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Nothing.
Not a peep.
It's frightening.
Elijah Joseph Black does notdosilence. Ever. The fact that he's yet to say a word since exiting the club actually speaks volumes. He's either plotting murder and mayhem or he's genuinely hurting. Given the fact that the little purple-haired Goddess provokes such unfamiliar reactions from the three of us, I'm unsure what's going through his mind right now.
Turning to look toward him, I find him already staring at me. It's almost pitch black inside of the SUV and I can just barely make out his features. His eyes, which are generally bright blue beneath his glasses, currently look black and demonic and I have to fight a shiver at the sight.
Covered almost completely in bright and colorful tattoos, from his fingers all the way to his neck, he paints a terrifying picture. The left side of his head is shaved and tatted, and the top portion of his red hair is long and swept to the side. He's a mean-looking fucker when he wants to be and right now, all of that ire that he keeps locked deep down, is currently pointed in my direction.
Bracing myself for the second round of bullshit, I cross my arms and settle in. Eli opens his mouth, no doubt he's been fuming and ready this entire drive. He doesn't get a word out before he's interrupted as a spray of bullets batters into the side of the SUV.
CHAPTER SEVEN
"Down!"Thebarkedcommandfrom Renz makes my eyes roll despite the shit storm we are currently in the middle of.
"I should be telling you the same thing, fuckface," I growl, yanking my Desert Eagle 50 AE from the holster beneath my jacket. It's the one thing I have left from my father and despite the fact that I hate that sack of shit, it is a damn fine weapon.
I quickly check over my gun and glance up at the other two men in the back of the car just as another wave of bullets pelt the side of the SUV. My head flies toward Leo, our driver, in time to see him swerve, narrowly avoiding a civilian with expert precision, and gratitude washes over me. This is not the first time we have found ourselves under attack while driving and I'm not sure we would still all be alive and in one piece if it was not for Leo.
We may not be blood-related, but we are family. Leo has been with us since we were children, therefore raised in the mafia world just as much as we were. He knows the dangers, the stakes. Though he was loyal to Renz's father, he was not a fan of his. Leo's keen eyes always saw what he was not meant to see and because of that, his allegiance shifted to Renz even when he was still just a child.
When we eliminated the old Don, Leo swore his fealty to Renz, something that I suspect he may be starting to regret now. These past few months have not been uneventful and as long as our lives are on the line, Leo and all of our employees will continue to be caught in the crossfire just for being near us. A fact that I frequently feel guilty about, as do Renz and Eli. However, at this moment, I'm thankful that he's with us.
CARRION FLOWERS-CHELSEA WOLFE
Eli rolls the blacked-out window down on his side halfway, giving him a clear view of the Range Rovers flying down the empty street next to us. I drop my window down and find a matching vehicle on my side driving erratically half on the road and half on the curb.
"Two on my side," Eli calls out as he pulls his sniper rifle from beneath the seat and aim it out of the small gap, and lines up his shot. The silencer on the weapon muddles thepop pop popas he releases a volley of bullets. The large vehicle directly next to us spins out before slamming into a telephone pole. Eli whoops loudly, grinning from ear to ear as he drops the gun into the front seat and swaps it for a smaller pistol.
"One on mine," I echo before rolling up my window. No point in taking a shot. With that way that idiots driving, he'll kill himself.
"There are two behind us as well, Sir. What would like me to do?" Leo asks, as calm and polite as ever. Looking over at Renz, I can tell that he's slightly frazzled but overall, his composure matches our experienced drivers. I'd expect nothing less from my cousin.
Before anyone can respond or even come up with a plan, the deafening sound of metal colliding with metal fills the car. The three of us are sent flying toward the front seat as one of the Range Rovers slams into the back of our vehicle. Leo corrects the car and accelerates in speed temporarily, gaining the lead and putting distance between us and the enemy. Eli barks out a laugh, the adrenaline junky no doubt reveling in the situation we're currently in.
"Who do you think it is this time?" Eli grunts as he shoulders his way into the front passenger seat, shoving me into Renz on his way. The car takes another high-speed turn at that exact second causing me to slam into the door, Renz landing on top of me.
"For fucks sake!" Renz growls, "just pull over."
Pushing him off of me and regaining my seat, I send a scathing glare at my cousin who ignores me completely. Leo glances back at the pair of us in the rearview mirror, his demeanor confident and in control, but clearly in disagreement with Renz's order. Clearing his throat, he opens his mouth to argue, more than likely but snaps it shut just as quickly.
Renz checks over the chamber of his gun before grabbing hold of his door handle. "We’re doing this. They won't expect us to stop and get out. We need to finally catch one of these fuckers once and for all. We can't fight a war if we don't even know who our enemies are."
I pause, considering his words. He's right, I know he is. I share a quick look with Eli, and I see it on his face, he agrees with Renz as well, but the idea of stopping and leaving our leader, my family, unprotected and out in the open, feels utterly wrong. Regardless, this is a necessary risk.
We've been under attack from a silent enemy since just after Renz took over for his late father. Prior to that, we were little more than attack dogs for Francesco. We knew some of the inner workings of his business, but he rarely let us in on important facts or the dirty dealings he was doing. So, when Renz took over, we had no idea what he would be inheriting beyond the homes, finances, and overall business itself.
We knew we would be picking up where Francesco left off but none of us had any inclination that his enemies would be this vast nor did we know that a war would begin almost immediately. Attacks on our lives have been continuous but this is the first time it's been so out in the open where we have the potential to actually capture one of them for questioning.
Sighing, I give a curt nod of agreement and it's all Renz needs. "Gain some ground, Leo. Find a place where there's not likely to be any innocent casualties."
Leo grunts but says nothing as he follows Renz's orders. Eli braces his hands on the two front seats and turns to face the both of us. "I don't think they want to take you, Renz. It's unlikely that this will be a capture and kidnap type of deal. They wouldn't come guns blazing, attempting maximum damage if that was the case."
"I agree," I add, earning a mega-watt, puppy dog smile from Eli. I ignore him, even if his antics have my lips twitching. Pushing that to the side, I focus on the situation at hand. All possible scenarios and outcomes flit through my brain at a rapid pace. This could go so incredibly wrong, but this isn't our first gunfight and the stakes are too high. There are only three of us, four including Leo, as opposed to roughly 10 or more of them. Though it pains me to admit, I know what we have to do. "We need to split up."
Renz huffs out a sound of annoyance and glares at me. "No shit," he grunts. "Take out as many as you can. Kill shots only. We can't have anyone talking. Leo, stay in the car and be ready to run. Call Javier and give him the location details. Tell him we need a cleanup, and it needs to happen immediately, no matter the cost."
