Page 81 of Vicious Intentions

“Fuck you!” Hunter crossed into my space, preparing to give me a beat down just like he’d done with Cristiano. Like hell I was going to allow that to happen.

I shoved him hard and he threw himself at me, ready to tear me a new one. At this point, I wouldn’t mind getting bloody to ease the tension.

Neither one of us had the chance, the roar of an engine and the pepper of gunfire taking precedence.

“Fuck!” Marty snarled. I caught a glimpse of him, a bullet slamming into his shoulder. Bullets pinged against one of the parked cars, only inches away from both Hunter and myself.

I dropped and rolled, reaching for my weapon, noticing Cristiano had bolted toward them.

“Go. Go. Go!” he was yelling at Marty as he fired off an entire magazine of ammunition. He was always ready for a fight, his father’s tutelage superior even to mine.

Another round of gunfire forced me to my knees. I reacted without hesitation, firing off several shots across the street. The fuckers had been lying in wait. They’d known we were headed to meet with Bart. Nothing was coincidental.

“What the hell?” Hunter slammed his body against another SUV, jerking his head around the front fender. He carefully got off a couple rounds, but at this point none of the assailants were in view, the offending vehicle roaring off into the darkness.

But they’d be back.

They’d come here to do a job, and they wouldn’t leave until it was finished, or they were lying in a pool of blood. I chose the latter. I had far too much to live for.

Including finishing the revenge started twenty years before. “That’s what we need to find out. We’re going to end this Goddamn charade once and for all.” I could tell the driver was turning around, ready to make another pass.

Hunter laughed. “You remember what we did with that asshole back in Kentucky?”

“Hell, yeah.” I peered over the vehicle, realizing both Marty and Cristiano had taken out whoever had been in position on land. With no other shots fired from other locations, perhaps the remaining assassins were in the unknown vehicle. We’d surrounded one jerk who’d been determined to take us down, stealing vital information from the Elite’s Estate. We’d hunted him. Cornered him. Flushed him out. Then we’d had our fun deep in the woods. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to skin a cat, but we could corner the sons of bitches.

It would seem Cristiano knew what we had in mind, directing Marty to the middle of the street. Hunter and I raced towards it as well, all four of us with our guns directed at the road. The assassins likely figured out what we were doing, slowing down as they approached. This would be dicey at best, but it was the only way to try and figure out who they were working for.

I sensed the moment the driver pressed down on the accelerator, lifting my weapon even higher, using both hands. Cristiano took his time slapping another magazine into his Glock. A quick glance in his direction and the gas station sign highlighted his evil grin. The man lived for danger and bloodshed.

Some people say near death moments go by in slow motion, allowing the participants to view everything that occurs frame by frame. Maybe I never gave a shit about anything but the outcome because in the matter of a few seconds, a barrage of gunfire ensued from both sides, glass shattering and brakes squealing before the vehicle suddenly veered off course, crashing into the side of a building.

There was no time to waste, the stench of gasoline and the sight of black smoke rolling from the crushed hood a clear indication a fire would start at any time. We raced in the direction, hoping to obtain anything leading us to the instigator of the attempted assassination.

I headed to one side, prepared to throw open a door.

“Get down!” Hunter’s voice rang over the creaks and hisses. I did so without hesitation, the single shot followed by one of the enemies falling on his face on the pavement.

I threw him a look of thanks, then grabbed the fallen man, dragging him away from the SUV. After patting him down, the only thing I found was his license. At least I had identification, although that might not help at all. Cristiano checked the others.

“Nothing,” Cristiano barked a few seconds later. “They knew we’d check for ID.”

I held up what I had and shook my head, all of us coughing. What a shitshow.

The smoke was acrid, burning my eyes. Then a flame licked up from under the hood. The four men were dead.

“Let’s get out of here,” I told them.

“Boss. Do you want me to get a cleanup crew?” Marty asked, wincing in pain.

“No time. I have a feeling the cops will be all over this.” While I didn’t like it messy, most of the police force was in my pocket, so there wouldn’t be any pushback. Still, it was obvious I was off my game.

“Come on. We need to get back to the resort. We have some things to deal with.” There was a faraway look in Hunter’s eyes as he made the recommendation. I knew the moment I saw him with Rose that he’d been pulled into her sweet lair.

I still found it difficult to believe she was Sage.

A part of me wanted to shove her in a cage, force her to tell us the truth, then kill her. The other wanted to wrap her in my arms. Fuck. This whole thing was a mess.

That we’d created years before. If only we’d kept our dicks inside our jeans.

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