Page 38 of Room One Hundred and Five

A wave of bullets slam into the kitchen island, the walls and anything else around us. The glass beyond the kitchen makes thudding sounds, but doesn’t break. Who the hell puts bullet-proof windows in?

“I told you those were an excellent investment.”

That is Emilio again. His smile is almost contagious if we were not in a shootout in the middle of their apartment. Even so, his lightheartedness makes me feel like we might not die.

And then the elevator bell goes off again. The doors slide open. My heart can’t take much more of this. I peek around the edge of the kitchen island as Emilio pops off a few rounds.

I throw myself at him and force him to drop his gun.

“It’s my sister! Not her. Not her!”

“Dive, Luna!” I roar.

My sister dives off the elevator as a fresh wave of bullets pepper across metal and drywall. Power and sparks mix. Someone with a stark patch of red hair on the top of his head dives in behind her and chaos ensues with William caught in the middle.

Someone falls over me and I have no choice but to hold on for dear life. Through a tiny space, I see tufts of cotton join the fray of debris. Someone bellows and then there’s silence.

Chills erupt over my skin. There’s a roar. Metal clatters to the once pristine floor. Bullets stop pelting the walls.

My world slows. Is everyone dead?

I gulp air. Or am I?

Emilio moves and he pulls us to our feet just in time to see the man with red hair bury his fist in someone's face. One of William’s flunkies. Off to the side, William is crab walking his way to the elevator when Stefan sinks two bullets in his knees.

“I told you, you’re not leaving here.”

I cringe at the gut-wrenching scream William releases. Nausea churns in my belly at the stench of blood. I’m a lot of bravado in a small package, but I can’t handle blood.

A heavy hand comes down on my shoulder. It takes everything in me not to scream and strike out. Only a familiar set of eyes keeps my heart in my chest and my knuckles out of Emilio’s teeth.

“Come here.”

His arms are the only place I want to be when he picks me up and holds me to him.

“Fuck, I don’t think my heart will beat normal for a while.” His words are muffled against my neck.

To my side, Adrian tucks his gun into the back of his pants and grabs the men William brought with him by the throat. “You should be careful who you follow into war. Picking the wrong side will get you killed.”

Adrian turns and looks at me. He pulls his gun out and aims the barrel at the man’s head. “I will not apologize for protecting you.” Emilio tucks me into him but I hear the chamber unleash its wrath.

It happens again before I have the balls to turn around and face my lover.

He crosses the room, holding my gaze. “Do you hate me?”

My heart pounds hard against my ribcage. Worry deepens the creases at the edges of his eyes. Blood stains his hands and shirt. Behind him I see William close to passing out. The big red-haired man is standing beside him like a guard. One move and William won’t have to worry about the bullets in his knees.

I turn my unwavering gaze on Adrian and tell him God's honest truth. “No.” I throw myself into Adrian’s arms only feeling gratitude. “Thank you, is all I can say.”

William struggles frantically but he might as well accept his fate. His gurgling makes my stomach clench, but I accept the fact some people don’t deserve to be treated nicely. William is one of those people.

Memories of my father's last deal have stayed with me in the years that he’s been gone. He always spoke of having a lawyer willing to get his hands dirty when the need arose. But my father never gave names. He always kept his work far away from the family. So we never knew who he really worked with. The cloud I’ve lived in since my assault is finally dissipating and I have to wonder. What if…

I hold a hand up when the guard goes to haul William over his shoulder.

“Where should I dump the trash?”

“Take him for a complimentary stay at Club G. Tell Harlon we will be by later on and settle the bill,” Adrian answers.

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