Page 41 of Kingpin

“Now.”

I rolled my eyes. “Be there in a second.”

He closed the door without another word, and I unplugged the tub with my toes. As the water drained and the bubbles faded away, I turned off all the jets. I got out of the bath and dried myself off. I mindlessly gravitated to my dresser and pulled out a nightgown that covered my entire body. I didn’t feel like baring myself to him any longer. It was obvious that it didn’t mean anything to him, even though it meant something to me. I slid the silky gown over my head as water dripped down my back. I found the matching robe and wrapped it around my shoulders before making my way out of the room.

As I slipped into bed next to Israel, I fell right to sleep.

Until I heard the door creak open.

“Israel?” I murmured.

“Shit,” someone hissed.

The voice certainly wasn’t Israel’s.

I rolled over onto my back and found myself staring down the barrel of a muffler. My eyes widened as I reached out for my husband, my knuckles bumping against his bare arm. I felt the bed depress at my feet, and I sat up. I didn’t get a good look at who it was before I felt a strong hand wrap around my forearm.

“Don’t make a sound,” the man warned.

I recognized that voice, too.

“Israel, get up!” I exclaimed.

I rolled out of the man’s grasp and knocked into my husband. I shoved him with my feet and hands, forcing him onto the floor. With my stomach pressed to the bed, I felt a knee in the small of my back. I was trained for it. I knew exactly how to handle it.

“How much is my uncle paying you?” I spat.

I heard grunts and curses on the floor beside the bed right before punches started landing.

“You should’ve just done your job, BonBon,” the man glowered.

I gnashed my teeth together. “You have no right to call me that.”

“Bonnie! Catch!”

Israel’s voice sounded against my ears, and I brought my heels up. I rammed them into the back of my uncle’s enforcer and knocked him off balance. I wiggled myself against the mattress, throwing him further off-kilter. As I rolled over onto my back, I saw a pistol flying through the air.

One I reached up and caught with my own two hands.

“The bedside table. Now,” Israel commanded.

I heard the sound of bones crunching, and it brought me out of the rest of my sleepy haze. I kept rolling on the expansive bed until my head crashed into the bedside table. Quickly, I opened the drawer. I found another gun with an extra magazine and exchanged it for the pistol. Before I could take aim, I felt someone grab my hair.

“Come here, you little bitch.”

The enforcer pulled me off the bed, and I crashed to the floor. I yelped in pain, falling right against my tailbone as the barrel of his gun pressed against my neck. From the corner of my eye, I watched Israel fight with the other enforcer. Two of them for two of us.

My God, my uncle wants us both dead.

“Nighty night,” the man taunted.

“Over my dead body,” I hissed.

I slammed my elbow into the tops of his toes, and he grunted in pain. I felt his hand weaken just enough for me to slip away. I had to get on my knees. If I could get on my knees, I could take aim. I’d always been shit with a moving target.

I had to get myself steady.

“Bonnie!” Israel roared.

---