Page 19 of Untouchable

“Ace! What happened?!” she’s crying when I make it over to her, and her hands immediately run over my face, traveling down my arms and up my chest. “Are you okay?!”

It takes me a moment to process that she’s touching me, looking at me,worried about me.

“Was that a gunshot? Where’s my Dad? Oh my god—” I slam my hand over her mouth just as she screams, “Dad!” Her whole body trembles as she tries to fight against me. I swallow past the lump in my throat, trying to silence me, and pick her up, kicking and screaming, to carry her back to my room.

“He’s fine. Katarina, look at me.” I hold her face in my hands and her tear-filled eyes lock on mine. “He’s okay. Okay? I would never let anything happen to him.” She breaks into a sob, though this time it’s a cry of relief, and wraps her arms around my waist. I freeze, trying to remember the last time someone hugged me. Then my arms wrap around her as she tries to catch her breath.

“Thank you,” she whispers into my chest. “He’s…he’s all I have left.” I know that pain all too well—the fear that comes with the thought of being alone—so I hold her a little tighter the way I always needed someone to do for me.

“I know you’re scared, but I need you to stay here. I don’t want your dad to know you were here during all of this.” I pull her away from me, turning to go back out front, but she grabs my hand, stopping me.

“Ace.” When I turn around again, she looks like she might be sick. “Who got shot?” My jaw clenches as the events flash through my mind.

“Viper.”

“Did he—” I know the question is too hard for her to ask, so I don’t make her.

“We don’t know yet. The ambulance is on the way.” Just then, I hear the siren and run back out to join the others.

The next few hours are full of red and blue lights, witness statements, and sirens. I spend the entirety of it looking over my shoulder, waiting for Katarina to appear, but she never does. I begin to wonder if she slipped out the back door and walked home, or at the very least asked Tabitha to pick her up down the street. Once the ambulance takes Viper to the hospital and Striker is in police custody, the lot clears out, and I pull Lenny to the side.

“We need to talk.” He lets out an exhausted breath but nods in agreement. “I know it’s been a shit show around here, but there’s something you need to know.”

“What is it?”

I open my mouth to speak, but when one of our prospects comes around the corner, beat to all hell, I redirect myself. “What the fuck happened to you, Prospect?” Lenny looks over his shoulder and curses. He walks over to us with his shoulders slumped like a stray dog.

“Well, when shit popped off inside I saw Striker’s fucking tag-a-long slide out the front door. I followed him out, and when I confronted him, he got the upper hand on me and?—”

“Where is he now?” I snap, not having realized that the little fucker had disappeared in all the chaos. Prospect shrugs, hanging his head. I practically growl out a breath. “Go home and ice your face. You start double time in the gym this week so this shit doesn’t fucking happen again.” Lenny shakes his head, watching him walk over to his dirt bike. I don’t normally take the lead when Lenny is around, but I figured tonight he’d appreciate having one less thing to deal with.

“Christ almighty,” he mumbles as he turns to face me again. “Now what is it you had to tell me?”

Here we go…

“Striker spiked Katarina’s drink at a bar last night.”

His face immediately turns furious. “What?! How do you know that?”

“In a nutshell; there was a video Viper and some of the other guys took at the bar, I saw Katarina in the background with her friend, and when they walked over to get a drink at the bar, I saw Striker sitting at the stool right next to hers, with his little minion not far behind.” He runs a hand over his face, clearly distressed. “I’ve had a bad feeling about him since the day he showed up here, so I rushed over from the garage and, in an effort to keep him away from her, I told him she was with me. But it was too late, her drink was already spiked. When I noticed she was acting a little off, I brought her back here, strictly tomake sure she was okay. The way he looked at me at the bar, and especially after his comment today, I know it was him, Lenny. The guy is worse than bad news, he’s fucking dangerous.”

“That motherfucker is dead.”

A tired laugh falls from my lips as I run a hand through my hair. “I think it’s a little late for that.” Then Lenny’s eyes settle on me, a little more focused now.

“I owe you big time for taking care of my little girl, Ace.”

I shake my head. “You owe me nothing.”

“Get some sleep, I’m headed to the hospital to be with Vipe.” He slaps me on the shoulder with a nod of appreciation before walking away.

It’s hard to accept any kind of thanks from Lenny, especially for protecting Katarina, when I currently have her locked in my room without his knowledge.

CHAPTER 12

Katarina

“WINDOW NOTES”

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