Page 3 of Little Dove

2

LAZARO

Motherfucker!

Clearly, I miscalculated just how fast Marco’s men could get here. I need to get Amara out of here and fast. I roll us quickly, narrowly avoiding getting shot when one of their bullets hits the chair, sending leather flying just above my head. Sometimes being so damn big is a pain in the ass.

Just makes me a bigger fucking target. But my size is currently protecting the woman in my arms, so I won’t complain. The silent woman, who hasn’t yet started screaming, though I doubt that will last long.

I manage to roll us to the back room where I quickly shove her behind me as I get into a crouch, pull my gun, and return fire out into the salon. I hear a groan of pain, but I don’t have time to check the damage. We need to get the hell out of here. “Out the back,” I order Amara. “We need to get out of the back.”

Thankfully, she doesn’t argue with me and hurries outside. I follow, firing shot after shot while bullets whiz past my head until I manage to slam the door behind us.

I’m counting myself lucky that Marco’s guys have terrible aim.

I hear a cry behind me and spin around, cursing when I realize two additional men are trying to grab a hold of a fighting Amara. Fuck! I fire two quick shots, dropping both men like stones, though, they also drag Amara down with them. I rush forward, pulling her from their grip as her pale face looks at me.

“It’s okay,dolcezza,” I reassure her. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to protect you.”

“Protect me?” she repeats. “From who? From what? What the hell is going on?” Each question gets more and more shrill.

“I’ll explain everything once we’re on our way, but I need you to calm down and come with me,” I urge her. “Because, I hate to tell you, they are not the only men who are after you.”

“What?” she breathes, stilling. “Why?”

“Soon, Amara. I promise I’ll explain everything in a minute, but I need you to trust me and come with me.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the heck is going on,” she says in a voice that is surprisingly firm, but the fear in her eyes hasn’t dimmed. She starts to squirm, like she wants me to release her.

“We don’t have time?—”

BANG!

A shot rents the air, and I feel the scorching lick of it as it passes my head. I hit Amara hard as we crash to the ground, and I instinctively wrap myself around her as we roll until I reach the dumpster that’s against the wall. Shots continue to fly as I maneuver us behind it. Amara doesn’t utter a sound, but I can feel her shaking, jolting at the impact of each bullet against metal.

I curse long and hard in Italian, trying to figure a way out of here without either of us getting shot. Fuck, I should have grabbed her this morning instead of sitting around and waiting so she could have one more normal day. Fucking hell, I’m an idiot.

I turn to look at Amara. Her face is ashen, and I try not to allow myself to be distracted. “I need you to stay here, and then when I tell you to run, I need you to do it immediately. Okay?” I try to keep the harsh tone from my voice, but it still comes out as an order. She nods rapidly, surprisingly handling this far better than most, but I can see her fighting the panic. “I’m going to handle this.” Then I’m up and firing.

Bullets fly, and I can hear sirens in the distance. Fucking hell. I don’t need this right now. I’m done playing nice.

I duck back down and wait for our assailants to stick their heads up over the now shattered glass of the window in the back of the shop. The moment they do, I fire two shots in quick succession, and hear two answering cries of pain almost immediately. I haven’t killed them, but I’ve given us just enough time to get out of here. At least one should have multiple injuries; that should slow them down even further. But these four won’t be the only ones here for her.

“Let’s go,” I bark at Amara, reaching down to help her to her feet and then dragging her behind me. She stumbles slightly, but she manages to keep up as we run for the alleyway. My grip is tight on her hand, both to keep her close and to keep her from getting away from me. I don’t need her flight instinct making her do something stupid or crazy.

I hear curses shouted from the men in the shop, but I ignore it. When we reach the end of the alley, I pull her forward and swing her in front of me so I can scoop her up and run across the road. More bullets fly behind us, making me duck and swerve to keep from giving them an easy target.

Brick explodes next to my ear when I run into the alley where my SUV is parked, making me curse when shards hit my face. Still, I don’t stop moving until I’m climbing into the driver’s seat and barking to Amara, “Get in the back and onto the floor. Now.”

She scrambles out of my arms and does as she’s told, flattening herself on the floor between the seats as I gun the engine and race out of the alley, my foot going to the floor when I hit the main road. It’s been a while since I’ve done a high speed getaway, and never in an American vehicle, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.

Amara screams when the back windshield shatters, but she doesn’t get up. A glance in the rearview mirror shows someone following us in an SUV much like mine, and there is no fucking way those bastards I shot got into a vehicle and caught up to me that quick. Looks like I’m right about them having more manpower.

Fucking Marco clearly isn’t taking any chances this time. But just like with Sienna, he’s going to lose.

I pull my gun, rolling down the window and firing before ducking back inside. I feel like a movie star. But this is very much real, and I’m at a disadvantage.

“Hold on!” I scream to Amara as I cut sharply onto a side road, the vehicle tilting dangerously onto two wheels for a harrowing second. I don’t know where I’m heading, but I need to lose these bastards fast. Then, I need to get Amara back to the plane and get up in the air. Once we land in New York, they will never touch her.

---