Page 115 of Hide Little Traitor

“Fuck.”

“What is it?”

“Three vans, at least seven men, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they have you surrounded. There are no cameras around the back of the building, but given how organized they clearly are, I’d bet my life on them waiting for you to climb out of the windows in the bathroom.”

Pressing my eyes closed to gather my composure, I try to envision a way all five of us make it out of here alive without backup.

“Can you get an ID?” I ask.

“I’m running the plates now, as well as facial recognition on one guy.”

“He’s not wearing a mask?” I frown.

“Negative. He’s in a van at the back, probably thinks he’s too far away to be picked up by the cameras.”

The other end of the line is quiet for so long I start to think the call has dropped, but then Corbin curses.

“What is it?”

“I got an ID on the guy in the van,” he tells me. “It’s Sebastian Vega.”

Chloe’s eyes widen as they meet mine.

The name is vaguely familiar, but I can’t recall us ever doing business with them.

“He’s the son of Terrance Vega, the leader of a crime family with ties to the Lombardis,” Corbin adds. “But it doesn’t make sense. They wouldn’t have these kinds of resources, and I doubt they have this many people on their payroll with military-level skills.”

Another round of gunshots makes Chloe flinch, and for the first time in my life, I have no fucking clue what to do.

I’ve always been able to visualize how to end conflict like this without getting myself killed, but I’ve never had a variable I cared about more than my own heart continuing to beat.

All that matters is getting Chloe out of this motel and to safety.

“Rocco and Remy are en route to your location, but they’re at least twenty minutes away.”

“Were they nearby for a job?”

He half laughs. “We assumed that you’d need backup at some point, and King was just too stubborn to ask for it. They took a quick job a few hours away when everything was quiet after you checked in, but clearly that went to shit.”

“Clearly,” I deadpan. “Gather everything you can on the Vegas, including any recent dealings with the Lombardis and any other crime families.”

“I’m on it. You focus on getting out of there safely.”

I end the call and slip his phone into my pocket.

“Damon was engaged to Mikayla Vega,” Chloe says shakily. “They were due to be married not long after I escaped, but I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why the arranged marriage didn’t go ahead.”

Damon fucking Lombardi and his secrets are going to get us all killed, and if he puts my woman in danger one more time, I intend on following through with my threats to torture the motherfucker to death.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO

CHLOE

NOW

Ishould have known things were going too well.

Even running for our lives, I felt more at peace than I have in as long as I can remember, but it was bound to come to an end before long.