Page 36 of Dangerous King
"Too many," Oscar replies, switching mags. "They're moving in coordinated waves."
They're fucking trained.
"Fuck, boss!" Manollo shouts, throwing himself over me, just as I see a grenade flying by. I yank a display rack down as makeshift cover. Purses rain like shrapnel. The blast deafens me. Cotton fills my ears. My vision narrows.
You're the weapons dealer, Enrico. Act like it.
I shove the wreckage off me and get to my feet. "Get the girls! Clear a back corridor! We're not having them questioned by mall cops on TikTok."
"Boss!" Oscar shouts as another wave bursts through the side entrance. I shoot two. A bullet from the third grazes my shoulder. I growl, pivot, and drop him with a bullet to the eye.
My clip runs dry.
"Cover!" I yell, grabbing another magazine from my vest, slamming it home one-handed. Then I see him, another shooter flanking us near the luggage display.
No time.
I bull-rush him like a fucking freight train, take an elbow across the ribs—doesn't matter— only to slam him through the glass wall of the store next door.
The bastard shrieks as shards punch into his back. I lift him again, just to slam him down harder until he stops moving.
"Boss!" Oscar's voice again. "There are more. Inside."
I reload. My breathing is tight, and my fucking shoulder burns. "I told you to take the girls."
"Manollo's got ‘em. Said you'd need backup more than they needed babysitting."
I grunt. There are too many of these fuckers to keep them back by myself. That thought is proven as another shot zips between us.
"That was close," Oscar mutters.
We answer with synchronized fire, tearing into the rack the bastard's hiding behind. Another explosion rips out, throwing me into the air as smoke rises up all around me. I land hard, glass biting into my side.They brought a fucking army.
I roll, empty the third clip into the next threat. Three men down before they hit the floor. Oscar groans, getting up on all fours. I spot movement behind him—three men entering from the shattered window—M4s raised.
Not today.I align the Staccato and drop all three with clean headshots before I drag Oscar up by the collar.
"Copy that," he mutters, fingers going to his earpiece. "Manollo says the cops are en route."
"Tell him to get the girls out the back. Keep it clean. Use exit protocol two."
Oscar relays it and nods once. My mind is already racing.This wasn't just a hit. This was an operation. Military-style.
TheEmployees Onlyarea leads us out to the loading docks. My ears are ringing from the cacophony of shots and… Dio mio, explosions? Something exploded in there right before Manollo appeared and escorted us out into the open.
"Is he okay?" I yell at him because I can't control my voice level.
"He's fine," he assures me, looking at me funny. "Can you two run?"
"Not in these," Izzy points to her high heels.
"Yes, we can. Let's take them off," I yell again, doing just that.
She rolls her eyes at me, but she copies me and presses her heels to her chest next to the purse she snagged from the store. Were these my shoes, I would leave them, but they're Izzy's. Iborrowed them this morning, and seeing how dear hers are to her, I keep hold of mine too, as Manollo begins to jog. The other two men flank us, but Manollo stops one. "Oscar, make sure the boss is alright, and don't let him give you any shit. Tell him I've got the girls."
Oscar nods and turns back inside without a comment.
We run down the loading dock to the front of the mall, where the valet parked our cars. When we reach the corner, Manollo stops us. "Let me make sure the path is clear first."
