Page 23 of Rage & Paradise
“I know.” He steps in front of me. “I’m going to tackle the first fucker I see. You come in right behind me and get whoever else is there. Hopefully, with the surprise, they won’t have a chance to get another shot off.”
He doesn’t have to say it out loud. I know exactly why he’s opting to go in first. He’s protecting me. If they shoot, he’ll get hit first.
I don’t have time to argue the plan with him. He’s already reaching for the door.
Shit happens all at once. Lobo yanks the door open and does exactly what he said he was going to do. He roars and tackles the first asshole in the reception area who doesn’t belong there.
I only have a chance to do a brief scan of the room. There are two other motherfuckers in here, both of them with black masks covering their entire faces. One of them is on the ground, holding pressure against a bullet wound in his lower abdomen. The other one freezes when he sees me come in. I don’t wait for him to come to grips with what’s happening. Instead, I lunge for him, grab his shirt with one hand, and bring my other fist against his face as hard as I can. I punch him over and over until I’m pretty sure he’s begging me to stop. I can’t hear him. I don’t want to hear him. These bastards had the nerve to come into our establishment and try to hurt the women who trusted us. They need to die for that.
Seconds later, the door to Seda bursts open and I drop the man to turn toward the new threat. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see it’s not a threat but the rest of my brothers, armed and ready to do some fucking damage.
“What the fuck is happening?” Vado growls at us.
“I don’t know. We got a page and we came running. We haven’t been able to get any information.”
AZ steps forward and grabs the man Lobo tackled when he first rushed in and heaves him to his feet. AZ yanks the mask offhis face and we can all see the number Lobo did on him. “That’s okay. I’m sure he’ll have a lot to talk to me about.” The jerk is barely conscious, but the fear is definitely there in his half-swollen eyes.
Digger turns to look at me. “I swore I heard gunshots.”
I look at all three men and can see none of them have guns, but one of them is clearly shot. I turn to look at Coca, who looks a little roughed up but nothing that will leave permanent damage.
“Where’s the gun?” I question.
She doesn’t answer, just raises a shaky hand in the opposite direction where a small group of the girls are all huddled together. Right in the center is Estrella. Her eyes are locked on the man still on the floor bleeding out. In her hand is a gun. A .22 LR pistol. Small but deadly.
“Starlight, look at me,” I whisper and take a step in her direction. It’s almost as if she can’t see me. She can’t see anyone besides the man on the floor.
I position myself so I’m in her line of sight and she can’t see him anymore. She whimpers, and I watch the gun in her hand tremble.
“Coca, what happened?” Vado questions.
“We thought they were clients. I didn’t check. I didn’t…”
I don’t focus on those words. She shouldn’t have to check. This is going to fall on me. I should have been around to make sure the influx of people that we attracted today knew that this wasn’t the kind of place to test their luck.
Prissy is the next one to speak up. “The three of them came in together with the masks on already. That one grabbed Coca as she went for the panic button. He had a knife to Coca’s neck. Estrella was here, saw what was going on, and just reacted. She knew where we kept the gun. She probably saved Coca’s life. She didn’t have a choice.”
I smirk. “That’s my girl,” I hear myself say, and it scares me. I don’t know where the sentiment comes from, but somehow I’m proud of Estrella for doing what needed to be done.
Her eyes finally flick up to mine. I can still see the shock and the fear, but at least she’s looking at me now.
“I need that gun, Starlight.” I take another step in her direction, but she makes no move to hand me the gun.
“Oro, careful. She’s in shock,” Lobo says from where he is.
“I got her,” I say back without looking at him. It’s true that if I make any sudden movements there’s a good chance she could shoot me. “We’re going to be fine.” I continue, and those words are the ones that get through to her.
Estrella’s face crumbles and her body folds forward slightly, the gun in her hand wobbling from side to side. I lunge forward and grab it from her before it can mistakenly go off.
Making sure the gun is safe, I tuck it in my waistband at the same time that I wrap my arms around Estrella, who is breaking to pieces.
“Lobo, the girls…” Before I can get another word out, he’s already ushering the girls out of the room so I can have some private time with Estrella.
“Oro, find out what she knows,” Vado orders me before he and the rest of the club who are in the reception area walk out. Now it’s only Estrella and me. She sobs against my chest and I hold her, just to make sure she doesn’t fall.
I thought I wanted this. Thought I wanted her to hurt, but with every tear that hits my chest, the more my heart breaks for her. Maybe I’m not as evil as I wanted to think I could be. I don’t know if revenge is in the cards for me. Turns out I don’t have the stomach for it.
“I’m just like him. I tried. We’re the same.” Estrella begins to speak, but she’s still pressed against my chest, so I can’t get all the words that she’s saying.
