Page 82 of The Cleaner

My instincts kick in immediately. "Everyone down!" I shout, pulling Lisa to the ground with me and shielding her body with mine. The others follow suit, dropping to the pavement as another shot rings out.

"Fuck!" Denis yells. "Where's it coming from?"

"Over there!" Emmanuel growls. He’d know better than anyone. The man’s the best crack shot that I know.

I push Lisa to Raptor as he and Pyro round up the women, along with Denis and Danny. Emmanuel, Stephen, Freddie, and I take off running toward the source of the gunfire.

Emmanuel leads the way to an alleyway and then up onto the fire escape ladder. My jaw’s tight as I push myself up onto the ladder. Right now, I want to turn the fuck around and go and find Lisa, make sure she’s safe. Even though I know Denis, Danny, Pyro, and Raptor wouldn’t let anything happen to her, I’d prefer it was me who was with her.

“Fuck,” Freddie snarls as we get to the top of the ladder and climb onto the roof. “They’re gone.” He runs his hands through his hair in frustration. “I want that motherfucker found.”

I glance around the rooftop, beyond pissed that this fucker managed to escape.

“Shit,” Stephen growls, his voice low and filled with anger. “What the fuck?”

I move toward him, my footsteps crunching on the gravel beneath my feet. As I reach him, I can feel the tension radiating off of his body like a tightly wound bow ready to snap.

"What is that?" Freddie asks, peering over my shoulder with wide eyes.

I carefully pick up the objects in question. A single bullet casing and the Ace of Hearts card, now slick with blood.

"Fuck me," Emmanuel breathes out, his voice filled with dread. "They left a calling card."

“Who did?” Freddie snarls, his fists clenched at his sides. “Who the fuck shot Ava?”

Emmanuel shakes his head, clearly just as confused and angry as the rest of us. “I don’t know.”

“Fuck,” Stephen grunts, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Let’s get back to the women and check on Ava.”

My gaze slides to Emmanuel’s, and I can see the same look of realisation and fear in his eyes. We both know that Ava is gone. I saw her lifeless expression as she lay on the ground.

We make it back to the women and they’re all crying. Danny’s hunched over Ava’s body, his fingers pulling her eyelids closed.

“No,” Freddie snaps, his voice cracking with anguish. "No, no, no!" He drops to his knees beside Ava's body, cradling her head in his hands. "Baby,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to her head.

The sight of Freddie's raw grief hits me like a punch to the gut. I reach for Lisa and hold her close to me, needing to feel her warmth, her life. She buries her face in my chest, her body shaking with silent sobs.

"We need to move," Emmanuel says, his voice low and urgent. "Whoever did this could still be watching."

Freddie turns his gaze to Emmanuel. “I’m not fucking leaving her,” he growls.

“Brother,” Danny says low. “I’ll stay with you, but the women should go home.”

I nod, agreeing with Danny. "Alright, let's get the women out of here. Pyro, Raptor, you take Chloe and Mallory home. Denis, get Callie and Melissa somewhere safe. Stephen, get Jess home and stay with her."

Emmanuel speaks up, his voice tight with tension. "I'll call Jer and let him know what’s going on."

I turn to Lisa, cupping her tear-stained face in my hands. "Baby, I need you to go with Callie. I'll be home as soon as I can."

Lisa shakes her head vehemently. "No, Mav. I'm not leaving you."

"Lisa, please," I plead, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need to know you're safe. Go with Callie and Denis, and wait for me."

Lisa's eyes flash with defiance, but I can see the fear lurking beneath the surface. She opens her mouth to argue, but I cut her off with a gentle kiss. "Please, baby," I murmur against her lips. "For me."

She lets out a shaky breath and nods reluctantly. "Okay, but you’d better come home to me, Maverick. Promise me."

"I promise," I say, my voice hard but firm. "Nothing could keep me away from you."

---