Page 33 of Guarding her Gangster Girl

He opens fire.

The assassin jerks as the bullets tear into him, then goes still. Anger surges through me. “Goddammit!” I snarl. “We needed him alive for questioning!”

“What the fuck happened?” he bellows, turning the gun on me.

I ignore him and turn to Brie, my anger dissipating as I take in her face. She’s pale except for a splatter of red on her cheek, her eyes wide, hands shaking where they cover her ears.

I wrap an arm around her shoulders, steering her quickly past Frank Colombo and toward the stairs.

“It’s okay,” I murmur. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now.” I take the keycard from her and open the door of her suite myself, and only then do I realize Frank Colombo isn’t following.

He’s standing there at the elevator with a foot in the door to keep it from closing, talking furiously on his cell phone. I assume he’s calling a fixer. Good.

But how convenient that he was standing there in the first place, waiting for the elevator. Waiting to see the result of his paid hit?

Or was it just coincidence?

“Nik,” Brie whispers, and she slumps against the wall. “I…”

I grab her and pull her into my arms. “I’ve got you,” I tell her fiercely. “I’ve got you.”

Her arms wind around my neck. She looks up into my face, and I’m relieved to see the fear give way to rationality as she comes back to her senses.

“Nik.” This time, when she says my name, there’s a whole new inflection to it. She sways forward a little, her lips inches from mine. “Kiss me,” she breathes. “Please?”

I want to kiss her more than I’ve wanted anything else in my whole life.

But from somewhere in the deepest region of my soul, I drag up my self-control and turn my face aside, before spinning Brie firmly by the shoulders and walking her into the living room of her suite. “Let’s get you sitting down,” I say diplomatically. “You’ve had…a shock.”

I’ve just got her on the sofa when the suite door lock makes its familiar zipping noise and then the door slams open. I instinctively step in front of Brie, gun in hand. Frank Colombo barges into the room, followed closely by Holden, Vince, and Larry. Their expressions are a mix of shock, anger, and confusion.

“What the fuck happened?” Frank booms, repeating the same question as before.

I don’t lower my guard as more Colombo men pour into the suite. Larry barks orders, and they start searching the place, overturning furniture and tearing through drawers.

“Everyone needs to calm down,” I call out. But I’m drowned out by the chaos erupting around us.

I glance at Brie. She’s still pale, her eyes wide, flinching as Frank starts shouting again. “We need to know what happened, now!”

Holden pushes past the others. “Brie, are you okay?”

She doesn’t answer, her gaze unfocused. I’ve seen that look before—it’s shock setting in. I need to get her out of here.

“Come on,” I murmur, gently guiding Brie toward the bedroom. Holden follows, but I don’t bother trying to kick him out. Brie could use a friend right now.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Caruso snarls. “Breezy stays right here where we can see her. We got questions need answering!”

Irritation makes my tone sharp. “I’ll get her cleaned up and calmed down. Then you can ask your questions.”

Vince steps forward, jabbing a finger in my direction. “This isn’t your fucking business, Consortium bitch. Get the fuck out!”

I feel my jaw clench, anger rising in my chest. This asshole has some nerve. “If anyone needs to get the fuck away from Brie, it’s you, Sabatelli.”

The room goes dead silent. All eyes are on me and Vince.

“The fuck you talking about?” Vince snarls. “Get outta here. This is Family business.”

“You threatened Brie tonight,” I say loudly. “I heard you, and I wasn’t the only one.”

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