Page 106 of Queen Of WildCards

Ijust hopedI'dget there in time.

CHAPTERFORTY-SIX

MALLORY

Itwas hot.Abnormallyhot today.AceandIgrabbed a table outside on the patio at the nearby coffee shop and bakery, my eyes trailing afterCassas he grabbed our order at the counter.BlackJackwas late—held up in traffic, he'd said.AndSpadehad insisted he was otherwise occupied with a far less sanitary activity, so he was out.

Theair just before the moment everything went sideways was tense, charged, and so fucking thick it was nearly suffocating.Ifelt the wrongness of it deep in my bones, but having never faced such a situation before,Ididn't recognize it for what it was until it was too late.

Andthen the first bullet flew, a woman screamed, and pandemonium erupted around us.

Plates, cups, and people went flying in all different directions as a gun peeked out of a nearby car with blackout windows, and the barrel flashed in our direction, bullet after bullet tearing into the crowd, some striking the wall, some the tables that were upturned in the madness, some finding purchase in passers-by.Innocents.

Iswallowed my scream and dove under the table just as a bullet whizzed past my ear, the sound sending chills down my spine and jarring me into action.Icrawled on hands and knees, hiding behind anything and everything, slowly working my way to the door that led into the building to safety.

Ihad to get toJoker.Ihad to findAce.Ihad to make sure they were alright, and then we had to get the fuck out of here before we were killed.

Ihad no doubt this was a targeted hit, and unless another criminal organization was sitting here enjoying their midday coffee and fresh muffins, theWildcardswere the target.

"Cass!"Iscreamed, my voice drowned out in the cacophony around us. "Kohei!"

Neitherone called back, and the sinking feeling in my stomach sank even lower, making me near sick with fear.Thebile rose in my throat, andIswallowed it down, determined to hold it together untilIcould find the others.

JustasIpeeked out from behind a table that had fallen on its side, another round of bullets rattled off in my direction, and this time,Iwasn't even ashamed at the fear-tinted scream of panic that left my mouth.I'dnever been brought up at the sound of gunfire.Threatsand waved fists, sure, but my father, for all his faults, had never brought home the gunfights.

Thisshit . . . was insane.

IfIdidn't die here,I'dfucking roll over dead of shock.

Myknees were bleeding, dragged through shards of glass and splintered wood, butIpowered on, waiting until the bullets ceased for a reload beforeIscrambled to the open door and slipped inside the building, my back against the cool tile wall.

Fuck,Iwas screwed.

Wewere all screwed.

Acold, clammy hand circled my wrist, andInearly screamed again before a second hand slapped over my lips, cutting off the shrill sound.Iwas shaking like a leaf, but it couldn't be helped.Iknew the signs of shock, of a panic attack, and if one or the other didn't do me in soon, it would be a damned miracle.

Ittook me a minute to recognize the hand over my mouth asKohei'sand the hand on my arm asCass's.WhenIdid, it abated some of the panic, but not much, andIswallowed the lump of fear lodged in my throat.Whenthey turned me loose,Itook a deep breath and tried to breathe like a normal human, not that it worked well.

JustwhenIthought things couldn't get any more hectic, tires squealed into the parking lot, and a gunfight ensued, the sound of two pistols returning fire against the semi-auto rifle that had taken aim at us.Thesound of air leaking from a tire preceded the sound of more tires squealing, and then everything was quiet again.

Deadsilent, in fact.

Noscreams, no crying, no panicked calls for loved ones.Justan eerie silence.

Irealized belatedly it was because my brain was shutting off, andI'dbeen tuning out the sound ofJokertalking to me on my left.

Witha shake of my head,Icleared my ears, and it was like a needle punctured the bubble in my head, letting in all the frantic sounds, pressing in like a cloud of death and agony.

AndthenSpadeandBlackJackwere pulling us from the rubble, andIwas too shaken to say a word.Ilet them herd us into waiting cars and peel away from the building, curled into the side of the backseat ofSpade'sroad beast, confused, angry, and more than a little scared for my life.

* * *

FromwhatAcemanaged to put together, theKingshad ordered a hit on us, in broad daylight, with no concern for innocents who got in the way.Thedeath contract the perps had conveniently dropped on the ground as they fled the scene had the men's names on it, but not mine, and ever sinceAcelinked the strange phone callI'dgotten on my cell to aKing'sinformant, he'd been staring daggers at me across the table.

Hehadn't said it aloud, butIknew he thoughtI'dbetrayed them.ThatIhad something to do with this bullshit hit.

Ididn't, but that didn't stop him from thinking it.

---