Page 14 of Jude

Releasing my bags, I slapped the barrel aside, grabbed Luisa’s wrist, and twisted the joint until the bone popped.

Luisa gasped as I took possession of her weapon.

My left palm slammed into her throat, crushing her windpipe, stopping her from calling for help, and pinning her to the wall.

Sofia’s breath hitched behind me in shock at the speed of my unhinged defense.

Leaning in on Luisa, jamming her shoulder to the wall with my elbow, I popped the magazine out of the Glock with a flick of my thumb.

A quick yank on the slide ejected the live round from the chamber, catching the brass casing in my palm.

I dropped the ammunition into my jacket pocket and shoved the useless frame into my waistband.

My hand pressed into Luisa’s throat as I glared down at her.

Turning my head to Sofia, I met her gaze.

‘Anything you want from your so-called friend?’ I growled.

‘I just need my passport. In her bag.’

My eyes fell on the bag slung over the minder’s shoulder.

‘Have at it, make it fast.’

Sofia moved quickly to retrieve the ID from the woman whose eyes were spitting shards of wrath at her.

When Sofia stepped back, my mind ran through a few scenarios.

I could hold Luisa hostage and hand her over to Kian.

The mob rarely moved solo, though.

That option risked more violence if Luisa had backup waiting inside the terminal.

We were already exposed at the airport, where security could spot us at any moment and turn this shitshow into a catastrophe.

I could no longer risk our safety, so I decided to let her go.

‘Get the hell out of here,’ I growled, keeping my hand pressed on Luisa’s throat enough to restrict her air. ‘Or I’ll hand you to the sheriff in pieces. Tell whoever the fuck Dario is that she’s mine now.’

I released her, and Luisa collapsed forward, coughing and clutching her neck.

She flung us a gaze filled with fear and loathing, cursing my lineage in rapid Italian before sprinting toward the exit.

‘Damn,’ Sofia whispered. ‘You’ve just made an enemy.’

‘She now knows to think twice before coming for you,’ I rumbled, grabbing our gear once more, irritated as fuck. ‘With me.’

I guided her out toward the pickup zone.

Once outside, we came to a stop at the kerbside as instructed, and a few moments later, two county deputies pulled up in a county SUV.

Sofia trembled, finding my arm and holding on to it tightly.

‘Don’t worry, I’ve got you.’

She seemed to relax a little at my burred words.