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POP!
A window shattered, and the car sped into a light post just outside the parking lot, crashing loudly.
“Fuck!” Luke, security, and I all barked at once, dashing over just in time to see Ian step out, holding his ear. We came to a stop with our pistols drawn again.
We were ready to fire at any sign of movement behind him, but nothing. He twisted around, reached inside the car, and pulled out the duffle bag. “It’s done.”
“You asshole,” Luke scoffed as we lowered our weapons, tucking them away. “We could’ve helped you.”
Ian pressed a finger in his ear, jiggling it. “There wasn’t room in the car for all of us.”
“My humor’s rubbing off on you.” Just as I got ready to laugh, movement behind him caught my attention. Without thinking, I sprinted toward Alejandro, stumbling out of the smoking car, hand over his chest and shoulder. Within seconds, I tackled him. He pushed me off, causing me to fall back, hitting my back on something sharp.
“Chance!” Ian shouted.
Fuck!I lunged forward, throwing my arm around Alejandro’s neck, pulling him back against me and pressing my arm into his throat. He struggled, but I only squeezed tighter while lifting my pistol to his temple with my other hand. Finger hovering over the trigger, I snarled. “Checkmate!”
BANG!
Closing my eyes, I fell back, letting him roll off me. Soon, a swarm of people stood over us. I let the gun fall from my grip.
“Are you okay?” Luke snapped.
Pushing Alejandro’s lifeless body off me with the help of Nico and Ice Man, I stood, holding my back. “Shit, that hurt.”
“You shouldn’t have done that!” Ian scolded. “You could’ve been killed! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
“I told you I do my own stunts… regardless of if I’m supposed to or not.”
“He’s gone,” Ice Man called our attention away with his fingers pressed to Alejandro’s neck while Nico checked the guys in the car.
Wiping my blood-splattered brow with my sleeve, I scowled down at his lifeless body. I patted Ian on the shoulder as I turned back to the club, panting as I trekked toward the door. “Fuck you guys. I’m never going to be one of you.”
“You already are, Hollywood!”
26
EPILOGUE
CHANCE
It’d been five months since we took out Alejandro and his two men. Ian had shot him in the back, the bullet exiting his chest. It was my headshot that’d killed him. And I reminded Ian of it every time he brought up how he shot everyone inside the car that night.
We were finally living in peace, but none of us ever got too comfortable. Now, I knew firsthand how it was when Ian and Luke told me they could never get too comfortable because the minute they did, they’d be blindsided.
I’d just gotten back from filming with Tobyn again in New York and Toronto, so it wasn’t too far from home. When he saw my dark hair all over TV and social media, he told me not to show up until it was changed back to my trademark. Fabian was ecstatic when I showed up at the salon, asking him to change it back.
Ian had spoken to his friends, Vito, Giovanni, and Valentino, in New York, asking them to provide some of their men for extra security as well in case anything happened on their turf. He wasn’t taking risks regardless of my reassurance.I didn’t need to be escorted to the set like a child with helicopter parents.
The cast was a bit intimidated when I showed up the first day with not only my bodyguard, Blitz, but also six gigantic Italian men who towered over my six-foot-two-inch height. If I didn’t know they were there to protect me, I wouldn’t have approached them in the wild, even if my life depended on it.
Amber opted to stay home, only coming to visit every chance she got. She’d been teaching pole dancing at the club during the day when Euphoria was closed. Ian didn’t want the class in the showroom, so he allowed her to use an empty room in the opposite hallway from the Blue Lounge. He gave her the company credit card and told her to do whatever was needed.
Tonight, she told me she had a surprise for me and wanted to make sure I was at the club. I’d had a few late video meetings with people out in California, so I told her I’d be there by 11:00 p.m. When I walked into the building, it was packed. Blitz escorted me to the VIP table. My eyes widened, and I came to a stop at the booth.
“Ty,” I grinned, “it’s good to see you back.” He got ready to stand, but I pressed his shoulder back down. “Don’t get up, I’ll sit here.” I strode to the other side, sitting next to Luke.
It was Tyler’s first night back since before the incident that almost left him dead. He’d woken up a month after Jenna and I visited him. When he was finally discharged, he’d mostly stayed home, spending as much time with Mila and their kids as he could. He was returning to his office in three weeks.
