Page 63 of Forbidden Cravings

She was quiet for about a mile until she said, “Do you think Tony is dead? And my father?”

I looked over at her, seeing her as I never had before: vulnerable and scared. Two things Angela Donelli would deny if ever questioned about.

“No, Tony’s tough. If anybody can survive this, he can.” But I wasn’t sure because Tony didn’t have any interest in learning the ropes of the business. I didn’t even know if he knew how to shoot the guns he carried. “And your father won’t go down without a fight. I’m sure that guy was just trying to get to you.”

“Okay,” she muttered, looking back out the window and gripping the seatbelt tighter.

Silence filled the remainder of the drive and as I rounded the corner to the small airport, I pulled to the side of the control tower. The airport was a local one, for private companies and the few people with enough money to afford a private jet and the hangar rental fees. I’d been here a few times to see Tyson off and, of course, the day I returned to Armina. Mason’s hangar was the second to the last. It wasn’t far, but just as we got out of the car, a plane descended. Mason’s.

I thought through my options: driving out to the runway or running after the plane as it taxied. Driving out seemed to make more sense, and as the plane touched down, I yelled for Angie to get back into the truck.

She shook her head, and I was about to shoot her for being stubborn about sitting in the dirty truck when she pointed behind me. A quick turn of my head and I spotted movement at the end of the row of hangars. The Omens were here, and they were ready to attack. I chewed the inside of my cheek as the plane taxied past us, oblivious to the danger that lay in wait for its passengers. Grabbing the guns from the car, I tucked one inthe back of my skirt and threw the other to Angie, who fumbled and dropped it.

Cursing her, I ran to her side of the truck and picked it up, regretting that the safety was on and a bullet hadn’t taken her off my hands.

If only I had my phone. I could have called them and warned them, but I didn’t and all I could do was pray they had their defenses up when they parked. The plane was too far down the runway now, turning toward the other side of the hangars.

Taking Angie by the shoulders, I forced her to look at me. She was shaking, her façade of the put together mafia daughter cracked.

“Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to skirt the edge of the tower and make our way to the end of the hangar where Mason’s plane is going. You will follow me and keep your mouth shut. Understand.”

She nodded, her eyes darting nervously around.

“You’re a bitch, Angie. Remember that and act like one.”

Releasing her, I ran, knowing my time was short. The plane was likely at the hangar now. Dashing around the tower, I thanked Angie’s fashion sense and her manipulating pestering to get me to follow it. She’d insisted that sneakers were this week’s fashion trend, buying us each a pair and making me put them on before we’d left the store. The pink and purple pair with the glittering white rhinestones that I’d vowed to burn when I got home were currently protecting my feet with each step I ran. The bags with all our other purchases were likely blood splattered and still lying on the coffee shop floor along with the heels she’d insisted I change out of and replace with the sneaks.

There was no sign of the Omens as we ran across the open airstrip, my heart thumping, adrenaline overtaking the fear that was threatening to send me to my knees. I ducked and moved to the corner of the hangar, peeking my head around. An Omenwas at the opposite corner, squatting down like we currently were, his attention toward where I imagined the plane had parked. But I couldn’t tell how many more there were or where they were.

I really didn’t know what I was going to do. If I shot him, it would draw the attention of the other Omen. I needed a distraction to bring him to us and away from the others, but I didn’t think Angie’s breasts would cut it this time.

“Get back and stay down,” I told Angie.

With my gun drawn, I ran toward the guy, muttering, “This is reckless, Case.”

As if on cue, my foot hit a loose rock, and my ankle turned, sending me sprawling, and my gun flying from my hands. I cursed myself, thinking I looked just like one of those weak damsels in distress I always made fun of in movies. Tyson would have ripped me a new one if he’d seen how clumsy and stupid I’d been.

I watched my gun slide to a stop at the feet of the man who had once had his back to me. Lifting my head, I met the steely eyes of the guy from the construction site—the spit eater.

“What the fuck?” He closed the gap between us before I could move. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked, gun pointed at me.

“I missed you,” I said as innocently as I could.

My heart thudded when he stepped over me, his feet on either side of my back. Stooping down, he yanked my head up by the hair and brought his gun to my temple. “Get the fuck off the ground, stupid cunt.”

“I don’t like that word,” I complained, trying not to scream from the pain in my scalp.

He pressed his knee into my spine, and my scream almost escaped, but the sound of a thick thud stopped it. His grip on my hair released right before another thud accompanied thesquishing sound of broken flesh and bone, and his gun dropped. I grabbed it and turned just in time for his body to collapse on top of mine. Blood splattered with each downward fall of the brick Angie held.

“Angie, he’s dead.” I hissed from under his torso, praying she’d stop before she hit me.

The brick paused its motion, and I rolled his body over, trying not to look at the collapsed mess of brain and skull his head now was.

“That’s impressive,” I said, taking the brick from her. “And terrifying.”

Splattered blood covered her, and she looked to be in a state of shock. But I couldn’t worry about her mental state, not with my men in danger.

“Stay here,” I said, running over to the gun she’d dropped in exchange for the brick. A random pile of bricks sat next to it, and I didn’t bother questioning why they were there. I was just happy they had been, and that Angie had the nerve to use one.

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