Page 93 of The Billionaire's Rival (Bad Boy Billionaires)

He hugged me tightly, then Carter, also uninjured, hustled us away from the middle of the battle, though it seemed to mostly be over. Once the leader had been eliminated, the others started to run.

“Fuck no,” Carter yelled. He jumped up and turned toward one man who had split off from the rest of the group. It was Matteo.

Carter lifted his gun. I tried to call out, but the words caught in my throat. I was still too breathless to speak. I didn’t think Carter really wanted to kill Matteo, but he took the shot. It penetrated right into the center of Matteo’s back, and he fell forward, slamming down onto the pavement. He twitched a time or two, then he was still.

Carter started toward him. “Wait here,” I said to Jay, but he took my hand and pulled me toward Carter. Miles was already several steps ahead of us.

As Carter knelt down, I realized there was a dart sticking out of Matteo’s back and there was no bloodstain. “You tranqued him?”

Carter nodded as he pressed his fingers to Matteo’s throat, checking his pulse. “He’s alive.” He pulled a zip tie from a pocket on his pants, yanked Matteo’s wrists behind his back, and secured them, then he did the same to the man’s ankles. “Let’s get him out of here quickly.”

“What are you going to do with him?” Miles asked.

“I’m going to find out exactly why the fuck he betrayed us, why he let me go, and everything he knows about the fucking cartel. Based on his answers, I’ll decide what to do with him next.”

Jay and I looked at each other. I could tell he was as uncomfortable with this as I was, but I wasn’t about to contradict Carter. The anger in his eyes told me Matteo was in for hell, but Jay was safe and sound, and right there by my side. That was my primary concern.

As Carter shouted orders, Miles rushed over to us, I clung to Jay, not willing to let him out of my sight again.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Miles yelled at Jay.

I growled. “He came to save me.”

“He tried to get himself fucking killed.”

Jay cupped my jaw, turning me to face him. “I wasn’t going to let them hurt you.”

“I get that, but I can’t lose you.”

“Carter had it handled,” Miles snapped “You’re supposed to be back at Ford’s house. Where the hell is Worth?”

My pulse kicked up again. “Is something wrong with Worth?”

“I may have used a few of your sleeping pills to knock him out.”

“And the guards?”

Jay gestured to the group of people Carter was ordering around. “Some of them are here now. They followed me.”

“Were you on foot?”

“Hell no.” Jay told us briefly about his escape. “I left your car parked it a few blocks away, but I don’t know if it will still be there.”

“I don’t give a fuck about the car as long as you’re safe.” A few months ago, if someone had suggested driving my car, much less parking it where it was likely to be stolen, I would have freaked. But now, I had Jay, and he mattered more than any of my possessions.

“Really?”

“We need to get out of here,” Miles said. “The explosion is drawing attention.”

I heard sirens coming from multiple directions. We hopped into Miles’s car, leaving Carter to explain the situation to the police.

When Miles circled the block, we saw my car, miraculously untouched. “Go home and pretend you’ve been there all night. You two can deal with Worth in the morning.”

I could deal with a hung over and pissed off Worth. I’d done that plenty of times. Jay was alive. I was alive. This hell was over, and we had some kind of chance at a future. Jay tossed me the keys, and I hopped into the driver’s seat. He lay his hand on top of mine on the gearshift.

“I want to fuck you right here,” I told him. “But I’m going to get you home so I can relax with you.”

“I would try to convince you, but this car is awfully small. Home would be better; a bed would be better.”

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