Page 123 of Brutal Truths

“Calm down,” Darius says, stepping up beside me like this isn’t spiraling out of control. “It’s handled.”

“Calm down!” I point my gun at the lobby. “Handled? That is far from handled!”

Inside, movement blurs together. Gabby’s arm lifts, but Isabel blocks my line of sight.

So, when she drops, my heart stops.

The muted pop, pop, pop hits a second later. And for one terrifying moment, I think that fucking arsehole shot her.

When my brain catches up, it’s Drake who’s falling. A clean hole sits in the center of his head. The fucker by the door drops next, hitting the floor hard.

I stare through the fractured glass, trying to process what just happened.

What the fuck?

That’s when another woman steps into view, and my heart kicks back to life. Just in time for the rage to take over. I shove my gun into the holster and turn to face my boss.

He’s grinning like a fool. “See? Handled.”

I don’t think. My fist connects with his smug face and knocks him to the ground, blood spilling from his broken nose. “I fucking quit!”

“You can’t quit.” He uses the sleeve of his dark shirt to clean his face. “That’s your one free shot. I earned that. My mistake was not telling you Gabriela’s plan was already in motion. They’ve been parked outside the penthouse for over an hour. Saw those two arseholes walk in and tie up the two doormen on duty.”

“And she didn’t stop them?”

A glance over my shoulder shows the women inside, calm, chatting amongst themselves, acting like the chaos is already behind them.

“She would’ve if she thought they were in real danger. After they were handcuffed and moved to the back office, she chose to see what those two were up to.” Darius extends his hand. “Now help me up.”

I grab it and haul him to his feet, jaw tight. “You put her in danger.”

“She was never in any danger.” Darius removes his shirt and uses it to sponge up the blood. “Why do you think the doormen were so cooperative? I have eyes and ears everywhere. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

“Then why didn’t they step in when Drake grabbed Gabriela?” From where I stood, that looked like a situation spiraling.

“Because they didn’t need to. It was handled. Anna had the shot. They knew it.” He balls up his shirt and tosses it on the ground. “Now get in there.”

“How? The front door’s locked.” I gesture to the glass door, now resembling a spiderweb after my attempt to shoot my way inside.

Darius exhales softly, shaking his head like I just disappointed him. “Are you saying the only way to get inside is through the front door? You’ve gotten into places locked down tighter than this. Don’t you have the code to the garage? I believe Isabel gave that to you the night you searched the penthouse.”

How the hell did I forget that?

I turn and take off for the garage at the back of the building. The code running through my head by the time I reach the panel. Fingers hit the keys, the door releases, and I slide under before it’s fully open.

My feet hit the ground running. The metal door ahead should be shut. It’s not.

That gets filed away for later; someone will answer for that. This right here is why shit keeps going wrong. Heads will roll.

The stairs disappear beneath me as I take them three at a time, nearly tripping a few times when my foot slips. Doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except getting to her.

God, I’m so damn owned by her. This feeling, the pull toward her, it’s new. I’ve never been so consumed. Her pain hits like it’s mine, settles deep and doesn’t let go. I’d do anything to make sure she never has to suffer again. I know I can’t, but I can damn well make sure she doesn’t face it alone. I’ll take the edge off, give her something else to feel.

And I’ll protect every part of her while I do.

When I reach the main floor, I shove open the steel door and head straight for the lobby. Voices echo down the corridor, one stands out, a man’s, pushing my feet to move faster. My gun is already in my hand, ready to take out the prick if that’s what it comes to.

The moment I enter the lobby, I stop.