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Nick looks from me to Ricco. “You’re one to talk,” Nick says in a low voice. “You think I’m dead and the first thing you do is jump into bed with the man you thought killed me?”
Ricco’s growl takes Nick off guard. He stumbles backward as Ricco draws his pistol.
“I’ve had enough,” he says, advancing on Nick. “Dani, back!” Ricco shouts as Nick holds a gun in his trembling hand.
“Touch me, Montavio, and she dies.”
I’m shaking with fury as Nick inches back toward his car and Ricco’s eyes flash from me to Nick and the car, calculating his move.
“I told you once,” I say in a low voice to Ricco, “I wish you’d actually killed him when you thought you did.” Nick’s eyes widen, his hands shaking. “And there’s something you don’t know about him, Ricco. He’s a terrible shot. He can’t even aim his dick at the toilet to pee when he’s drunk.”
“Got it,” Ricco says.
A silver SUV screeches into the lot. Ricco steps back, tucking his gun at his waist, his hands held out. Again, no surprise registers on his face and this time, he doesn’t tell me to get back.
The SUV’s doors open. Four armed, masked men leap out. Who are they? It’s clear they’ve come for Nick, as he screams and cowers, but he’s no match against the barrage of bullets. I close my eyes, so I don’t have to see the brutal end and pray with everything I’ve got that Sarah and Jason have protected Emmy from all of this.
The muted exit of bullets thud as they tear into his flesh. His cries and screams for mercy fill the air. And then silence descends as Ricco wraps his arms around me and tucks my head into his chest, blocking me from any sound except for the soft lilt of his voice in my ear.
“The cartel’s come to take their due. They had a local syndicate. We clued them in to Nick’s little habit of visiting their boss’s wife when he was away on business. Hush, baby. They’ll take it from here.”
I don’t ask questions. I’m not sure I want to know. I nod against him and wish for this to be over.
There’s a heavy thump and the sound of car doors slamming.
Someone speaks in a heavy accent. I don’t look up, as Ricco’s firm hold on my head silently indicates for me to stay still.
“It’s done, Montavio. You’re free to go… this time. See you around.”
Car wheels screech. Then, silence.
Ricco blows out a breath.
“How did you…?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I don’t care if it’s complicated. Promise me you’ll tell me later? I don’t like being in the dark, Ricco.”
“Dani, I’ll tell you anything and everything you need to know, baby.”
“I want to see Emmy,” I whisper.
“So do I.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“ANYTHING?”
Ricco
The quiet aftermath of Nick’s capture and subsequent death leaves Dani depleted and exhausted. I lead her into the rest area where Jason, Sarah, and Emmy wait for us.
Emmy’s no longer crying, she’s happily sipping a drink, and munching from a bag of chips.
“Mama, you’re back,” she says.
Dani nods. They have some catching up to do, but fortunately Emmy is young and doesn’t remember much beyond Dani not being at school and Nick showing up with chicken nuggets.
“I was scared, Mama. I missed you.”
“I was scared and missed you, too, honey.” She sits and pulls Emmy onto her lap.
“Alright,” Sarah says, her hands on her hips. “Now is someone gonna fill us in or what?”
We tell them everything, cryptically and briefly because of Emmy’s presence, but we manage to convey the bulk of the story in its entirety.
“Ho-ly shit, that’s some straight-outta-Hollywood story going on there,” Jason says. “Ricco Montavio, you’re my hero.”
He gives Dani a funny look and whispers, “That’s okay to say, right?”
“Yeah,” she says. “It is. I mean, a lot’s changed, hasn’t it, Ricco?”
I nod and give her a smile. “I hope so. Let’s get a room, get some food and rest. There’s nothing else that needs to be handled right now. My team will clean all this up like it never happened.”
“That would be scary, if it wasn’t so hot,” Jason mutters, giving Dani a wink.
An hour later, we’re comfortably situated in a luxury hotel room with an attached door to Emmy’s. After a full dinner and a bath, she was happy to dive under the covers. She’s fast asleep, just on the other side of this door. Dani and I set up a baby monitor with video so she can watch her. It soothes her Mama heart.
I told Emmy she could have anything she wanted on the room service menu. She chose macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk.
Dani, on the other hand, chose the shrimp kabobs with rice pilaf and roasted asparagus, followed by a decadent chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream. Good girl.
We lay in bed next to each other.
