Chapter 44 #2
We all climb in with Ryder and me up front, Evander and Micah in the middle, and Mateo sliding in beside Holden.
Holden doesn’t even have a fucking gun because he won’t touch one. We’ve all tried several times to explain that he at least needs to know how to use one. He’s adamant he was taught growing up, so if he ever needed to, as a last resort, he can shoot.
Ryder pulls the back way off the property, and it’s about a fifteen-minute drive to his dad's. Five minutes in, my phone rings again.
I connect the call through Bluetooth in the SUV, and gunshots fill the car through the speakers.
“We got big fucking problems!” Gage yells over the noise.
Ryder floors the gas, and I know he’ll get us there in record time.
“We’re on our way, Gage,” I promise him. “How close are you to Rocco’s?”
“Almost there!” Gage yells back. Two bangs almost deafen me, and I know he fired off two shots. I hear Dex yell something, and the phone disconnects.
I look at Ryder in worry, and he presses his foot further down on the gas, the SUV swaying uneasily around the curves. Ryder’s one of the best getaway drivers I’ve ever known, so if anyone is going to get us there in one piece, it’s him.
Evander sits up between the seats. “Is this Viktor?”
There’s no doubt in my mind now. “Yes. He must have people watching for us to leave.”
“You think he could have flipped one of ours?” Micah asks, already looking pissed off at the notion.
“I don’t know,” I say miserably. Everything is spiraling out of control. I have three of my guys, with Leo’s mother pinned down in a gunfight and a car full of people, including Holden driving into the unknown.
Ryder squeezes my thigh. “You got this, Boss.” I can feel the warmth of his hand seep into my bones, relaxing me a little.
I finally see a glint of metal in the sun, and Gage’s Range Rover is half on the road and half in the ditch, two SUVs sitting across from it while exchanging gunfire. Ryder slams on the brakes when we get close enough. “Stay in the car!” I yell at Holden before jumping out.
We jump out, take our spots around the SUV, and open fire.
They pop off a few shots in our direction before realizing they’re outnumbered and take off.
Ryder takes two big strides forward before leveling his Glocks and emptying the clips at the SUV.
The back glass shatters, and the SUV swerves before correcting.
Good. Maybe he hit one of those assholes.
I jog over to the Range Rover when the other two SUVs disappear. I half-hug and half-tackle Gage when he steps out of where he was taking cover.
“Oof, Pretty girl,” he grunts, wrapping his arms around me. “We’re okay.”
I step back and look him over to make sure he isn’t lying to me. Besides the dirt on his shirt and jeans, he looks fine. Dex steps up on his other side, and I do the same thing to him.
Dex chuckles in my ear.“Baby girl. We’re fine.”
I jerk a nod and pull open the backdoor to Gage’s car. Leo is comforting a very inconsolable-looking Katherine. Shit.
“Katherine,” I say gently, “are you hurt?” She shakes her head profusely and looks seconds away from having a panic attack. I squeeze Leo’s arm in comfort before turning to Dex and Gage. “We need to get her to Rocco’s.”
Gage slaps Dex on the back. “Push me out, big fella.”
Ryder barks a laugh. “Come on.” He nods to Dex while Gage runs around to the driver's side.
We all return to the Denali with me in the driver's seat.
Dex and Ryder heave at the back of the Range Rover while Gage hits the gas, trying to get it to gain traction so it will come out of the ditch.
It finally finds purchase with a bark of tires, and Ryder jogs back to the Denali and jerks the door open.
I hit the gas, following Gage the two miles they had left to get to Rocco’s. Ryder chuckles, and I look at him with a frown. How is this funny?
He nods his head at my lap. “You barely reach the gas pedal.”
I frown harder. “It’s not my fault all of you are freaks of nature.” I didn’t have time to adjust the seat when I jumped in, and Ryder is almost a foot taller than me. It makes him laugh loudly, causing the rest of my passengers to chuckle. “Fuck all of you,” I mutter.
We finally swing around in front of Rocco’s house, and he’s already standing outside. “What’s going on?” he asks when we’re all standing in front of him with a silently weeping Katherine.
“That’s Leo’s mom,” Ryder explains. “We need to take her inside.”
Rocco nods, and we follow him in, where he leads us to the huge sitting room. Leo and I tuck Katherine on the couch between us. That’s when I notice the blood on her eyebrow. “What happened?” I ask, concerned.
“I think she hit her head when those assholes hit the back of the fucking car,” Leo seethes, and I’ve never seen him that pissed off.
I grab Katherine’s hand, and she squeezes it as tight as she can. “I’m fine,” she says with a shaky smile, trying to stop crying.
“I’ll get a first aid kit,” Ryder says, jogging out of the room.
Rocco looks at me with one of those looks demanding answers, and I just shake my head, letting him know not now.
He raises an eyebrow and sinks onto the coffee table in front of Katherine.
Ryder jogs back into the room and places the first aid kit into Rocco’s outstretched hand.
“I’m going to clean this wound,” he says softly, waiting for Katherine’s nod before he reaches for her head.
Rocco gently cleans her eyebrow, apologizing when she hisses at the sting from the antiseptic.
He places a little band-aid over the top with such softness that it’s surprising for a guy his size.
He’s about the same size as Ryder but hides it under fancy suits, which he isn’t wearing right now.
I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Rocco in jeans and a polo shirt.
Katherine smiles softly. “Thank you”
“No thanks needed,” Rocco says, smiling just as softly.
“Is everyone else okay?” We all nod, and he leans back from Katherine.
“Someone going to explain what the hell happened?” he asks, and for a split second, I’m taken back to my childhood when Ryder, Gage, and I would get into trouble, and he would ask that same question.
I nod my head toward the other room, and he gets up from the coffee table, understanding I don’t want to talk in front of Katherine. I get up, and Gage takes my place, trying to comfort her. She stopped crying but is staring into space, lost in her mind.
Ryder and I follow Rocco to his office in the back of the house; he waves his hand in front of his desk for us to sit down. Ryder and I look at each other, grinning. We’ve been here before, also after getting into trouble.
“What happened?” he asks, folding himself into his office chair, steepling his fingers under his chin with his elbows on the desk.
I fight back a giggle. “Viktor Orlov.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “The Russian, Viktor Orlov?”
“One in the same,” Ryder answers, sitting back in the chair.
Rocco levels a look at Ryder. “Why wasn’t I aware there were any issues with Viktor?”
Ryder frowns. “I told you to be careful that we had problems. You didn’t need to know more.”
Rocco narrows his eyes on his son, and I want to hide under the desk. “What does that mean?”
“It means you wanted out,” Ryder says hotly. Once you’re out, you’re either dead or thrown out of the loop. Rocco is aware of that, but Ryder is still his son, and he worries.
Rocco folds his arms on the desk, leaning forward. “You watch your tone, boy,” Rocco warns, and I have to fight a snort when Ryder sits back in the chair chastised. Rocco turns his eyes on me, and I try not to shrink back in my chair. “What about you, Bellissima? Do you have anything to add?”
My first instinct is to tell him nothing because Ryder is right.
He wanted out, which means he isn’t privy to any of this information, but he’s the guy who ruled by my dad’s side for as long as I can remember.
“Viktor stepped on my trade, tried to take over the Vipers, shot at our limo leaving the gala on Saturday, and now this.”
He levels his look back at Ryder. “You didn’t think it was important to tell me you got fucking shot at?” he asks between clenched teeth.
Ryder gives him a dry look. “It was just a random Saturday for us, Dad,” he replies, and he’s right. We get shot at all the time, and I’m sure he doesn’t tell his dad every time.
“You shouldn’t have kept this from me,” Rocco says.
“With all due respect, Rocco,” I say in Ryder’s defense. “This doesn’t concern you anymore,” I say softly. I don’t want to disrespect him, but he still needs to remember who he’s talking to.
Rocco chuckles and sits back in his chair. “I was wondering when that Poletti backbone would come out.” He waves his hand toward the sitting room. “I would assume I’m now involved, though.”
“Absolutely not,” Ryder explodes. “We just needed a place to get them to, and then we’re gone.”
“He’s right,” I say, disagreeing with Ryder with a wince. “He’s involved because I guarantee Viktor knew where they were going.”
“He can’t be involved! He doesn’t even have full guards anymore,” Ryder argues, and I’m already shaking my head. “Il mio sole…”
“Enough,” I bark. I won’t have this argument with his dad sitting there.
Ryder’s mouth snaps shut, and I can see that muscle in his jaw ticking.
“He’s involved.” I turn back to Rocco, and he’s hiding a smile with his hand.
“Leo’s mom can’t go home now. Not since she was clocked with them today, but she can’t stay with us. ”
“You want me to babysit one of your boyfriends’ moms?” Rocco laughs, then sighs when he realizes I’m serious. “Do you trust him?” he asks.
“Leo can be trusted,” Ryder grits out, and I jerk my head his way. “I would assume his mom can too.”
“Does Leo or his mother know about this plan?”
“Not yet,” I sigh. I don’t know how either of them is going to take this. In the back of my mind, I’m hoping I can talk Leo into staying here with her so I don’t have to worry when he’s going to get shot again.
Rocco nods. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“I’ll be sending more guards here then.” I raise my hand when Rocco opens his mouth to argue. “Non-negotiable.” I stand up and squeeze Ryder’s shoulder on the way by. “I need to spread the good news,” I say sarcastically.
I make it back to the sitting room, and Katherine is nursing a bottle of water with color back on her face.
I sit on the coffee table in front of her.
“There is no easy way to put this, Katherine.” She nods for me to continue.
“What we’re involved in is bad. Not just pretty bad, but really bad. You can’t go back home alone now.”
She frowns. “But they didn’t see me; I don’t see any reason why I can’t go home.”
“He has eyes somewhere,” Gage says gently. I know Viktor did his homework because he knows he can’t take me out, but he can hit me where it hurts. “He knows who you are.”
Katherine raises a shaky hand to her mouth. “I’m in danger?”
“We all are, Mom,” Leo says, gently squeezing her to his side. “What’s the plan?” Leo asks me.
“She stays here with you and Rocco,” I say, hoping Leo will automatically agree to be at his mom’s side.
He frowns, and I know that’s wishful thinking. “Not a chance in hell. I’m not hiding while you’re in the crosshairs.”
“Leo…”
“Save it, Baby. I’m going back home with you guys,” Leo says with his jaw setting in that stubborn way that tells me I’m wasting my breath arguing with him.
“How long?” Katherine whispers.
“I don’t know,” I tell her honestly. “Things are starting to heat up, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” I grab her hands. “I need to know you’re safe.”
She nods, and it’s an instant relief for Leo and me.
I hope I made the right choice by not sending her packing back to North Carolina.