Page 66 of Gunner

One big hand shoots out and grabs me around the throat. I bring my knee up, swinging on the bindings above me, and hit Carlo straight in the babymakers. He curses but doesn’t release me. His nuts must be made of industrial grade titanium. His grip intensifies, squeezing the life out of me. I don’t move, don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much this hurts. How much everything hurts.

Not knowing where Diletta is hurts most of all.

Just as I’m seeing more black spots than I already was, ready to check out momentarily, the door flies open, ruining all the fun.

“Get your hands off of him and step the fuck back!” Diletta yells in Italian.

I must have actually passed out. There’s no way she’s standing in the door, light framing her, looking like an avenging angel with a Beretta M9 in her hand

Carlo doesn’t believe it’s her either. His hand clenches harder around my throat. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve taken a breath, but my lungs are ready to burst.

Diletta takes the safety off the gun, cocks it back, and fires a bullet straight into Carlo’s foot.

He howls and lets me go.

What the fuck, this is definitely real.

Unless I’m already unconscious and dreaming this all up as sweet retribution for this shitbag.

Diletta blows her dark bangs out of her face and aims the gun directly at Carlo’s camo clad crotch. The guy is deeply tanned, but he pales visibly.

“Do you like the taste of hairy nuts asshole?” Dil barks. The guy gapes at her, so shocked that he’s forgotten all about howling over his foot. Maybe it’s sinking in that this is his boss’ daughter, and if she’s here calling the shots, something went tremendously wrong along the way, and he is fucked six ways to Sunday and back.

“N-no,” he stammers, shaking his head vigorously.

“Then get something to cut him down with. Carefully. He hits the ground like a sack and I’m cutting off your balls and feeding them to you. You get me?”

It’s the wrong time to laugh, but I can’t help myself. It’s just so wild seeing Diletta here, the sweet little kindergarten teacher, basically criminal royalty, but so far from a princess. She’s more badass than I am.

My head is swimming. Pounding violently. I’m going to puke all over her. I think I did that the last time too.

My feet are useless. My arms scream from being hoisted up and hung from them. Black closes over me. I lost track of time while I was on ice, but Diletta must have got here fast.

They must have let her in here, realizing who she was, but I don’t think for a second that we’re going to be okay. I’m going to make sure Diletta is free or die attempting it.

I move fast, grabbing Carlo’s gun and punching him straight in the face. He reels back and wisely sits down on the floor. I can barely close my hand around the gun. I have almostno feeling in my fingers. My legs are watery, and my head is a hot mess.

So hot that Diletta puts her hand over mine and quickly disarms me. “I called the clubhouse. I can’t believe that place is actually listed on the internet, but appearances and all that. I got through to Crow.”

“Not good, Dil. There’s going to be an out-and-out war.”

“No. There’s not.” She sounds so certain, but I have no idea how she’ll prevent it.

“I’m getting you out of here. I’ve borrowed a car and I’m taking you straight to Archer’s. They’re going to meet us there.”

What the hell does she mean she borrowed a car? I have no idea how she’s accomplished any of this, but my chest swells with pride that this is my woman. She saved my ass. She did more than save it. She came in here like a boss and owned the place. I know that deep down, she’s not as brave and blasé as she’s acting. She’s going to fall apart, and if I can keep my head together and my brain in one piece, I want to be there for her when it happens.

I know how bad the fallout can be.

She waves the gun at Carlo. “Help me get him out to the car.”

I hope that I’m not drooling, but I wouldn’t count it out, with how many punches and kicks I took in addition to the way I hit my head. I reach up to touch the back of my skull and wince at the pain. My fingers come away bloody, but if I was leaking all over the place, I doubt I would have survived this long. It’s clotted, which is a good thing. Just tenderized, like the rest ofme, although I can’t say that the dizziness and in and out of black and bright white light is very appealing.

“You just shot me!” Carlo protests.

“I did, but you have one good foot left. You can help undo what you’ve done. This man is my future husband, the future father of my children, the love of my life. He’s everything to me, which in a way, makes him your future boss. I’m sure he has a long memory, but he’s pretty out of it. I can say for certainty that I have great powers of recollection. You get to choose how you want me to remember this later.”

That gets Carlo moving. Fast.

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