Page 141 of Dominance

The end of the road is fast approaching, and I have to make the turn soon if we’re going to make the only alleyway out of the cul-de-sac. I look to Gloria, then to my open door and back.

She nods once.

Inhale.

Brake.

Spin the wheel. Into the turn.

Gloria lunges over my lap laying out flat, her gaze never faltering from her target.

Six rounds. Deafening.

The black bar whips to the right on a flat tire, clipping the curb and ramming right into a brick wall.

But one of theirs hit my tire too, lurching the car and causing me to follow through the spin, stalling out. Riding out the momentum, I ease us to a stop, unbuckling my belt and bolting from the car, my backup piece in my hands.

I clear the wreck, checking for the driver, the gunman.

Both dead.

“Adriano!” Gloria screams behind me, but I turn too late. Another attacker snuck around the car, darting out to rush me. I drop back, falling, waiting for the shot?—

Bang.

28

GLORIA

“You. Look. Incredible!”

“Thanks, Peggy.”

“Sandra will be here soon. She just called.”

I almost tell her to call Sandra back. To warn her not to come.

But after last night, I would love to see her. No, more than that. Ineedto see her. Know that she’s okay. And that I didn’t ruin our friendship by putting her in harm’s way.

After wejustmade up.

Flashes of the horrifying chase and confrontation flicker through my thoughts and I have to take a breath, snapping my eyes open to clear the mental images that haunt me every time I close them.

Because I killed two men last night.

Evil men. Horrible, dangerous men.

Adriano told me to repeat that fact to myself, to remind myself of what was at stake. That they signed up for just that, to take lives or have theirs taken.

Like clocking in for an hourly job.

Only your life is on the line every minute you’re there.

Apparently, that applies to me every day now too.

The fact of that matter is, the only thing keeping me together is that I saved my lover’s life by pulling that trigger. And the fact that it was so much easier for having already killed the man threatening to murder Sandra and I, makes me want to puke.

But I thank the heavens that I was able to save her. And him.

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