangles and her fists slamming the kidnapper’s back.

Rami’s boots smacked the pavement, each stomp reverberating through his joints. “Stop!” he howled at the top of his lungs.

The man running with Ivy didn’t slow. Rami sprinted, his lungs screaming as he pumped his legs. He didn’t dare take a shot at the man while Ivy was in his arms. They weren’t far from the waiting van, but Rami was closing in. He was going to reach them before they got inside.

Crack! Crack!

Two bullets hit him in the back with the force of a wrecking ball, throwing him to the pavement. He sucked in a shuddering breath, the pain like hot shards of glass ripping through his lungs. But no sticky warmth coated his skin, telling him the bullets hadn’t missed the Kevlar. He staggered to his feet and locked gazes with Ivy. Her wide, horror-stricken eyes didn’t leave his face.

Pain pulsed across his shoulders and neck, but he scanned the parking lot behind him. Where the hell was the shooter? The two men inside had to be dead, and even if they weren’t, they certainly wouldn’t have had enough strength to follow him out here. There had to be a fourth—

“Rami, look out!” Ivy cried.

To his right, an engine revved. Headlights flicked on, temporarily blinding him. Another SUV. He lifted his weapon and aimed at the driver. The car gunned forward, on track to mow him down.

Rami fired, the sharp blast mixing with Ivy’s screams. The bullets blew through the windshield, but the SUV didn’t stop barreling down.

Shit.

He dodged away from its path, but the vehicle followed, forcing him into a run—right toward Ivy. He watched as the man carrying her yanked open the door of the van. His heart lurched.

No!

“Stop!” he screamed. Fury vibrated his chest.

A glance over his shoulder showed the SUV hot on his heels. If he didn’t dive out of the way he’d be run over in seconds. If he did, he wouldn’t make it to Ivy.

The screech of tires split the air, making his hair stand on end. He looked over his shoulder to see Taschen’s vehicle gunning toward the SUV gaining on him.

Crash!

Rami jumped as glass and metal crunched and smashed. He lost his footing, and the wind was knocked out of him as he connected harshly with the cement. Taschen’s vehicle had T-boned Rami’s pursuers, sending the SUV skidding ten feet from where Rami lay.

He lurched to his feet. The world tilted beneath him, but he fought the pull of gravity and charged for the van.

The tires screeched as the vehicle tore out of the parking lot. A deep, animalistic roar sounded from his chest. He stopped and aimed his gun at the tires.

Crack, crack, crack!

Each blast sent a shockwave through his tender chest, but not a single fucking bullet hit its mark.

The van disappeared, pulling the air from Rami’s lungs with it.