Page 54 of Fight Me Daddy

The words shot out of my mouth and I turned on my heels and ran. I heard yelling behind me, a loud crash, and then cursing. But I didn't stop to look behind me. If I stopped, I was as good as dead. I rammed my shoulder into the door and burst into the outside air. Looking around wildly, I spotted a gate I could scale or the open street.

"You're dead!" I heard.

A familiar sound clicked and I knew exactly what it was. Someone had cocked a gun. My heart rate tripled as I ran for the main road and darted toward the cars parked along the sidewalk. It wasn't the best cover, but it was better than being out in the open as rapid fire Russian filled the air and more footsteps joined the ones that came first.

I ducked behind a car when the first gunshot rang out, punctuating the night air. My head felt dizzy as I panted and I tried to stop myself from hyperventilating. I clutched my shirt and tried to will my heart to stop beating so damn fast when two shoes came into view. My heart froze in my chest and I knew all at once that I was going to die.

"I thought I told you to stay."

My eyes darted up and I stared at Gabriele Bianchi. The frown on his face didn't bother me because I knew I'd been saved.

Chapter-Nineteen- Gabriele

I glanced up when I came face to face with four assholes. My boy would have to wait. I'd already pulled up with my gun in my hand and as my men swept out of the car behind me, we advanced.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute!"

He threw his hands up and I leveled my .22. One squeeze of the trigger and he dropped to the ground. I'd made sure I only shot him in the arm. He was a huge, burly man and something told me he was in charge of the assholes who had shot at my Calix.

I leveled off another shot and another. A bullet ripped through one man's head and another found his friend's stomach. More men poured out of the bar, but I didn't give a fuck. If I had to meticulously mow down each and every man in front of me, I would.

"Boss! Boss! They're down."

My ears rang as smoke filled the air. I shook my head. For a moment there I had been far away, but I was dragged into the present again. I turned from my spot on the sidewalk and marched back over to Calix. He was still on the ground, curled into a ball as he tried to protect himself from bullets.

"Up," I demanded as I grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

He groaned. "N-no," Calix whispered as he wrapped an arm around his stomach and grimaced. "This is from earlier. I'm fine."

I looked him up and down before I started to examine every inch of him. My fingers brushed over his skin while I lifted his shirt and tugged his pants past his hips to examine him. He hissed as I touched his abdomen and I yanked up his shirt higher to find bruises littering his skin.

"Gabri-"

"Shut up," I snapped. "I told you to goddamn stay, didn't I?" I yanked him against my side and glared. "Who did this?"

"It was a fair fight," he said. "I signed up for it and everything."

My grip tightened on him and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Do you think I give a damn about fair? Who did you fight? Where is he?"

Calix stared at me and kept his mouth shut. I wanted to pry his lips open with my bare hands until he spilled every detail about what the hell he'd been doing.

"Find out who he was fighting," I said as I looked over at my men. "I want any and all information on him."

"Gabriele..."

"Shut. Up."

"What about him?" Kris asked as he pointed to the man on the ground that I'd shot first. "What do we do with him?"

I zeroed in on him. "Take him to warehouse five and shove him into a room. Keep a close eye on him after he's tied up. We have a lot to discuss."

"Yes, sir."

I glanced at Calix and ignored the Russian that was being fired off from the man who was bleeding on the ground. We would have plenty of time to talk shortly. First, I needed to deal with Calix.

"Move," I said as I turned around. There was an audience gathering in front of the bar and I didn't need to be seen. "We need to talk."

Calix grunted. "Wait, slow down. Shit! Gabriele."