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The two exchange another glance before Vincenzo shrugs. “Whatever.”
They step aside. I want to open every door and check on each victim. But there’s no time. Thankfully, they’ll soon be free to carry on with their lives, and their tormenters will either be dead or behind bars.
“Any problems with the merchandise?” God, I hate talking about people like they’re disposable.
“Nah. I guess the kid in 804 was being a pain in the ass during the night. Donzelli set him straight, I heard. The little puke hasn’t made a peep since we got here.”
Setting him straight wasn’t what Donzelli had done, but I can’t spare the time to explain now. Vincenzo and his cohort aren’t important enough.
Instead, I head straight for Kristi. Since Marco is asleep, Paulie is dead, and the turdtastic duo should be out cold in the bar, I don’t have any more obstacles to getting her and Sammie out of the hotel before all hell breaks loose. They’ll probably have to testify at some point, but I want them both safe first.
At the end of the hall, I unlock her door and duck into the room. But it’s too quiet. Something is wrong.
My heart thuds. I draw my weapon and creep slowly into the darkened room.
Someone presses a gun to the back of my head. “Put it down, asshole. You’re going to pay for drugging my scotch.”
Sal. What the fuck? Why is he awake and here? I don’t know, but if I drop my weapon, Kristi, Sammie, and I are dead. Thankfully, he and his thuggy sidekick have proven they’re stupid. I just have to think past my panic and outwit them.
Rudy pops into my line of vision with a meaty fist in Kristi’s fiery hair—and a gun to her temple. My blood freezes. And it gets really fucking hard to think. My life, especially my regrets, flashes through my head. My future flushes down the hypothetical john.
“Now!” Sal growls. “Or Rudy pumps a bullet into her brain.”
Red looks terrified. She’s shaking. Her shirt is torn.
I lose my fucking mind. “What did you do to her?”
“Just a little of what you did last night.” Rudy taunts me by sliding his grubby hand over Kristi’s breast.
He’s testing me. He wants to see if him touching her bothers me. All he’s done is reaffirm that he needs to die first.
Cowering in the corner, Sammie whimpers. Kristi glances the girl’s way like a worried mommy hen. Fuck, she needs to focus on getting out of this alive…especially in case I don’t.
“Drop your fucking gun!” Sal demands again.
Nope. This is a go-big-or-go-six-feet-under moment.
“You motherfuckers messed with the wrong wise guy. Donzelli is on his way out, and Paulie is dead. Guess what that means, boys? Right now, I’m the boss. So you better fucking obey or I’ll leave you bleeding on this carpet. Let her go.”
“What are you talking about?” Rudy growls.
His hand on Kristi’s tits, along with the ticking clock, make me lose my patience.
I elbow Sal in the face, knocking away his shooting hand and sending his weapon slamming into the wall as I whirl around and wrap his neck in the crook of my arm. Then I yank him in front of me to serve as my human shield while I plug two shots into Rudy’s forehead.
Kristi screams as Rudy’s blood splatters and his brains hit the window behind her before he falls dead.
“You motherfucker!” Sal struggles against my hold.
“Shut up.” I press my gun into the small of his back.
Instantly, he stills.
“You okay?” I ask Kristi.
She gives me a shaky nod as she gets Sammie to her feet. The girl hugs her tight.
Everything is going to be all right now.
Well, until someone opens the hotel room’s door behind me, shoving me forward and sending me stumbling.
“What the fuck is going on?” Vincenzo demands.
Sal uses the commotion to break free from my hold and scramble for his gun. He’s still groping when Vincenzo crowds in and cocks his weapon. I’m sure he’s pointing it at my back.
This asshole knew Sal and Rudy were in the room—and said nothing. He let me traipse in, probably hoping I’d bite it.
Fuck that. I am not letting this dick-for-brains be the end of me, Kristi, or this op.
“The day I call you boss, asswipe, is the day I die,” Sal snarls, gun in hand again. “Drop it.”
Thanks to Paulie’s understudy, if I don’t think fast, my chances of living beyond the next thirty seconds are slim. Kristi and Sammie won’t last much longer after that. We’ve got one shot…
I meet my girl’s terrified gaze. “Remember, don’t be afraid, Red.”
She gives me a shaky nod. Does she recall me uttering those words a few hours ago? Does she understand that she’ll have to use my Glock to help us out of this mess?
“Shut up!” Sal demands. “Drop your gun or your girlfriend dies.”
