Page 67 of Rafael

Caney dropped to his hands and knees and sifted through the splintered wood. The longer he searched, the more frantic his movements became.

“The money,” Chatty mafia guy pressed.

“It was in the bottom drawer.” Caney sat back on his heels, shoved a hand through his hair and stared at the damaged cabinet. “I sealed it. No one should’ve been able to get into it.” He looked at the men. “You have to believe me.”

“Tell it to the boss.” Bulldozer One motioned with his gun. “Let’s go.”

His partner pointed his gun at Gisele, standing quietly in the corner. “What about her? Maybe she knows where the money is.”

All three pairs of eyes shifted to Gisele.

She held up her hands. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The money that was in this cabinet,” Caney said. “There was two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars in that bottom drawer. What did you do with it?” He lurched to his feet, his eyes wide and slightly crazed. “I waited over three years to come back and get my money. Where did you put it, bitch?”

Caney backhanded Gisele so hard she staggered backward. He grabbed her by her hair and yanked her back to him, shoving the gun against her temple. “Where’s the damn money?”

Rage exploded inside Rafael. He flung himself out from behind the tree. Never mind he was outnumbered, three guns to one. Nobody hit his woman.

Like a raging bull, he bent and plowed into the man closest to him, knocking him off his feet.

The big man fell against the chatty one, and the pair hit the ground, their guns flying from their hands to skitter across the floor, out of their reaches. Rafael rushed toward Caney. “Let her go!”

“Or what?” Caney said, positioning Gisele in front of him like a shield. “You’ll shoot?” The ex-con pointed his handgun at Gisele. “Go ahead. See who dies first.”

Gisele cried. “Shoot him!”

Rafael stopped, his gun pointed at Caney’s chest, which meant he was pointing at Gisele’s first. His hand slowly sank. “Don’t hurt her.”

“Put down your gun,” Caney commanded.

Movement out of the corner of Rafael’s eye alerted him that one of the men on the floor had untangled himself from the other. He dove for his weapon, rolled onto his back and pointed it at Caney.

Caney’s hand jerked around. He fired into the broad chest of Bulldozer One.

Bulldozer Two roared and threw himself at Caney.

Caney fired.

The second big mafia man dropped to the ground and lay still.

“Two down,” Caney said. “You want to be next?”

“Shoot him,” Gisele begged.

The desperation in her eyes hit Rafael in the heart. If he pulled the trigger and missed, he’d kill Gisele. He couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t lose her. Not now that he’d found her.

He wanted to wake up every morning with her by his side. To see her pad barefooted in her long skirts, her hair loose around her shoulders. To watch her run her business effectively with care and concern for the happiness of each customer.

He wanted the chance to make her love him like he loved her.

“Shoot him,” Gisele said. “He’s going to kill you, and then he’ll kill me anyway.”

“Drop the gun,” Caney said. “You don’t want her brains splattered across the floor. Do it now.”

Rafael lowered his weapon to the ground, moving a little closer as he did. He could take the man down without shooting him if he could get close enough.

“I don’t have his money,” Gisele said. “I never saw it. Maybe the antique dealer found it before I bought the place. I don’t know. Just don’t hurt my guy.”

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