Page 35 of Dangerous Vengeance

“Ah, that ain’t going to happen…” The first man holds a pistol in hand. He is looking to prove a point. It’s clear he recognizes me. Maybe he will send a message, or maybe he will just kill me.

“I’m not looking for trouble. That thug was chasing her; I just came to get her out of here. If you want to clean your streets, talk to him.” I gesture at the man now writhing in pain. He likely has a broken hip and maybe a few ribs from that slam into the light post, but he’ll live.

“You need to get out of here before something bad happens to you,” the second man says to Natalie. He pushes her sweat-dampened hair off her shoulder and runs a finger along her cheek and I’ve had enough.

“Run,” I order and take a swing at the man. She darts toward the car and jumps in the driver’s seat.

That’s when I hear the gunshot. I don’t even feel the bullet slice through me at first. I just feel warm, like a heatwave flash through my body and makes me sweat instantly. I feel dizzy, and then the pain kicks in as I drop to my knees. I can’t breathe. It feels like I got kicked in the chest by a horse, and it’s hot. It burns so bad like acid or lava rushing through my chest.

I suck in a heavy breath and reach for the car, but someone kicks me hard in the stomach and I heave forward. “Tell your Russian buddies we’re coming for them. L’ombra is hunting tonight. There is going to be a feast when you fall. And your family will pay for killing our boss.”

I suck in another breath and feel blood trickle from my mouth. I’m dizzy, my vision blurred. I try to speak but nothing comes out. The men chuckle and start to walk away, and bystanders who haven’t run away shrieking by now circle around me. There is a rush of conversation, hushed whispers and people asking if I’m okay. I half expect Natalie to drive off, but she gets out of the car and rushes around to the passenger side and opens the door.

“Get back! Back!” she screams, pushing people out of the way. “Matty…” She drops to her knees by me. “Matty, I need to get you to the hospital. Fuck… Oh my god. Someone help me. I have to get him to the hospital. He’s going to die.”

I feel weak, like all my strength has drained from my body and I’m going to pass out. Natalie tries lifting me and I can’t stand. Then she disappears. I am so close to collapsing now, my vision fading. It’s black then clear, then bright lights appear. When she comes back, she’s angry. I hear her shouting at people.

“I said, fucking help. You, right now. Get him in the car; I can’t wait twenty-five minutes for an ambulance.”

I have just enough strength to reach for my phone in my pocket. The smooth, hard surface gripped in my hand is my only hope. If I can call Dominic, I can get the vet on standby, and he will save me. If I can get there in time.

Hands lift me and I pry my eyes open. Natalie stands with my gun in her hands pointed at the men who heft me into my car. I’m bleeding badly, my shirt already red and soaked. Each breath comes with gurgling sounds now as blood fills my lungs. They lay the seat down and shut the door and Natalie jumps in, peeling out. I fumble with my phone, calling Dominic.

My hand weakly holds the phone to my ear as she guns it, darting down an alley, and Dominic pics up.

“Matvey, you better not—”

“Call Brewster…” I choke out, then end up coughing so hard blood spatters over everything in my line of sight, including Natalie.

“Shit, Matty… oh my god,” she cries, but she keeps driving.

“How bad?” Dominic doesn’t even need to ask what I mean. We call the vet when we need emergency care that can’t go on the radar. I can’t go to a hospital; I just hit a man in a hit and run. I need my car scrubbed and my chest sewn up.

“Bad…” I grunt and I cough again. I can’t manage another word. In fact, I’m so weak I drop the phone. It tumbles between the seat and the center console, and I can’t fish it out. I’m bleeding so badly; I may pass out any second.

“Matty, fuck…”

“Dom’s house…” I grunt out, and she squeals as she runs a red light and accelerates.

“No, you have to go to a fucking hospital. You’re dying. Fuck.”

“Dom’s house, Natalie.” I can barely move. My vision is blurring again. I shut my eyes as the car bounces over things and I don’t know if she will even listen to me. But I blurt out his address as clearly as I can.

Dominic is the one who can save me now. I just pray that he sees that Natalie is trying to save my life and respects that she isn’t trying to turn us in. If she takes me to a hospital, however, I will know she can never be trusted. I listen to her hysterics as my chest grows heavier. I hear the rasping of my own breaths and know I’m close to dying. The pain in my chest is so acute I feel like every muscle in my body is on fire.

And then the darkness swallows me.

But at least she’s safe.

21

NATALIE

Ican’t even believe this is happening. Matty is bleeding out right next to me all because I asked him to come save me from an unarmed man. I panicked. Why did I call him? And now I’m going to lose him. I was reluctant to go with him to his home because I feared his family, but that doesn’t mean I want him dead. In fact, being away from him, on the run, and now seeing him lying there dying makes me wish I’d never have run. That I’d have just stayed with him.

“Matty… I need a hospital…” I am sobbing so hard I can barely see. I swipe at my eyes and turn down Columbia Street. I know exactly where Dominic lives. I didn’t need Matty to ramble off his address. I’ve done my homework on these bastards, and fuck if I don’t want to just take Matty to a hospital, but he’s right. His family probably has means to deal with this and if he goes to the hospital, they’ll get him for the hit and run. If that man dies, Matty goes to prison.

So, I head toward Dominic’s house, praying they can handle this. By the way it sounded judging on the phone call Matty just made before he passed out, they will be expecting us—me. I’m terrified. They will kill me, or maybe they won’t kill me since I saved his life. If I save his life. He’s bleeding so badly right now. I don’t know if I can even make this car go fast enough, not to mention the traffic. I am taking side streets and allies, but even then, there are people in the way.

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