Page 57 of Taking Care of the Target

Her heart took off on a high-speed chase, battering the inside of her ribcage. She reached deep down, found every ounce of courage she could muster, and wrapped her ankles around the barstool so that if he used physical force, she’d at least be able to cause a noisy scene. “Well, my answer’s still the same.”

His massive hand clamped onto her arm. He tugged and her stool rocked, along with her jumpy nerves. Just as she was about to release a scream, a familiar voice said, “If you’d like that arm to remain attached to your body, I suggest you let go.”

The bouncer turned, and Vince gave him a death glare that made him release her. The hand wrapped around the handle of the gun tucked into his jeans probably helped, too.

“I think you’ll find your boss has changed his mind about whatever he told you to do.” Vince’s gaze remained on the bouncer as he extended his free hand to her. “Cassie baby, we’re going.”

She leapt off the stool, abandoning her barely touched drink, and slapped her hand in Vince’s. They rushed toward the exit, and right before they left, Bobby handed three guns to the bouncer at the door. “Your boss needed you to hold these.”

Utter confusion creased his features, but he took the guns.

Vince glanced at Bobby as they sprinted to the Jeep. “Did you—”

“The clips are behind that ugly sculpture by the VIP lounge,” Bobby said.

The second they were all inside the Jeep, Vince slammed on the gas, the tires squealing as they peeled out of the parking lot. He drove out of the neighborhood in a hurry, constantly checking the rearview mirror.

As soon as the holy-crap sensation faded a bit and the freeway was in sight, Cassie stretched across the console and kissed Vince’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m safe, too,” Bobby said from the back. “Don’t you want to show me how happy you are that I made it out?”

Without looking, Vince reached back and smacked his brother. The tension in the Jeep broke and they seemed to all draw a breath at once.

“So…it’s done?” Cassie asked.

“You should’ve seen Vince,” Bobby said, poking his head between the seats. “I thought he was going to get us killed there for a second, but he scared the shit out of those guys. They just stood there with dumfounded looks on their faces. Except Big Al, who was more pissed than I’ve ever seen him, and I’ve seen him really—”

“Okay, that’s enough, Bobby.” Vince shot her a sidelong glance. “He exaggerates. I just took care of it; they’ll leave him alone now, and that’s what’s important.”

Cassie looked from one brother to the other. “I feel like I’m missing pieces of the story.”

“I’d rather we just put it behind us.” The finality in Vince’s voice made her swallow her other questions. Not because she thought he’d get mad, but she could tell he felt conflicted about…whatever happened in the club, and he’d rather her not know what he’d had to do. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted every detail. The entire day didn’t even seem real. If one of her girlfriends—well, if she had any—told her they were dating a guy like Vince, she’d probably tell them to run.

But sinceshewas the one dating him, and he’d proven just how far he’d go to keep his brother and her safe, she knew that despite everything, she wanted him more than ever.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Vince eased off the accelerator and hit the cruise control. With the city in his rearview mirror, he was finally able to breathe.

Cassie reached over and played with the hair on the back of his neck in that way that calmed and revved him up at the same time. Bringing her to New York was a horrible idea; she probably would’ve been safer in Jersey. The entire experience just proved that the sooner he cut things off, the safer she would be.

Any day now he’d get the balls to do it.

He kept thinking about how close he was to pulling the trigger when Big Al threatened her. The only thing stopping him was then he’d be dead and so would Bobby and most likely Cassie, because she never would’ve left that damn club without him.Crazy woman. Crazy, amazing, sexy woman.

“So, Bobby,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Need me to look up places for you to go to narcotics anonymous meetings in Jersey?”

“It won’t be anonymous, then, because you guys will know I’m there,” Bobby said.

“Well, I won’t tell anyone, and Vince doesn’t talk about anything that might tiptoe into emotional territory, so you’ll be safe there, too.” She gave him a playful pinch on the arm and then immediately kissed the spot. “Or I could always call my friend who works at the Parker Valley Hope rehab center in Parker, Colorado. Small town. Nothing but time and space to get clean. No bad influences to tempt you into old patterns, lots of support, and people who know what they’re doing. My friend Annie works there, and she’s amazing. I could tell her to save you a spot.”

“I’ll go to the damn meetings,” Bobby said.

A triumphant grin spread across Cassie’s face. “Great. I’ll give you a ride there. My car’s so sexy that you’ll beg for rides every day.”

“Man, she’s a persistent little thing, isn’t she?”

Vince glanced at her. She certainly was. Tougher than he’d expected, too. Harder to scare away as well, and he wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Hope shone in her features, and he worried about the crash she’d experience when Bobby wasn’t so good at following through on his promise to get clean. How did she keep seeing the good in everyone after being shot at and nearly taken by one of Big Al’s men in the club?

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