Chapter 17 #2
Then came the lobster tail, dripping in a warm garlic-herb reduction.
Jude offered me a slice of his blue-rare steak.
I chewed, then swallowed with a shudder, shaking my head.
‘Honey, that meat is still walking,’ I wheezed, as the raw, iron flavor overwhelmed my palate. ‘I need my beef well done, dead and charred, thank you very much.’
The table erupted into booming laughter, the warmth of the band’s acceptance washing away my lingering anxieties.
I studied each of them as our banter continued.
Levi was almost too beautiful for his own good.
He was a ladies’ man; however, he had a keen, observant intelligence, while Reign exhibited a wicked sense of humor and radiated a fierce, protective loyalty.
Angel seemed devoted to his woman, perhaps a little too excessively.
Still, he was kind and chatted to me about Italy for quite a spell, as Evangeline sliced her dagger eyes at me.
Bishop was the steady anchor of the entire ship, and Deacon was a laconic, playful, laid-back sort, but I sensed a chord of sadness running through him.
They laughed, traded barbs, argued, and teased, not just a band but a real family who enjoyed each other’s company.
I glanced at Jude, seated next to me, my heart swelling with emotion.
He was not ashamed to be seen with me.
He was always making sure my wine glass was topped up.
Even better, he claimed me, his sinewed, muscled arm draped across the back of my chair like a shield.
As for late, his brooding, quieter temperament was less apparent; he was softening, laughing more, getting more affectionate with me.
Behind that gruff exterior lay a man of deep substance, someone who valued respect and defended people who couldn’t defend themselves.
That same ethos ran through the entire band.
Regardless of their global fame, they had zero entourage, no bodyguards, and nil airs.
They were polite and kind to those who served them, and laid-back and welcoming to their fans, several of whom approached the table for autographs while we ate.
The guys treated every fan with total warmth and consideration.
Evangeline, on the other hand, was a nightmare, broadcasting her annoyance every single time someone came over.
A nervous teenage girl came up, holding a creased concert flyer and asking for a quick signature.
Evangeline let out a loud, dramatic sigh, rolled her eyes, and checked her manicured nails as if her precious time were being stolen.
She turned her shoulder away, muttering under her breath about ‘people having no boundaries,’ making the poor fan turn bright red in embarrassment.
Angel’s jaw clenched, his eyes darkening to pure flint.
He reached out, took the brochure from the fan’s shaking hands, and signed it with a soft smile, neutralizing his woman’s bad manners.
‘My apologies,’ Angel said to the fan, his timbre smooth but carrying an undertone of fury at his girlfriend’s mood. ‘Thank you so much for supporting us. It means the world.’
The second the teenager walked away, Angel leaned across the table to his woman.
His body was rigid as he cursed.
‘Fuck Evangeline! Fix your face and lose the trash attitude right now,’ he growled, his eyes boring holes into hers, not caring if we heard him. ‘If you can’t show basic human respect, get the hell out of this restaurant and wait in the car. I’m not playing. Knock it off.’
So Angel did have a backbone, I thought as he hit breaking point with her mean-girl behavior.
Evangeline slumped back into her seat, her bottom lip popping out in a childish pout as she realized nobody at the table was buying her toxic nonsense.
Why was Angel with her?
I sensed a long story, but not one worth gossiping about or getting into people’s business, so I kept my questions to myself.
When the check came, and Jude paid for the meal, he left a life-changing tip that had our servers tearing up by the time we walked out.
As the group gathered our coats to leave, Jude leaned down toward my ear.
‘Proud of you, babe. You showed her how a real woman carries herself. Don’t think it’ll take, though. At this point, I’m casting pearls before a swine.’
We smiled at each other, stepping out of the elevator and into the gloomy parking garage.
A sudden, deafening gunshot shattered the air.
The explosive crack bounced off cement pillars like a bomb, sending a physical shockwave right through my ribs.
What the actual hell? Who was firing on us?
Panic hit hard, so fast, my breath hitched.
I gasped as each one of the Six Sinners reached into their jackets, unholstering weapons.
Jude grabbed my arm and shoved me behind him, putting his brick-house body in the line of fire to shield me.
‘Stay down!’ he clipped, with tight authority that left zero room for argument. ‘Don’t move, Sofia.’
I hunched at the rear of him, heart racing as another round whined through the air and thumped into the wall beside me.
The ricochet sprayed fine dust into my hair.
‘Damn,’ Jude groaned.
I glanced up to see a stain of blood blooming through his shirt sleeve where a bullet grazed Jude’s upper arm.
He let out a gravelly grunt, grimaced, and kept moving.
Keeping a bruising, possessive grip on my waist, he dragged me across the oil-stained floor, his body shielding me as he hauled us behind a row of parked SUVs.
‘Keep your head down!’ he commanded me, his chest heaving hard.
His eyes scanned the shadows, his gaze locking onto targets, his protective instincts dialed to an eleven.
‘I spot two shooters by the exit ramp. There’s a third hiding near the stairwell!’ he roared out to his mates.
Shouts echoed through the structure as the six men advanced, cutting off all avenues of attack.
Levi and Reign moved with sinuous grace, their firearms raised.
They fired off a volley of return shots, striking the wrists of the two assaulting gunmen with accuracy.
Their weapons clattered to the floorboards as the injured men collapsed, groaning in agony as they clutched their shattered hands.
All of a sudden, the scream of burning rubber tore through the garage.
A navy sedan roared out of a parking space, its tires screeching over the concrete.