23. Daniela
I force my legs to carry me away from him, dodge corpses and stay strong like always.
This time, though, it”s harder to shake off the new waves of separation anxiety that I’ve fallen victim to.
The minute he’d left the restaurant in the city, I knew something was wrong. His anxious pace alone had my gut twisting, and when the convoy went from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds, I had to completely open the throttle to keep up.
Against my better judgment, I follow his order and leave him on the landing dressed in expensive pants and a snug white dress shirt, looking lethal.
He’s eternally hot in all black combat gear. But the way he’s smartly dressed, with messy bangs teasing inky lashes and those chestnut eyes, dark and dangerous––I”m on fire.
We’ve already faced rapid gunfire and I doubt it would be the last.
It’s not that I don’t have any faith in his ability as an agent. Far from it. The guy doesn’t have a fearful bone in his divine body.
His target skills are on point. He handles a machine gun like he was born with one in his hands––fuck, just watching him shoot up the bad guys gets my temperature soaring and my blood pumping.
I guess murder and desire is an unhealthy cocktail.
But for someone like me, it”s the perfect mix.
However, the people who’ve shown up to assassinate India—they won’t settle for just her.
They’re after vengeance. And that means wiping out every single living, breathing Souza, including the only man I’ve ever loved.
I don’t bother counting the flights I’ve climbed to retrain my focus. My mind is already sharp, even if my heart is with Matheus.
Reaching the sixth floor, I peer around the lobby door and watch for movement.
A male nurse rushes down the corridor with a handheld radio in front of his mouth. Speaking into it, he asks how long it would take before the police arrive.
When he uses his pass to open a set of double doors, I dart up behind him and use a vending machine as cover when he looks over his shoulder, sensing me close.
It’s like a ghost town in the ward. None of the security guards are lining the corridor, which doesn”t sit well with me. If there’s one thing about the Souzas, they rely heavily on security and are protected better than royalty.
Staying low, I study the layout and head to the nurses’ station to check the penned notes on the whiteboard, searching for André’s name and room number.
Another two nurses appear from around the corner, their voices hushed and nervous. I duck under the other side of the counter and tuck my feet in, listening to their conversation.
“I spoke to the hospital security team at the front desk. They said it’s a false alarm.”
“But something doesn”t feel right,” a different nurse mumbles. “The second the alarm went off this place emptied. Why aren”t there any guards outside Mr. Souza’s room? They’ve been here twenty-four-seven since he arrived in our ward.”
“They”re probably doing checks or something.”
“And the elevators have stopped working too. We’re isolated up here.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure the police and the fire department will arrive soon. They’re always quick to respond when we do a routine fire safety test. The doors to this ward are secured. Let’s focus on the patients as normal, okay? I won’t let a patient die on my watch, because some jerk set off the fire alarm.”
My scalp prickles. If the Lozanos have limitless wealth and influence too, they could have paid off a few law enforcement officers.
Matheus was right. We can’t even trust the Souza security team, either. And a basic security swipe door won’t protect anyone against professional hitmen.
If they’d done their research, the enemy would know Sinéad never leaves her husband’s side. The woman is loyal to the core. I respect that about her.
At a guess, I’d say the Lozanos had planned a hit for months with India as the prime target because of her part to play in the youngest Lozano’s death. After that, the Souzas would be taken out one by one.
Using a shiny glass window opposite the nurses, I watch their reflections. Certain they’re seated in front of computers, I scurry on all fours, crawling along the corridor and jumping to my feet when I’m out of sight.
Four doors along, the side window to André’s assigned room is covered in a white scum making it impossible to see in. I like his wife’s quick thinking. In another world, maybe we’d be friends.
Slowly, I slide the door across and come face to face with Sinéad––and the barrel of an engraved golden 9mm Beretta.
Dark hair hangs by her pale cheeks and slitted green eyes burn into me, her fixed posture ready for war. An oversized designer t-shirt drowns her upper half, and a pair of leggings show off her lean legs. She’s dressed for comfort in something belonging to her husband.
“Don’t move,” she hisses in a hoarse Irish accent. “How the fuck did you get past my security?”
Her gaze searches the empty corridor behind me. When she realizes it’s just us, her fingers tighten around the black gun handle.
“You want him, you go through me, motherfucker.”
Throwing a hand up, I point to the buffalo stitching over my mouth and nose.
“It’s okay. I’m here with Matheus,” I say firmly. “You recognize this, don’t you? You know what it means. I’m on your side, Sinéad.”
She frowns at the sound of my voice yet continues to use her body as a shield for the man sleeping in the bed behind her.
“Dani?”
Nodding, I pull the balaclava off my head.
“Yeah.”
Sinéad exhales loudly, lowers her gun, and stuffs her fingers into the hair close to her scalp.
“Where’s Mat…fuck…I’m going out of my mind. I need to be with my children. When the alarm sounded, I sent Letterman to find out what the hell was happening. He hasn’t come back…I—I—I can’t leave Dré alone…I won’t.”
“Mat went straight to your babies. The hit on your husband was meant for India,” I explain, sliding the door shut. “Mat knew she’d be with them. He won’t let anything happen.”
“India…” she whispers, her immaculately shaped black brows tugging together. “The doctor at the mansion…oh my God…she aimed at Indy first… it”s all coming back to me now.”
Her chest rises and falls as she remembers.
“Dré shouted no and then she pointed her gun at me.”
“Does the name Lozano sound familiar?” I ask.
With a hand over her heart, Sinéad starts to pace at the foot of the bed.
“Yeah…that”s the name of the guy from Blackwater, right? His father is a billion-dollar advanced technologies tycoon…and now he wants to fuck with my family.”
I nod my response as her eyes flash to mine and her forehead scrunches.
“Did you see Indy on your way in? Cari dropped off a change of clothes for me…and Indy brought this.” She waves the gun. “I’ve been on edge ever since it happened. Torn between my husband and my wee ones. I do my best to split my time between them…but I don’t want Dré to wake up and me not be here.” She swallows hard. “He gave me this gun. To protect myself. Funny how I’m using it to protect him now.” A ghost of a smile dances on her lips. “I needed it with me, to give me back the power that bitch stole from me.”
A slight shiver tingles down my spine. I understand how she’s feeling, more than I’d care to admit to anyone.
“They didn”t steal your power, Sinéad. It’s still there. Trust me. Dig a little deeper and pull that trigger if someone tries to fuck with you again.”
Her glassy eyes cut to the good-looking guy laying under a white sheet. Tattoos decorate his neck, arms, and hands, and a few days’ worth of jet-black hair covers his relaxed jaw.
“He’s my everything and without him…” Her quiet words fade, and she takes a micro breath, staring at the beeping heart monitor.
She clears her throat and steels her spine, visibly morphing into the mafia queen worthy of her crown.
“No one comes for my family and gets away with it. I declare war on the whole Lozano organization. Not a single one of those fuckers will survive this. My husband will slaughter those bastards once he gets out of this hospital.”
Confidence strengthens her voice, and she brings her jade eyes in line with mine.
“We’re all in danger, Dani. Even you. By now, all of Colombia knows Matheus is in love with you.”
My body warms all over and a little shiver prickles my scalp. Deep down, lurking in the womanly part of my being, I’m on cloud nine. I won’t show my hand, though. It’s way too soon for me to bond with another Souza.
“If colluding with you to kill one of his own associates wasn’t enough, setting fire to an Italian palace and exploding a Souza owned transportation company for you should do the trick.”
Pushing down the flutters in my chest, I keep this conversation strictly business.
“When did the girls leave this room?”
“Those two are in love with my babies. I’d be lost without them.”
The corners of her mouth curl, brightening the darkness of her stern expression.
“They left a few minutes before the alarm went off.” Her face blanches and she palms her belly. “They had a bodyguard escorting them as usual. A new guy…Oh, fuck, Dani. What if...”
Rolling the balaclava over my face again, I march into her personal space and snatch the gun out of her hand, checking that it”s functional.
Pretty looking weapons aren’t always reliable. Although this one is locked and loaded, ready for use.
“I’m sorry, Sinéad. Mat told me to stay with you, but we’ve no idea if their bodyguard is a traitor. You know how to use this thing properly?”
“Yeah.” She sighs. “I’m used to pulling a trigger.”
“Okay.” I glance over my shoulder at the door. “There’s no security out there. I’m guessing they were paid to disappear before the alarm went off. Don’t trust anyone. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Hopefully, the girls are with Matheus now.”
I give her the gun back and swivel in my biker boots, ready to leave.
“Dani,” she calls after me. “Thanks.”
“I’m just doing my job,” I call over my shoulder. “And…I appreciated the flip-flops.”
A flicker of a smile graces my lips even though she can’t see it. She offers a small smile too. I nod in her direction, exit the room, and slide the door shut behind me.
Beeping noises fill the eerie silence, and a distant clatter has me reaching for my gun.
I jog back to the nurse’s station and peer around the corner. Thankful no one is around, I move behind the counter, pluck a tissue from a box, and rub all the handwritten names off the whiteboard to confuse the enemy.
The girls didn’t pass me on my way up to the sixth floor, which means they used the elevator instead.
Getting my bearings, I follow the signs for the lift, intermittently dropping to my haunches to stay out of sight.
Ahead of me there are two automatic doors that don’t open when I rush up to them. Thumping a green button on the wall, they mechanically part and give me access to a never-ending wide corridor.
There”s nowhere to take cover.
Wall mounted handrails sit below big glass windows on either side. Sunlight saturates the gray vinyl sheet flooring. In the distance, an unlit, shadowy lobby must be where the elevator bank is located.
I stick to the edge and sprint towards the dim light, finding two elevators and a plastic board indicating the departments on each level sandwiched in between.
An annoying alarm blares from inside the elevator shaft, and I remember the nurse had said they weren’t operational.
A knot tightens behind my ribs. If the bodyguard was a traitor, and the girls were stuck in an elevator with him––they could be dead already.