Page 69 of Matrix

“Of course, I won’t. But don’t expect me to join you guys for dinner after this is done.”

“Babe …” I cross the room and gently grasp her shoulders.“Everything will go according to plan. Vapor has his guys positioned outside the hotel. Scar has ours hidden in various places throughout this place. Nothing bad will happen.”

“We have to incapacitate the men who come with the girls before they can radio in or text their men for backup.” She steps out of my hold and crosses her arms over her chest.

“They should only have two guards. Fang and I will handle them while you keep the girls calm. We can’t afford any distractions. Remember the plan. As soon as we attack, take the girls out of the room and down the emergency stairs. Don’t look back for anything, even if you hear gunshots. We’re not going to fire our weapons unless absolutely necessary. We have other ways of taking these guys down.”

“I’ve got some martial arts training. They won’t know what hit them.” Despite looking like a tech nerd, Fang’s all business. I respect a man who can code but who can also kick ass. He’s just like me. We haven’t had many interactions in the past, but he’s someone I’d like to get to know better. All the tech guys in UV should meet at some point. It would be useful to cross-train on any skills we have that the others don’t possess yet.

“Please be careful.” Daisy wraps her arms around my waist.“I don’t want anything to happen to you or Angela. You too, Fang.”

“I was starting to feel left out,” he jokes.

“Never, brother.” I release Daisy while nodding at him.

A knock sounds on the door.

“Get into position. Remember, if things go tits up, the girls are our main priority.” I slip my hand into my suit pocket. I’m holding a wicked switchblade courtesy of Bones. The man knows his knives. Back in my cutting days, I would have tried it out already. But I’m past that. Too many people are counting on me, and I can’t let them down.

Daisy heads to the door and opens it.“You’re right on time.”

Two huge men wearing matching black, well-fitting suits walk into the room. Five girls, all with their heads down, parade in behind them.

“Gus Cartier.” I hold out my hand.“We spoke on the phone.”

“You talked to the boss. I’m Horatio, and this is Enrique.” He gestures toward his counterpart.“We’ll be outside, waiting. We expect the girls to be returned by morning. Earlier is fine. Just call when you’re done with them.”

As he’s talking, Fang slowly circles behind Enrique. That means Horatio’s mine. When Fang darts his hand into his pocket, it’s on. I whip my knife out and attack. The men react faster than expected, jumping to the side, and avoiding the first slashes of our blades.

“Girls! Come with me!” Daisy opens her arms and uses them to corral the girls into the hall.

I kick Horatio in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall. Gripping the knife, I stalk forward. He pulls a gun out of his waistband. Before he can fire a shot, I shove his arm up with my free hand. The gun fires. A bullet lodges in the ceiling. So much for making this a quiet operation.

Horatio slams his head into mine. Stunned, I stumble back, falling over an end table. It goes crashing to the floor, but I manage to roll to my feet. He leaps over the sofa and lands in front of me. I swing my elbow up, smashing it into his face. His nose cracks, and blood spurts all over the oriental rug. That’s going to cost the hotel a pretty penny. Good thing we’re registered under false names.

As my opponent grabs at his broken nose, I swoop in to end it. Using a roundhouse kick, I slam my boot into the side of his head. His head snaps back before he drops to the ground. He’s out but not dead. I could walk away, but flashes of what happened in Blackstone’s dungeon hit me so hard I can’t stop my next impulse. His face becomes Blackstone’s. I clutch my knife in the center of my fist before driving it through his carotid artery, ending his pathetic, disgusting existence.

“A little help over here!”

I spin to find Fang pinned down, getting the shit kicked out of him. Launching my knife across the room, it sails for a second before piercing Enrique’s thigh. He howls in pain as he pulls it out. His fixation on the knife gives Fang a few seconds to crawl out of Enrique’s striking range.

Since one shot was already fired, there’s no point in prolonging this thing. I whip my gun out of my waistband and shoot him through his forehead. He falls back. I watch him carefully as I advance. When I’m close enough, I fire two more shots into his chest. He’s done.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” I whip my gaze to where Fang’s struggling to his feet.“You good?”

“Better … than a … Swedish massage,” he gasps, holding his ribs.“Cops coming. Fire escape.”

The sound of sirens fills the air.

“Shit. We can’t go that way. We’ll have to take the stairs. It’s the same way Daisy went.”

“Go.” He grabs his gun from a shoulder holster and heads toward the door. I beat him to it.

Glancing into the hall, I check to make sure it’s empty, then jog past the elevators toward the stairwell. As soon as I push open the door, female screams echo up from below.

“Fuck!” I take the stairs so fast I’m half running, half sliding down them. Fang, despite probably having broken ribs, is right on my ass.

I lean over the metal railing and spot Daisy and the girls three floors down. She’s standing with her legs spread and her gun drawn. I can’t see who she’s pointing it at, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve got to get there before the other person shoots her.

---