Protected by Shadows (38 page)

“Why not?” Trevor asked him.

“Look around you. You’re not getting out of here. There’s a chance you can avoid death.”

“They won’t shoot while I have her. And I want them to lower their weapons.”

“It’s not going to happen, Trevor. Let her go.”

“Watch my back,” Trevor said to Alyssa. She positioned herself there. “Walk with me, Lexy, or I kill you now.”

She didn’t fight him and they backed into a building, stopping briefly to input the code at the door.

“Come in here, Valentino, where we can talk. Close the door behind you,” he added as he entered.

The lock engaged and Lexy felt him relax a bit behind her.

“Now, no prying eyes. Lower your weapon.”

“No.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as the blade went along her neck, drawing blood. “Shoot him,” she said. “Kill the fucker.”

“Stop it!” Valentino held up his hands. “There’s no need to do this.”

“I want you to suffer.” Trevor slid the blade a bit more.

“What did he ever do to you?” Lexy interjected.

“Took what was mine.” Trevor’s words were bitten off.

“Yours?” Lexy shifted a bit more, pleased when he didn’t follow her with the AK. “You mean Alyssa, your mute bitch that I shoved into hog shit today? It looked good on her.”

The woman glared at her and Lexy sent her a taunting smile.
That’s right, bitch. Get pissed and come at me, let’s see what happens then.
“Tell me, Alyssa, you know,
if
you can. Does it bother you that I’ve been fucking Val for years? All over the world, we’d meet and have nights and days of passionate, hot, sweaty sex. Wore me out. I bet you thought he was still hung up on you. Look at him closely. He’s not. He used to wear your ring but because of me, he no longer needed to. He’s moved on from your betraying ass.”

Alyssa hissed and jumped at her. The move shocked Trevor who let her go and yelled at Alyssa. Lexy didn’t back down but met her partway and they went to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Instantly the aggressor, Lexy punched her in the jaw.

“Now, I’m going to beat the shit out of you for what you did to him. And your son, Marco.” Alyssa stiffened and Lexy added, “Yeah, I know about him as well.”

Lexy used her size to hold the woman. Behind her, shots rang out. She made the mistake of looking. Trevor and Valentino were now engaged in their own hand-to-hand scuffle.

Alyssa caught her with an elbow. Gasping at the splitting pain, Lexy got rolled and the bitch ran.
Aw, hells nawh!
She scrambled to her feet and tore out of the closing door after her.

“No!” Trevor cried out, but she wasn’t about to be distracted a second time.

Her foot throbbed as she chased Alyssa over the rock-studded ground. She pressed on, locking away the pain. Alyssa might have the benefit of not having gone through the hell Lexy had the past few days, but Lexy wasn’t helpless. On her side, Lexy led a very active life and had a demanding job. She was no wilting flower. That was what she called on to overtake the dark-haired bitch and slam her down from behind.

Lexy fought dirty. This wasn’t about restraining her for others to take her into custody. No, it was about beating the shit out of her. She rammed a fist into her kidney time and time again, ignoring her cringes of pain. Alyssa rolled over and tossed a fistful of dirt in her eyes. Lexy fell back, cursing.

The foot connecting to her ribs was a surprise, but she grabbed it and yanked, returning Alyssa to the ground. She delivered a knee to her midsection. Alyssa grabbed her hair and pulled.

“Fuck! That hurts!”

Blinking away tears, Lexy punched her in the face, cartilage crunching beneath her fist and blood flowing. Vibrant red against such a brilliant white, the stark contrast was bold. Alyssa’s eyes overflowed with pain. Lexy had no sympathy. Nor did Alyssa give up.

They kicked, pulled and punched. Lexy landed a nice one and Alyssa’s head flopped back, body limp and unconscious. Breathing heavily, Lexy put her torn and bleeding hands on her knees before slowly standing tall.

The world around her seemed to be moving in slow motion, like those pivotal scenes in movies. Bodies lay scattered in the near dark, some dead, most injured. The final light of day didn’t soften the view. The
whomp whomp
of the chopper had her pivoting to see Gio land. A large black man ran up to Gio and shook his hand as he jumped from the interior to land effortlessly on the ground. Jaydee’s husband wore jeans and a T-shirt, and the familiarity of seeing him had tears burning her eyes.

Where’s Val?
Blinking away more stinging sweat and blood as she tried to remember where she’d run from, Lexy turned a circle. Nothing made sense.

* * * *

He chambered a round in the suppressed rifle. It had been hard sitting here while the chaos had carried on around him. Seeing his precious doll getting beaten hadn’t been easy to watch either, but when it came to others or him, it would always be him. Sighting through the scope, he looked at the dirty shirt of Alexsa and centered on her heart.

It would be so easy to pull the trigger now, but he had to wait. He knew what was coming. His revenge against Valentino hadn’t gone as planned, but he could still hurt him and take the woman from him. He just had to wait a few moments more. They should be departing that building then…then he could deliver his message. He flexed his fingers around the weapon and settled in for the wait.

* * * *

Valentino slammed Trevor to the wall, not letting up at the sound of his grunt. Valentino had dropped his gun for the opportunity to sink his fists into the man. The need to feel that was strong.

Barbaric? Sure.

Unprofessional? Absolutely.

Did he give a damn? Not in the least.

This man had taken so much from him. He deserved the punishment meted out. At least Valentino believed so.

“I raped her. She screamed your name, begging you to save her.” Trevor laughed until he coughed as Valentino threw him into some tables.

“Lies,” Valentino barked.

He tossed chairs out of the way as he went to the bloodied man. Trevor stared up at him, that damn smirk in place, not cognizant of the blood running down his face. Val stood over him, glaring down at him.

One bullet. To end it all would be so cheap and easy. He couldn’t. Man, but he longed to. The man just lay there laughing softly—manically, but softly—watching him. One eye showed red from the broken blood vessel in it, making him even more devilish in appearance.

“Get up.”

Valentino, despite his desire to continue beating this man to pulp, wanted to find Lexy. She needed to be in his arms so he could check her over himself to make sure she was okay. Trevor sat, lifted one leg and hooked his arm around it. With a smug look, he wiped at the red running down his face.

Valentino bent down and yanked him upright, securing his hands behind his back with plastic ties. Shoving him toward the door, he picked up his discarded MP-5 on the way. He opened the door then stepped out into the waning light of day. Immediately, he scanned for Lexy.

She stood off to his right, appearing lost, dazed and confused. Two men approached her from behind and dropped to their knees beside the prone body of…Alyssa.

No, can’t think about that now.

“Say goodbye to her.”

Trevor’s words slowed his heart and turned the blood in his veins to molasses. Any lingering thoughts of Alyssa faded as he focused on Lexy. He yelled for her.

“Lexy!”

She pivoted toward him, moved her mouth and sank to her knees as a red stain blossomed across her chest. Simultaneously, Trevor collapsed boneless, pulling from his hold to the ground, dead, a hole in his chest. He hadn’t even heard a shot.

“Sniper!” Valentino cried, running flat out for Lexy and shoving away one of the men who’d turned to help her. Trevor’s body was a nonissue for him. All that mattered now was this woman.

He knew there was an explosion of activity at his cry, but all his focus was on Lexy. He laid her back and tried to staunch the flow of blood. With his hands on her chest, the warm tackiness of her life force ran over his fingers, coating the wedding ring she’d put on him the day they married.

“Lexy,” he said. “Hang on.” Turning his head, he saw Gio running toward him. He shook his head and waved him off. “Start the chopper, she needs a hospital!”

Bless him, Gio made a one-eighty like he was on skates. Eyes back to the woman he loved more than his own life, Valentino pressed harder, praying he could keep her alive.

“Lexy. Come on, baby, look at me.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Alyssa’s smug expression as she stared at the two of them. “Get that bitch out of here before I kill her. And tell Masters apparently that’s Alyssa.”

The men dragged her off.

“Open your eyes, Alexsa,” he demanded.

Slowly Lexy listened. “Val.” Her voice was faint, as were the palpitations of her heart. Didn’t seem to slow the flow of blood though.

“Hang in there, baby. I’m getting you to a hospital.”

“I love you,” she murmured as Gio skidded to a stop beside them. “I’ve always loved you. Get my brother home and be happy, Val.” She closed her eyes again. “Tell Jaydee I’m sorry.”

“Let’s go, bro.” Gio had his weapon out but got them moving.

A woman met them at the running helicopter and Valentino ignored her as he put Lexy in.

“Masters told me to go with you. I’m a medic.”

“Get in, get in!” Gio called before he hopped in himself and got them on the way.

The ride took forever and Valentino constantly talked to her as the woman put the mask on her and did her best to stabilize her. Lexy never opened her eyes.

A gurney waited for them when they landed and he realized his brother must have called it in ahead. They were laying her on it when one man looked at him.

“Are you hurt?” he called out over the noise of the chopper. “Are you hurt?”

“Take care of her first.” Valentino gripped the scrub-wearing man’s shirt. “Don’t you let her die.”

The man blanched a bit and Gio stepped in, prizing his hand off the doctor. “Let him do his job, Valentino.”

“His damn job is to save her life,” Valentino snapped.

“Then let him go do it.”

“We’re moving!” the doctor hollered and they headed for the roof access door.

Valentino hastened after them only to be denied entrance when they took her into the waiting surgery room. He swore, kicked a chair and began pacing.

“Here.”

He glanced up to see the woman from the chopper holding out some coffee. Grateful, he took the paper cup. “Thanks.” He sipped some. “And thanks for coming and helping.”

She nodded. “I’m Kelsey.”

“Valentino.”

Her smile was faint. “I know who you are. I’ve seen you around and you’re a bit of a legend. You and the three you typically work with.”

He merely nodded then walked to a chair before collapsing on it with a ragged sigh. Time held no meaning for him and he was a bit disorientated when Masters strode up to him, calling his name.

Seated, he stared up at his boss. The man’s dark face was set in anger and the muscles in his jaw jumped, even more indication he was pissed.

“Any word?” Masters asked, lowering himself to his own chair.

“Nothing, they’re still in surgery.”

“And of course you’ve not gotten yourself checked out.”

“I’m not leaving her.” Valentino wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’re going to get checked out and cleaned up. I’ll be right here and will call you if anything changes or comes up.” Masters gestured. “This lovely nurse will take care of you.”

Valentino protested three more times, but Masters wasn’t moved. The man leaned back and crossed his arms. “Get going. We have other things to discuss when you get back.”

“I’ll be quick,” the nurse promised.

And she was. His wounds were mostly superficial and she cleaned, sewed and bandaged him up swiftly before sending him on his way. Valentino was glad Masters hadn’t left and he approached with a question on his face.

“Nope. No news.”

Valentino rubbed the back of his neck. “Did you get the sniper?”

“No. What’s this about that woman being Alyssa? I thought she was dead.”

He snorted. “So did I. Trevor apparently saved her and did all that to her.”

“She’s going away for a long time.”

“Good. Trevor’s body get picked up?”

“Yes.”

“I want DNA confirmation on him. I’m tired of this fuck slipping away.”

“It will happen. I’m sorry about Lexy.”

He refused to think what getting apologies for her meant. They predicated condolences in situations like this. And that wasn’t anything he was willing to even begin to entertain. She
would
make it. She had to. He needed her in his life.

“Everyone get rounded up?”