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Looking down at Miami, Giles could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Now that the adrenaline was fading, she was tap dancing on the edge of collapse. She’d bounced back a bit when Tobi stormed in, but now that the others were clearing out, it wouldn’t be long until she dropped. Nodding toward the exit, Essex didn’t hesitate to move ahead of them. They came down in one of the team golf carts but had to park around the corner to make certain they parked out of sight. Since no one had known exactly what they were dealing with, they’d chosen caution over expedience.
Essex parked in front of the door as Giles escorted Miami through the doublewide glass doors.
The distinctive click of the hammer being drawn back on an older pistol was all Giles heard before a deafening boom sounded to his right a split second before an inferno of pain exploded in his chest. Time stood still for several long seconds as he watched an older Hispanic man step from the shadows.
Despite the factMiami had never met Victor Cruz, she had no trouble recognizing him. She’d screamed when Giles dropped beside her, but when she’d leaned down to check on him, Cruz leveled the gun directly in front of her forehead.
“Leave him. I hope he bleeds to death at your feet. You have caused enough trouble, and it’s time for you to pay for what you’ve done to my son. Come with me. My boat is at the river.”
Was he fucking kidding? What she’d done to Alonzo? What about what he’d done to her? And to Saraya and God only knew how many others. He waved the gun in the air in a haphazard attempt to point toward the river, but Miami didn’t move.
“Cruz, I don’t know how you managed to circumvent the perimeter security, but you won’t remain hidden for long. I can assure you, there is no way you’re taking her anywhere.” Essex rested his hand on the radio clipped to his waist like a gunslinger in the old westerns propped atop his six-shooter… the only difference was she saw him press a small red button on the side of the communication device.
“Alonzo is in the hospital because of you. You didn’t think I’d let that go unpunished, did you?” Droplets of spit flew as he spoke.
For the first time, Miami noticed how unsteady he was on his feet. He frowned when she glared at him, but she didn’t care. Leaning down, she pressed her fingertips to the side of Giles’s neck and sent up a silent prayer of thanks when she found his pulse. His heartbeat was faint but steady.
“I told you to leave him alone. No wonder Alonzo tossed you in the ocean. Too bad you didn’t drown like a discarded pup.” He continued raving about how unjust Alonzo was being treated, but Miami was distracted by Giles slipping the butt of a gun into her palm. Looking down, she noted his eyes were still closed, but she saw him mouth the words, “Just shoot.”
For a couple of seconds, Miami wasn’t sure if it had been real or her imagination, then instinct kicked in. She didn’t give him any warning… he didn’t deserve it after he’d blindsided Giles—Miami raised the gun and fired. Red blossomed in an expanding circle over his chest, and the man’s eyes widened in surprise. Without speaking, he dropped his weapon before crumpling to the ground. The last thing she saw was darkness closing in as her knees folded out from under her.
*
Essex was tornbetween caring for the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and the man he considered his best friend and brother in every way but blood. Years of training dictated the order of triage, and without realizing he’d decided, Essex moved to Giles’s side. Applying direct pressure to stem the bleeding, Essex was relieved to see the wound wasn’t as serious as he’d originally feared. When Giles couldn’t answer simple questions with anything other than a whisper, Essex leaned closer and saw tiny bubbles of air in the blood.
“Looks like the bullet clipped a lung. EMS is on the way.” When Giles mouthed the word Cruz, Essex grinned. “Dead. One fucking shot. Miami took him out. I’m not sure who was more surprised, the old man, Miami, or me, but only two of us will be able to debate the question.”
The area was filling with people, and Miami was already sitting up, rubbing the back of her head. Picking her up, Essex was able to set her where Giles could see she was okay before the EMTs rushed to his side. They confirmed Essex’s suspicion and hustled Giles off the nearest hospital.
Sam McCall pulled Essex to the side with a small recorder while Sage spoke with Miami. Essex understood the team members were following protocol, but it was difficult to let another man lead her away. It didn’t take the McCall brothers long to take their statements and assure Essex and Miami they’d share the information with local authorities.
Jen was sitting close to Miami with her arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. Essex couldn’t hear what the pretty former diplomat was saying, but it was easy to see Miami was relaxed. The women laughed, and Essex sighed in relief.
“I’ve always said she missed her calling. Jen would have made a hell of a counselor. She has a way of pulling people into the light and making them feel better about whatever they’ve experienced. It’s a gift, and I’m always impressed by the way she interacts with victims.” Sam shrugged, and Essex wondered what he wasn’t saying. “She thinks we’re trying to take her out of the action. Hell, it’s probably a legitimate concern.” And there it was, the bottom line.
“I can see why you’d want to protect her. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, I don’t know how many more days like today my heart can take, but when it came down to it, Miami was incredible. Fuck me, she never blinked when it came to taking out the threat.”
“Cruz wanting to take her rather than killing her here says a lot about the man’s intentions. He’d gone completely off the deep end. For him, it was all about revenge rather than salvaging his campaign. He was going to leave a path of death and destruction a mile wide. The Feds will be all over this one. Victor and Alonzo were both on their Watch List. They let not one but two asshats slip through their fingers, which won’t sit well with the locals.” Sam shoved the small recorder into the pocket of his cargo pants and grinned. “Any excuse Parker can find to rattle their cages makes him a happy camper.”
Essex had only met Parker Andrews once, but he’d been impressed with the man’s common-sense approach. Andrews was a dungeon monitor at the club, which was tantamount to a personal recommendation by the Wests. Essex was anxious to see how the situation played out. The one thing he knew for certain was the more players in the game, the more challenging it was to get anything done.
