Page 211 of Psycho

Roman tightened his arms around me, and he and Dominic quickly found the back exit.

We went through the open doorway, and I could only look helplessly back, not knowing what I could do.

We came out to the back alleyway.

I shivered a little.

Though it wasn’t cold outside, the inside had been hot compared to the slight breeze that was moving over my skin.

Roman turned to me, his hand holding me up, which was good, but I had a feeling I might have just dropped straight down to the dirty concrete ground had that not been the case.

“What happened?” I asked.

Roman shook his head. “It seems your dad had already suspected the King’s Men were after him.”

“He did that?” I asked. The gun shots… creating panic… “He left?”

Roman nodded. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him. I doubt he’ll leave California tonight, and we have brothers doing border patrol. They’ll tell us if something is going on.”

“What do we do now?”

“Now, we head back to the bar and wait for Micah.” Roman looked over my head at Dominic. “And we attack.”

“That’s right,” Dominic said gruffly.

I shuddered in fear at the tone in Dominic’s voice, and Roman pulled me back into his arms.

“Come on.”

“Micah will really meet us there?” I asked.

I knew he was, but I needed Roman to say it again.

He opened his mouth to answer me when a noise from the mouth of the alley caught his attention.

He stiffened, his gaze moving about, and Dominic walked back closer to me. I was now stuck in the middle by the two humongous men.

I should have felt protected, but a bad feeling came over me.

Roman pushed me behind him.

I clutched tightly to the back of Roman’s shirt, trying to look around him.

Everything was silent for three long seconds, then a loud metal clang rang out nearby.

I screamed, and Roman pushed me further back as Dominic moved to his side.

I watched in horror as a group of men walked into the alleyway.

Roman and Dominic pulled out their guns.

They didn’t wait for the men to say or do anything.

They shot and took out three before the rest of the men realized what was going on and took cover.

Roman pushed me back against the wall and shielded me with his body.

I couldn’t say anything.

---