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And I will never forgive her if something happens to him.
My phone beeps with a text from Julianna.
Julianna: I’m safe at Grandma’s. Romeo is going there with some men. Coming up from the back. You guys stay inside.
“Corey, we need to stay inside—Julianna just texted, look.” I show her the message, and she stops in her tracks.
“Okay, okay, I’ll wait,” she agrees.
Thank goodness.
Bella: I’m inside with Corey. Men are out front. Mark is alone and pointing a gun at River. Jeremiah is shot but just a flesh wound.
Julianna: Hide in your room just in case. Stay safe.
I grab Corey and do as we’re told. I just need to hope that Romeo comes in time, and that nothing happens to River.
When we hear another gunshot, we both share a look. Now I’m jealous that I don’t know how to use a goddamn gun. It’d be pretty useful right about now.
I don’t want to see Mark dead, but if someone has to go down, I’d rather it be him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
River
With the women safely out of the way, I feel comfortable taking some risks. I’m not waiting for Romeo.
I wait until the most opportune moment, when Mark’s focusing on Jeremiah, probably wondering if he’s going to bleed out, and run for him, knocking the gun out of his hands. It goes off, but hits one of our cars instead of anyone else. Jag runs over and gets the gun, and I roll Mark over and pin his hands behind his back. He struggles, bucking his legs and trying to free his arms, but I hold steady. Good luck if he thinks he’s going to overpower me.
Romeo arrives shortly after with a few of the older men and Damon.
“What are we going to do with him?” I ask.
“I have no fucking idea,” he replies gruffly, heading into the house with him. Looks like it’s back into the garage for our old friend Mark.
I rush inside to check on Bella, and find her and Corey in the kitchen pouring everyone alcohol. Even though they are supposed to be in the bedroom, I can see the appeal. Much needed. She runs up for a hug as soon as she sees me. “Thank God you are okay.”
“Take a lot more than that dumbass to take me down,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
Corey hugs me from the side, wrapping her arm around Bella, too. “Do you want a drink?”
“I’d love one,” I say, before swallowing a shot of tequila in one gulp.
Damon steps into the kitchen. “You ladies okay?”
“Yeah, we’re good,” Bella replies.
“Tequila?” Corey offers, holding out another shot glass. Damon grins and reaches out to accept.
Bella takes a shot herself, slams the empty glass down, then pulls me out of the room. “What’s going to happen now?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, holding her against me. “Mark was obviously desperate to save his woman, and I can’t blame him for that. I don’t think any of us can. But we can’t exactly just let him free to try to kill our president again. Jag took Jeremiah to the hospital to be checked on. We have a doctor we’re friends with there who won’t ask any questions, but we’re lucky it didn’t kill him. Mark’s obviously not in the right headspace right now.”
Understatement. The man is a loose cannon, and he needs to be contained before he does something stupid. That, or simply put out of his misery.
I know which one I’d vote for.
I don’t like leaving Corey alone with Damon, but I’m trying not to be too unreasonably overprotective of her. And when Bella tells me how she came out with her gun, wanting to join in on the fight, I need to remember that although she is hurting, she is still the badass sister I helped raised.
