Page 84 of Reclaiming Adelaide

“This way,” Nico said, rushing down the steps in the foyer, followed by Charity and Max.

“Jake. I’m scared.” Her whimpered plea twisted me up inside, stroking my darkness that beckoned me to let it out. To show everyone what I was capable of when I’d become cornered, when someone I loved was in danger.

“We’ll be okay, sweets.”

We moved faster, Luca and Vito taking the steps at the front as the front door burst open, followed by a barrage of bullets hitting the ground at our feet and the walls above our heads.

Adelaide screamed, and I grunted, nearly tumbling down the stairs and taking everyone out before me like a rogue bowling ball.

The back of my thigh burned with a fiery high-strung pain that quickly morphed into agony.

I’d been hit.

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Iscreamed,mythroatraw and dry, as gunfire erupted behind us, pinging their bullets in every direction imaginable. Jake stumbled, falling to his knees beside me, dragging me down along with him, which fed into the terror thrumming along my skin like rogue electricity.

Charity and Max turned and stood above us, returning fire as I struggled to pull Jake to his feet, his hand moving to his thigh as he limped into a room on the right.

“Let’s go.”

“What was that for? I could’ve gotten at least five of them when they came down.”

“Now’s not the time for you to play target practice on the enemy, Charity,” Max said, engaging the safe room door and stepping inside.

Jake hobbled to the wall and sunk onto the floor, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He slammed the side of his fist against the wall with each scathing word.

“What the hell is this about?” Luca said. The Don for the Moreno Mafia sat on a cot, his personal bodyguard beside him, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the arm.

“I thought I lost them.”

“You’re bleeding.” My heart ached deep in my chest—the ringing in my ears was akin to a symphony of broken flutes. “You’re bleeding,” I repeated with a whisper as I stared at the puddle under Jake’s thigh.

“Lost who?” Luca said from behind me.

“The people Adelaide pissed off.”

The floor swallowed me up, my stomach sinking as I watched blood soak his pants and drip out onto the floor. “Where…” I reached for him, grabbing at his pants, his hand quickly catching mine to stay my search.

“My leg.”

I yanked my hand from his and snagged his belt buckle when he stilled my hands again.

“It’s not that bad. I’ll be fine. Max, grab me a towel, would you?”

Max walked around Charity, who watched the security monitors, and grabbed a hand towel from a tall gray metal cabinet.

“Just let me see. You’re bleeding everywhere.”

Jake tipped his head back against the wall and shimmied his pants down his hips with a growl and pulsing jaw muscles as Max tossed the towel to his chest.

“It was stupid for them to come here,” Luca said.

“Do you have another medical kit in here?” I asked over my shoulder, seeing Nico working on Vito’s arm.

Charity grabbed another kit off a shelf and brought it next to me, placing it on the floor.

“Jeez, Jake. Ever heard of a tanning booth? Your legs are as white as milk.”

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