Hero: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (15 page)

I set about to stall as long as I could, praying that Jason had seen my message. That he was on his way.

Please Jason…hurry.

Chapter Seventeen

Jason

Benny’s Motel.

I glanced at the message again, a dozen different options going through my head. There was nothing more, no detail.

Lottie was usually specific - if she’d wanted to change the location of our meet to another place, she would have said
Meet at Benny’s Motel tomorrow.

Which meant this was more urgent. This meant
now.

Unease crept up my back. Either she was in trouble, or there was a sudden opportunity that she couldn’t stop to tell me about.

The thought of either of those propelled me forward, even if I didn’t know what was going on. I knew the chances of it being about a sudden opportunity were incredibly low. Which meant…I had to move fast.

If Lottie was in danger…

Fuck.

The thought of that almost derailed me, ice cold fear threatening to shut out anything else, but I was out of my small home and grabbing my bike before I let it take hold. As I revved the engine and put it in gear, almost violently shooting down the street, I felt the usual adrenaline kick in and some small relief washed through me.

I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get in the way of things - couldn’t think about Lottie or what might be happening to her now. I just had to get there, and fix it. And I could do that. I was good at it. This wasn’t my mother and sister, where I wasn’t even in the country when…

Fuck. Stop thinking about that.

I forced my mind into analysis mode, detaching myself in the same way I would for a top priority mission. Consequences, outcomes - they didn’t matter. Just getting the job done.

I should call Valentini - get help, support. He’d promised it. But…I didn’t know what I was walking into here. And he had no idea about Lottie and I. It was too dangerous - I couldn’t wait for them, and getting him involved risked everything.

The place - Benny’s - was twenty minutes from where I lived, but I did it in ten - recklessly risking my life along with others in my rush to get to where Lottie needed me to be. Hoping I was in time. Not daring to consider any other possibility.

As I swung off the bike and glanced around, I steadied myself, forcing ice calm into my veins as I shifted my attention to what I needed to do.

The plan we hadn’t made.

Shit.

My eyes scanned the parking lot and didn’t see anything, so I approached steadily as options and actions started forming in my mind. I could think on my feet. I didn’t need a plan.

My heart thrummed again as I considered Lottie - we weren’t coordinated and didn’t know what the other would do. Maybe
I
didn’t need a plan, but
we
should have had one, if only to work together.

Why didn’t we discuss this?

But I knew why we hadn’t. Neither of us wanted to consider it happening, or what that meant - and if we had, I probably wouldn’t have let her step near Jorge’s guys again.

Damn stubborn idiot.

I tried to shut off the internal voice that wanted to blame me for every little thing that had gone wrong in my life, everything that had ever hurt those I loved. I didn’t have time for the guilt, the darkness, the endless fear.

As the guy behind the desk looked up at me, eyes widening at whatever he saw on my face, my training snapped back into me. It had been two years, but you didn’t forget that shit.

“You seen a girl, this high, brown hair and eyes, slim build?”

His gaze flickered past me, to the dim corridor leading off to what was presumably the motel’s rooms, and I smiled.

“Thank you.”

I was already headed in that direction before he called out.

“H-hey! Wait!”

Fury rose at the idea that whoever I was going after might have heard, and I turned back abruptly, moving to loom over his small frame.

“Don’t say a word. Got it?”

He hesitated, but a quick glance up and down my form had him nodding. Irritated with the delay, I made to move away, before pausing.

“Tell me who was with her.”

This time he swallowed, shaking his head despite the obvious intimidation.

“I—I don’t want any part—”

“Then answer my question.”

My voice surprised me with how menacing it sounded - but then, this was Lottie we were talking about.

“I—they…okay, don’t tell—”

“Now.”

I wasn’t wasting time with this bullshit.

He swallowed again, nodding quickly.

“Three guys, one tall and—”

Three guys.

That was all I needed to know. I left before he could finish those descriptions, heading down the corridors as fast as I could without actually running.

I could take three guys.

Hell, the way I felt right now - I could take on a fucking army if it would keep her safe.

I paused before rounding the corner, hearing a couple of muttered comments up ahead. My heart thumping hard, I took a quick glance and saw two thickset men standing opposite a closed door.

Oh shit…

The thought of what might be happening beyond that door made everything turn red. All my plans and training and careful actions disappeared in a haze of fury as I rushed forward.

They weren’t even good enough to notice me before I was on them, and then one fist to the side of a head had one man down, and my hands were wrapped around the other’s neck, squeezing, before he could utter a word.

He spluttered in front of me, face turning red as his hands flailed and he tried to get a grip on my own neck. With the murderous rage rising inside of me, I had no hesitations about ending him. He was in my way. Getting between Lottie and I.

But this was also taking time, precious moments that I didn’t have. I slammed him up against the wall and brought my forehead down on the bridge of his nose, appreciating the immediate crack I heard. He tried to cry out, but I still had him in a death grip, and one sharp blow to the head had him falling.

Forgetting him immediately, I turned to the door.

Lottie…

I burst through it before I even had a chance to think about how to approach this.

I caught a brief glimpse of Jorge sitting next to her on the bed before she screamed, leaping up and backing away - from both of us.

Ohh good girl.

Don’t make it seem like I’m on your side - keep that distance, that element of doubt.

I could have kissed her for that. Actually, that was my next plan. As soon as…

“What the—”

Jorge’s reaction time was slower, obviously distracted as I charged forward, pure rage and hatred filling me. He rose just in time for me to grab him and throw him up against the wall. His frame was muscular and strong, but he was no match for me, and one-on-one, I had him.

Drawing my fist back, I pummeled his face, then switched to his stomach, drawing immense satisfaction from the way he groaned and doubled up. Any attempt to fight back ended there and I watched as he sunk to the ground, righteous anger written all over my face.

I had wanted him dead from the moment I first saw him. He deserved it. The fucking bastard had touched my girl. My Lottie. Mine.

He’d hurt her, and tonight…he’d dared to try worse. He was dead in my eyes, as cold certainty poured through me.

I pulled out the knife that I kept hidden behind my belt, belatedly realizing I should have drawn it from the first, and hauled him up again. He was almost a dead-weight in my hands now, moaning incoherently through already swelling eyes. I grinned darkly at the sight of that. The bastard deserved to taste that himself.

“No!”

I could tell that the voice was loud, but it only dimly pulled at my awareness. I was too lost in blood and death and vengeance. For everyone who had ever thought they could hurt me, or anyone I cared about.

Then Lottie’s hand tugged at my arm, and reluctantly I turned to look at her, staring almost blankly into pained eyes.

“Jason - don’t.”

I tried to shrug her off.

“Stay out of this, Lottie.”

It was muttered, but it fired her up.

“Stay out—what the fuck, Jason?! How am I not already in this?”

I blinked as awareness slowly came to me. I looked down to see she was pulling hard at my knife arm, trying to draw it back from Jorge’s waiting body - and I was fighting her. Fighting to get to the exposed throat in front of me. Grinding my teeth, I relaxed the struggle just a little.

“Let me go, Lottie. He deserves to die.”

“No. I don’t want you killing for me, Jason. Not now - or ever.”

I wanted to curse at her. There was a time and place for do-good morals, and this wasn’t it.

I must have muttered something to that effect because her eyes narrowed.

“This is
exactly
the time and place, Jason. Let go of him.”

I couldn’t believe she was defending him. After everything she’d been through - all the things he’d done, she…wanted him to live. It didn’t make sense.

As I stared at her, disbelieving, something there cracked and tears came to her eyes.

“Please, Jason. I couldn’t live with myself, knowing he died because of me. That’s not me. I can’t do it.”

Vague understanding came slow and hard, but looking into those oh-so bright and pained eyes, I saw the essence of what she was saying. And as much as every part of me lusted for an end - for vengeance - I couldn’t do that to her. I relaxed my arm fully, flipping the knife back into its small pocket behind my belt.

As I let Jorge go, she sighed deeply, collapsing against me.

“Please, let’s just go. I want to go.”

A wave of guilt swept over me at the idea I’d made her stay here a moment longer than she needed to. Somewhere along the way, my need to keep her safe had morphed into a need for vengeance and death. And I didn’t know what that said about me.

I squeezed her tight, one quick glance at Jorge making it clear he was out cold. Unable to see what had happened between us.

Good.

The part of me that was still calculating impact relaxed just a little. She’d done the right thing. If she’d run to me, it would have been difficult - he would have known this for what it was. This way…it was just me who’d face his wrath, not her - and not those she cared about. I hoped.

“Yes, baby. We’ll go.”

I brushed my lips across her forehead and swept her up in my arms, cradling her against my chest.

I kept her head into me as I crossed the threshold and walked past the men sprawled there. They’d be fine - battered and bruised when they woke up, but no more. I wasn’t sure whether I was relieved or disappointed about that.

“I can walk, you know. I’m not hurt.”

I glanced down at her, met that intense, brave gaze and smiled softly. I wasn’t sure how true that statement was, but it didn’t matter.

“And I can carry you. Given the time you’ve spent on your legs instead of in my arms, I think it’s only fair I get a chance.”

Her mouth quirked up at the edges, and my heart melted a little, before a shudder wracked through her and a sob escaped.

Ohh girl…

I didn’t know what had happened in there - or what it was going to mean. I already feared the worst. It seemed like I’d arrived in time, but…even my beautiful, brave girl might need more than I could guess at to recover from this. The fear sent shivers through me, but I was determined that whatever she needed - I’d make sure she had it. I couldn’t even imagine what she must have gone through, waiting…

I cut that thought off and tried to be here with her. This was where she needed me - not lost in nightmares of what might have happened.

The guy at reception was nowhere to be seen as I passed through, and we emerged from the motel. I hesitated for the first time.

Why the fuck hadn’t I brought a car?

But I knew why. Because if I had, I would have been later, and then—

Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up.

Lottie noticed me looking dubiously in the direction of my bike, but to my surprise she perked up as she caught sight of it.

“You have a bike?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t think—”

“Oohh, I’ve always wanted to ride one of those.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, can we?”

My immediate thought had been to get a taxi, but then my bike would be here for anyone to find it and trace this whole thing back to me. Not that that was going to be hard to do anyway, but still. And where we were going…I didn’t want to give a taxi the address.

And the way her eyes were sparkling and shiny made me want to give her whatever she asked for. If she wanted to ride my bike…

“Okay, sure.”

I set her down on top of it as I grabbed the helmet and started adjusting it.

“There’s no way that’s going to fit me - you take it.”