Page 13 of Claimed By The Devil

We arrive at the restaurant, and I see Jimmy waiting by the door. Believing that he cleared the area ahead of time, I step around the car and help Deirdre onto the sidewalk. We take three steps toward Jimmy, and my ears are assaulted by a procession of cracks and bangs.

It takes a second for me to realize that someone is shooting at us. I cover Deirdre and push her inside the restaurant then take cover behind the car and pull out my sidearm. It’s one thing to take a shot at me but nobody endangers Deirdre.

My heart sends a course of fiery blood through my veins, and I see red as the look of fear and confusion on Deidre’s face burns a hole in my brain. These guys are a threat to her safety and need to be neutralized.

Jimmy joins me and we peer through the car windows to try to get a bead on the shooters. The police are probably already en route, but I don’t want these guys to go to jail. I want them in the graveyard, and there’s a limited window for me to make that happen.

A man bobs out from the entry of a building on the other side of the street, and I fire at him. The bullet connects with the brick structure and a tiny sandstorm erupts. He leaps out again, and this time, my bullet connects with his thigh. His legs buckle, and he falls on the sidewalk behind a parked car.

There are two other shooters, and Jimmy and I continue to fire in their direction until the sirens are too close for comfort. Then, we holster our weapons and take shelter inside the restaurant. It’s only when we collect Deirdre and go to the office in the back of the building that I realize Jimmy has been hit. His blood-soaked left shirt sleeve drips red liquid onto the floor.

“Where are you hit?” I ask, pulling off his jacket.

“Shoulder, I think,” Jimmy winces.

“We need to take him to the hospital,” Deirdre shrieks, and Jimmy and I look at each other and grin.

“No hospitals. Once the cops leave, we’ll take him somewhere to get fixed up,” I tell her.

I go out to the kitchen and grab a handful of towels. Jimmy removes his shirt, and I inspect his wound.

“It’s clean, Jimmy. Bullet went through,” I say as I fold one of the towels and place it over the hole in his shoulder. “Put pressure on it.”

Deirdre is clearly shaken and has tears in her eyes. “It’s okay, baby,” I tell her as I pull her into my arms.

“They could have killed you,” she whimpers.

“Not today. Today, they did something worse. They fired on you. Hell isn’t gonna be big enough for the number of them that I’m gonna send there for this. Your father and I were preparing for this war and now it begins.”

Tommy taps on the door and then enters carrying a tray of assorted sandwiches and bowls of soup. He sets it down on the desk and asks, “Jimmy okay?”

“He will be. Thanks for the food, Tommy,” I reply.

“Figured you’d be stuck back here for a while, Boss. If you need anything else, let me know.” He turns to Deirdre and adds, “Pleasure to see you again, young lady.”

“This isn’t the lunch that I had planned for you but Tommy’s right. The police can’t see me dragging my wounded associate to the car, so we will be here for a while. I’m sorry, baby. Have a seat and eat. I promise I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”

Jimmy’s bleeding has slowed, and he puts the towel down and reaches for a sandwich. I slap it out of his hand and say, “It was your job to make sure this place was clear. How did you let this happen?”

“I checked the restaurant and watched for suspicious vehicles. There was no way for them to know you were coming here today, so they’ve gotta be keeping eyes on the joint. They must have already been in position when I got here. That’s how I missed them, Boss. I’m sorry.”

“You’re my friend, Jimmy, but if anything would have happened to her…” I look at Deirdre and her wide-eyed stare caused me to stop mid-sentence. It doesn’t matter because Jimmy knows what was coming.

The dust finally settles outside, and the police leave empty-handed. Our assailants aren’t stupid. They never plan a hit without making sure that they also have a foolproof escape plan. Once I’m certain that it’s all clear, I help Jimmy to the back seat of the car and then return to the restaurant for Deirdre. We drive Jimmy to the home of a doctor friend of ours, and I help him to the door while Deirdre waits in the car.

“What is it?” the doctor asks.

“Through and through gunshot to the shoulder. I have to leave him here with you. I’ll call someone to come and pick him up,” I explain.

“Go ahead. I’ll take it from here,” he answers.

“Thanks, doc. Take care of yourself, Jimmy,” I say and return to the car.

Now that we’re alone, I turn to Deirdre, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I was just scared for you. That’s all. I’m glad Jimmy’s okay.”

“You don’t ever have to worry about me, Princess. I know how to take care of myself. Do you want me to take you home?”

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