Page 75 of Entangled in Them

I had no intention of doing anything else.

He kicked open his door, and the man behind the wheel did the same. Another couple of bullets slammed into the back of the car.

“Fuck!” one of them yelled.

Who the hell was shooting at us? Was it the Capello brothers’ men, or had another gang decided to choose this moment to take down Joe Nettie’s crew?

A bullet struck the guy in the passenger side, and he flew backward and hit the open car door before sliding down it, slumped, his chin on his chest and blood dripping from his face.

Whoever was firing was a damned good shot.

I sensed more than saw the shape of someone move past the driver’s side of the car, and I cowered as more gunfire was exchanged, my ears ringing from the bangs. I shrank down, my arms over my head. Someone slumped over the spot between the driver and the passenger seat, and I jumped. I dared open my eyes, squinting. The driver lay there, a bullet hole in his forehead, his eyes still open but now staring sightlessly. The metallic tang of blood and gunpowder filled the inside of the car.

The door beside me opened, and a hand grabbed my arm and dragged me out. Blinded by fear, certain this was either the Capello brothers reclaiming me, or another rival gang who decided they could make use of me, I screamed and fought back.

“Quit it, Rue. It’s me. It’s Kodee.”

I barked a sob of relief. “Oh, God, Kodee.”

“We have to move fast. The people inside the property will know something’s wrong by now.”

Barely a minute had passed since the first shot was fired, but I knew he was right. We didn’t have much time.

The roar of a motorcycle approached, wheels skidding, sending dust up into the air. Dillon appeared right beside us, holding out his arm to me.

“Get on!” Kodee gave me a shove toward him.

“No, wait! What about you?”

“Just go. Ryan is covering us.”

So, Ryan must be the one who’d been shooting. He was a good shot. His time in the Army had clearly served him well on that front.

Dillon grabbed my arm and yanked me onto the bike behind him.

Shouts and gunfire came from the house behind us, and I stayed low, pressing myself against Dillon’s back, my arms wrapped tight around his waist. We took off at an incredible speed, the air whipping past, tearing the oxygen from my lungs. The engine roared between my thighs, and I clung to Dillon, terrified of either falling off or feeling the punch of a bullet hitting my spine.

“We have to go back!” I shouted in his ear. “What about Kodee and Ryan?”

“Ryan’s got the car. He’s picking Kodee up. They’ll be fine.”

But he didn’t know that, and my heart was a solid weight of dread in my chest, terrified they wouldn’t have gotten away from there in time.

He put miles between us and the house, and then Dillon slowed under an underpass and pulled the bike over.

“What are we doing?” I asked, my heart still pounding.

“Waiting for them here.”

I could barely breathe, my eyes pricking with tears. What if they were dead? How would I ever live with myself. They’d have sacrificed themselves for me. I didn’t deserve that. I wasn’t worth anywhere near as much as they were.

But only seconds had passed before Ryan’s car pulled up alongside us.

I crumbled. “Oh, thank God.”

Kodee and Ryan climbed out of the car, and I fell against them, an arm around each of their necks, pulling them both into me.

“I’m sorry,” I cried. “I’m so sorry.”

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