Page 21 of Ravaged Hearts

“Already told you, el Capitán will be pissed if anything happens to me.”

“I’m not talking about you.” He glanced toward Hope. “The scarred bitch is the one who started this. All she had to do was serve drinks like she’s paid to, and no one would’ve gotten hurt.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Hope stiffen on the barstool.

Red-hot fury flared inside me. I didn’t let it show. To this bastard, I looked utterly unfazed by his comment. Little did he know he’d just booked himself and his pals a fast pass to a dirtnap. I wouldn’t tolerate a disrespectful word against Hope, let alone a death threat.

Mistake number two.

I arched one brow and inclined my head toward Hope. “You want her?”

He nodded. “That’s my price.”

I butted out my cigarette in the ashtray. Lowering my chin, I let a sinister grin spread across my lips. “You really should’ve picked something else.”

I launched myself over the table. Papa Bear only had a split second to register his shock before I hooked my arm around his neck and tackled him to the floor. I rolled us, positioning myself underneath while locking him in a rear choke hold. With his back to my chest, he made a halfway decent bulletproof vest made of meat.

He clawed at my arms, desperate for air. The dumbass didn’t realize he’d already taken his last breath.

In one seamless movement, I removed the Desert Eagle from the front of his waistband and fired two rounds into the goon by the bar.

Chest. Head. Lights out.

Next came the asshole by the beach exit.

Pop. Pop.Another down.

Then all hell broke loose. Shouts rang out. A woman screamed. None of it disturbed my laser-sharp focus.

The remaining narcos dove for cover behind tables and chairs. Papa Bear’s squirming grew bothersome, and I really needed to get up from the floor, so I pressed the pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger.

Three down.

The last three guys took too long to realize their boss was nothing more than a sack of flesh. They should be shooting at me already.

I rolled to the side, using Papa Bear’s body as a shield.When a Tango peered over a table, I nailed him between the eyes.

Then bullet after bullet slammed into the lifeless corpse protecting me.

9

HOPE

Those bastards were going to kill Vaughn. They kept shooting at him again and again, like they wanted to tear him to shreds with their bullets. I felt sick. It was only a matter of time before they found their target.

My hands balled into fists as fear, anger, and helplessness raged through me. Today was not the day I’d lose the man I’d fallen in?—

Nope. Not thinking about that now. I had to move.

Staying low, I scurried behind the bar. Mari’s body came into view, and I choked back a sob. The sight of her heightened my determination to end these murderous sons of bitches before Vaughn wound up the same way.

Then it all happened so fast. I snatched up one of Vaughn’s Glocks. Without hesitation, I aimed at one of the assholes unloading his weapon on my man. I fired twice. The chest shots put him on his ass.

The remaining shooter looked up from reloading his pistol behind an overturned table. His eyes met mine, and he mouthed something that might’ve beenmierda. I fired, and thebullet found his forehead. He hit the deck hard, sending his gun skittering across the floor.

Aside from the ringing in my ears, a deathly quiet filled the restaurant. The scent of burnt gunpowder tainted the air.

Something moved in my periphery. I swung my aim to meet it and found Vaughn shoving the bullet-riddled corpse aside.

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