Page 34 of Guarding her Gangster Girl

Vince pauses slightly before he regains his composure. “You’re full of shit. I didn’t?—”

“She’s right.” Larry’s gravelly voice cuts through the murmurs. “I heard you too, Vince. I was standing right there. You told Brie she’d better watch her mouth or she might regret it.”

The atmosphere in the room shifts instantly. Suspicion hangs heavy in the air as the other men eye Vince warily.

Larry’s expression hardens. “You know, I think we need to have a little chat, Vince. Privately.” He nods to two of his men. “Put him in a room. I’ll be there soon.”

“Fuck you,” Vince snarls. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he adds, as Larry’s men grab him. And then Vince’s cool facade cracks. “You can’t do this, Larry. You’ll regret this! He’s trying to stitch me up, you hear me?”

But Larry just waves his hand dismissively as his men drag Vince out, his threats echoing down the hallway.

Frank stands there, mouth agape, before seeming to remember why we’re all here. “We still need to talk to Brie.”

I step fully in front of the doorway and shake my head firmly. “Brie’s in shock. She needs a shower—she’s covered in blood, and her ears are probably ringing from you shooting into a confined space.”You fucking moron, I add in my own mind.

Butishe a fucking moron? Or was silencing someone who could finger him after another failed assassination attempt?

Larry steps forward, his tone condescending now as Vince’s shouts die away in the distance. “Listen, sweetheart, we appreciate your help, but we’ll take care of Brie from here.”

I feel my temper flaring again. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? “If you want to talk to Brie right now,” I snarl, “you’ll have to go through me.”

“And me,” comes a firm voice from behind. We all turn to see Holden in the bedroom doorway, arms folded across his chest. He’s not that threatening, but I appreciate the backup.

Frank looks at Holden. “Is she alright? I came up to talk to her, see how she’s holding up…and jeez, then all this happened.”

Holden’s gaze is steely. “Of course she’s not alright, Frank. And right now, she only wants me with her—” he pauses, glancing at me “—and Nik.”

It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it’s enough for Frank. He nods to Larry. “We’ll come back later. I need to deal with the cops downstairs anyway—they’re already here, some damn guest called them about the gunfire.”

Just as the Colombos finish filing out, a vaguely familiar young man appears in the doorway, looking shell-shocked. “Was that Mr. Sabatelli screaming?” he squeaks. “It sure sounded like?—”

“Who the hell are you?” Frank snarls, hustling him back against the wall in the hallway.

The guy swallows hard, and that’s how I recognize him, that bobbing throat. “I, uh, I work security for the casino,” he squeaks. “And I have something for Mrs. Colombo.” He sees Holden and holds it out toward him, but I move faster, snatching the object from his hand before Holden can reach it.

“Thanks,” I say curtly, then slam the door in Frank’s face.

Holden follows me back to the bedroom, and Brie looks up as we enter, her eyes focusing on the flash drive in my fingers that I hold up for her to see.

“What’s that?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“The security footage from the night of your husband’s murder.”

CHAPTER 16

Nik

Holden gasps,loud and dramatic, and his hands fly to his mouth. “What the fuck—” he begins, but Brie winces, pressing a hand to her temple, and he rushes to fuss around her.

“First things first,” I say, pocketing the flash drive. “Let’s get you cleaned up and check for injuries. Then we’ll take a look at what’s on here.”

Holden tuts as he takes in Brie’s blood-splattered face. “I’ll take out some fresh clothes for you,” he says, already moving toward her closet.

I guide Brie to the bathroom, my hand steady on her lower back. She’s trembling slightly, the adrenaline crash hitting her hard. As we reach the door, she turns to me, eyes searching mine.

“Nik,” she says, her voice barely audible. “Thank you for saving my life…again.”

For a moment, I’m at a loss for words. This version of Brie is so different from the sharp-tongued woman who stood up to that asshole Sabatelli just a few hours ago. Which one is the real her?

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