Page 16 of Gambit's Property

“Angeline is dead.” She pulls her gun and takes aim on someone running toward us.

“It’s me,” Gambit says as he lands next to me and pulls me into his arms. I can’t stop myself from taking comfort from him. I need it.

Ley’s father is yelling from the phone in my hand, and she’s still on the phone with Crank. I don’t know what’s being said because I can barely hear her over the ringing in my ears.

“Up. Move,” Ley barks at us.

Gambit picks me up, and we are running for a cement block planter. I turn as a bullet hits the pavement where we all just were. I watch Ley get hit, and I’m screaming for her.

“Shh, baby. She’s okay. It will be okay.”

“No. No, it won’t. This is all my fault,” I yell as my ears continue to ring, but it’s starting to subside.

Leif picks Ley up, and they are with us behind the planter, hiding from Crank as he shoots at us. Ley slams my phone into the pavement over and over, taking her frustration out on it. I worry she’s that angry with me.

Gambit

Iwas watching from a distance and could feel the hair on the back of my neck rise, knowing there was something going on. Someone was watching my girl and Ley. My crew stopped that fucker from following them. He’s at a remote building, waiting to be questioned. I’ll kill him was my last thought before the parking lot lit up from the explosion. I last saw Franci running after Rogue and Leif. I was sure I was going to find her body broken and burning. But I’m glad she’s in my arms, even though now we are going to have to fight our way out of this.

Keeping Franci in my arms, I hear say this was her fault, but we know it’s not. It was inevitable they would come after her and Ley. It’s Thant’s fault for entering that farmhouse to begin with.

I watch as Striker skids my truck to a stop in front of us.

“Let’s go,” I yell as I run with Franci in my arms toward the truck. “Striker, you take care of Rogue. I’ll drive,” I instruct. Hedoesn’t question me as he jumps out and into the back, while I put Franci in the front seat.

As I buckle her in, I brush my lips across hers. “I got you, jellyfish,” I say softly so that no one can hear me. I open the back for Leif and Rogue, pointing out that we are safe because my truck is bulletproof.

“We need to get her to a hospital,” Leif yells, and we all cringe because his hearing hasn’t returned to normal yet. He was closer to the explosion.

“No,” we all reply, except Franci, who is slowly caving in on herself.

“To my place,” Rogue says. “It’s the most secure, and I don’t want to lead him to your place.” Rogue moves off Leif’s lap and sits with her back to Striker as she lets him check her bullet wounds.

I knew she had on a vest. It’s something all three of us will wear when we go into situations we think could go sideways. I have a feeling Rogue wears them almost all the time.

Rogue and Leif start getting all mushy with each other, saying I love you, and it pisses me off because I haven’t said those words to my girl. I turn to her again and find she’s completely closed off in shock, staring out the window. I need to hold her and comfort her, but I have to make her safe first.

“Rogue,” I bark her name, “sitrep, now.”

“Crank is a guy from Roger Thant’s unit. He’s Thant’s right-hand man and a sick fucker. He called Franci’s phone. My father was on my phone. He told me not to leave the mall.”

“Wait,” we all say and turn to look at my girl.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she says softly as she continues to stare out the window, trying to ignore us.

“Oh, no you don’t, jellyfish. Tell us what’s fucking going on.” I raise my voice at her, hoping it will pull her from her head and talk to us.

“You don’t get to ask me questions like that. You told me I was a kid and not yours, then you attack Leif and say I’m yours. I’m not your jellyfish. I’m nothing to you. I’m done with you. Ley, I want to be moved. I understand you won’t want to, but I’m not staying here any longer. I’m an adult and obviously they found us.” I watch as her body trembles while mine vibrates with anger.

I pull into Rogue’s garage and slam on the brakes, causing everyone to pivot forward. I don’t care. She isn’t going to run from me now. Not after everything I’ve gotten ready for her. Not after I’ve planned our future and what I’ve done to guarantee it. I jump out of the truck and make my way around the hood. My eyes not leaving hers. I know I hurt her over and over, but I’m done. It’s past her birthday. I have everything for her party already set up for her. Her gifts waiting. I watch as Leif gets out of the back seat and stands there, ready to protect her, but I yank open her door and undo her seat belt. She’s in my arms and pressed up against the side of my truck within seconds.

“You’re not fucking running from me, little girl. I’m not letting you go ever again. I was fucking wrong. I wanted to give you time to grow up, but not anymore. You are mine.” My lips slam down on hers, bruising them, and I don’t care.

I distantly hear the cocking of a gun in the quiet around us, and I pull away with my side arm in my hand, ready if I need it. I’ll shield her body with mine.

“Take your hands off my granddaughter, now, asshole, before I give you a pussy and take that dick off you,” a deeply accented voice says from the darkness. A man steps forward into the light with a gun aimed at me, and I know who he is instantly. Guns shift to the other side, and I don’t turn from keeping my focus on him. He’s the most dangerous man here right now.

“Morosov, we had a deal. You stay in Latvia, and I let you be free. Don’t make me cuff you in front of your family. I mightnot be contracted by the DEA anymore, but I can easily get that taken care of,” Commander’s voice comes from the side, and I watch in my peripheral as he steps around my former teammates who still work with him. He approaches, and I slowly lower Franci’s body but turn, keeping her behind me as Commander walks over to where Rogue is standing with Leif. “Striker needs to stitch that up. Why don’t we head upstairs, and you offer these gentlemen some vodka? We have about three hours until your brother shows up with his men.”

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