Page 138 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

Stoney didn’t waste a second. “They’re almost through the door,” he reported. “I don't know what they're doing in the gala, but I can hear the guests screaming. We don’t have much time.”

Monique clenched her teeth as she processed that news. The situation was escalating faster than she’d anticipated. There was no room for error, no time to second-guess herself.

“We need to move now,” she ordered, her tone firm. “Get to that door and make sure no one gets through.”

Leo, Rocco, and Stoney nodded.

Leo approached her. "You know how to handle this weapon, right?"

Nodding, Monique stared down at her gun. Even though she'd told him she knew what to do, he still went over the process again.

"Aim for the stomach," he added. "It may not kill your attacker, but it'll put them down long enough for you to kick their weapon away from them. The stomach area is the biggest area, so it's easier to hit. Even if you miss, you should still be able to nick them. Got it?"

Monique's gaze rose to Leo's. "I got it."

"Don't die," he told her, voice softening. "Raz will kill me if you do. Then Toya will find a way to bring me back and kill me again."

Monique smiled despite their situation. "You seem to know my friend well," she teased.

When Leo blushed, a thousand questions came to mind, but now was not the time to ask them.

"Try to wake Raz up. Your idea of calling Frederico's men is a good one. Do it. No matter what you hear, don't leave this room. I'll lock the door behind us. We'll shout our names if we need to get in. If anyone tries to break in, if anyone gets in, shoot them. This handgun holds twenty rounds. Count as you shoot so you can be mindful of what you have left. Got it?"

Monique nodded. "I got it. First, can you all move Raz to the wall over there, behind the cabinet? If they shoot into the room, I don't want him to get struck."

It didn't take Leo and the guys long to move Raz to the wall with his back resting against the cabinet. It wasn't a great hiding space, but it kept him away from any stray bullets that would enter the room.

"I'm going to call your phone so that you have my number," Leo insisted as he called her phone, then hung up after it started ringing. "After you call Frederico's men, call me. I'll take the call but won't talk. I'll just keep the line open so that if any of them gets past us, I'll yell, letting you know they're on their way so you can be ready."

Monique nodded, trying not to let fear in.

"You're doing good. Stay brave, Lady Boss," Leo told her before turning and leaving the room with the guards, locking and closing the door behind him.

This was it. This was really happening. Her gaze flickered to Raz, unconscious on the floor, head and back propped up against a cabinet. The sight of him like that fueled her determination.

He needed her. She wouldn’t let them take him. She wouldn’t let them take her. Still holding the gun, Monique reached into her purse and retrieved her phone. She ignored Leo's missed call for now.

Searching through her phone, she quickly found the number Frederico had given her and called it. The guard must've had her number saved in his phone because he answered on the first ring.

"Monique," a deep voice filled the line.

"Um, are you..." she started.

"I'm Tomas, Frederico's guard. Where are you?"

She felt kind of iffy about giving her location.

"Give me the phone," a female in the background whispered. Rustling sounded, and then a woman's voice came over the line. "This is Isla Miconi."

She was still alive. Yay!Monique thought sarcastically.

"Orazio Cattaneo is going to pay for what he's done to my father."

A sigh of relief escaped Monique. "So, you have him? Your father is with you?" Monique asked.

"He is. So is Raz's guard. The only reason the guard's throat hasn't been slit is because he knows this building better than us, and he's helping us stay away from Mr. Cattaneo and his men."

Mr. Cattaneo? Oh, the old don.

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