Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t freak out about nine-on-three odds, but I’m down my good arm, and that just leaves Hawk and Moretti.
I swear to God, I better not fucking die before I get to bury myself balls deep in Vanessa.
Just the tipwas fun to test the waters, but I want dirty marathon sex with that woman before I die.
Moretti shakes his head.
There’s no way to be sure whether he’s trying to communicate with us or the driver of the SUV.
It could be both.
He’s telling all of us not to act prematurely.
He straight-up warned me not to pull my gun right before we left the warehouse.
That son of a bitch.
If he knew this was coming, he should have warned us. He definitely should have left Vanessa inside, safely tucked away with the warehouse security team.
“You’re late, Stavros,” Moretti says, his voice firm and unwavering. “The party just ended.”
“Desperate to play games until the very end.” Grigoryan chuckles darkly. “Huh, Moretti?”
“This is neutral ground. The treaty has been respected for thirty years,” Moretti says calmly. “Are you sure you wish to break that accord?”
“You’re too much of a child to remember what life was like when every encounter between the families ended in blood,” the portly man says, and even the tone of his voice grates on my eardrums. “I’ve had enough of your shit.”
“I’ve always thought it strange that everyone trusted the system.” Moretti’s hand on Vanessa’s hip pops up, and he holds out his pointer finger. “I suppose it was complacency for some, but you should know I don’t put faith in anyone or anything that I don’t have full control over.” He moves swiftly, pulling her behind him.
Pure fucking chaos ensues.
The cracks that fill the air remind me of what long-range rifles sound like when they’re shot, and I brace for the boom, which follows instantaneously.
That means the snipers aren’t too far out.
The men in a cluster around Grigoryan drop like flies, and all I can do is watch with my mouth hanging open.
Hawk steps up and grabs Vanessa’s arm, dragging her back. It puts her next to me, but on the side with my injured arm.
I circle around her, pulling her into my chest as Hawk heads up to stand at Moretti’s side.
She buries her face in my pec, and I’m smacked with the scent of her fear. She shouldn’t be able to see much, but I’ve got a small view between the two men.
Hawk pulls his gun, shooting one of the men at the front of the SUV, but the other two fall in quick succession.
“Just remember, you started this when you broke the accord.” Moretti shoots Grigoryan with no additional warning.
Grigoryan’s kneecap explodes, and the sight is gruesome. The outer tissue of his knee stays mostly intact, but bone shards are visible through the rip in his pants.
I lean to the right and then the left.
Everyone outside of the boss is down.
By the time I circle back to Grigoryan, he’s leaning against the rear of the SUV with his leg out at an awkward angle.
“Check them,” Moretti growls, stalking toward Grigoryan. It takes a half second to comprehend he’s telling Hawk to ensure Grigoryan’s men are dead.
From the looks of the carnage, they’re done for.
