Page 8 of Sweet Sin

It’s the diversion I need, and I don’t think. With Carlo’s attention off me, I spring, lunging at Abel and disarming him with an elbow to his ribs and a rough squeeze to his right wrist. I grab his piece, and in a flash I’ve got him in a headlock with the nose of his pistol pointing at his neck.

Carlo’s gun is still trained on my head.

“Back off, or your buddy gets it,” I growl.

“You think I care?”

“Fuck you, Carlo,” Abel says, his voice raspy.

“You don’t talk,” I say, my voice projecting calmness, “or I blow your fucking head off, you bastard.”

Carlo refocuses his aim. “Listen, friend.”

“Do I look like a friend to you? I’m your worst nightmare.”

My heart is hammering against my sternum, so hard that this halfwit I’m holding against me can probably feel it. But no doubt his own heart is pounding. I’ve got a gun on him.

His pal’s got a gun on me.

But I can move quickly. Abel here will be dead before I am.

“You tell me what’s going on,” I say through clenched teeth, “Or I swear to God, Abel here is dead.”

“For fuck’s sake, Carlo,” Abel grits out.

“If you don’t know why we want her,” Carlo says, “it ain’t my job to tell you.”

Damn.

I wish I’d gotten that information from Lance at the tattoo shop. These two have something on Savannah, and I aim to find out what it is.

“I think it is, or you can explain to your boss why your partner’s dead, why I’m dead, and why you came back without the woman.”

“You think I’m stupid? I know she’s here. She’s locked up somewhere in the pool house. You kill him, I kill you, and I find her. End of story.”

He’s right at that. Savannah’s locked inside the changing room with no weapons. Hell, with no clothes. She’ll find a robe in there, probably put it on. But still, she’s unarmed.

Does she even know how to use a weapon?

So much I don’t know.

The woman’s a parole officer. She’s one of the good guys. So why the hell do these people want her?

I knew there was something I needed to find out about her. That’s why I went to Lance. On the inside, you learn to trust your intuition. There’s something about Savannah… Nothing bad, but these guys are after her for a reason.

Carlo takes a step forward.

“I don’t think so,” I say. “You keep your distance.”

“Just give me the girl, and Abel and I will be on our way.”

“At the risk of repeating myself, she’s not going anywhere with you.”

I want to kill this guy, and I may. I’ll do it to protect Savannah. I may die myself.

Except I won’t.

This is not how Savage’s story ends.

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