Page 89 of Dealing Dirty
“Who knew we had a spy in our midst,” Kenneth drawls, pinning Ben with a murderous glare.
“Shut up, old man,” Alfonzo barks.
“How?” I whisper. A white dressing has been haphazardly placed over the spot where I nailed him.
He must have alerted the others when he escaped the closet and dragged Ben along with them. There’s another man beside him with thin-framed glasses, and he’s disturbingly calm while the big, muscled guy that Derrick injured moments ago now has Hazel in an unrelenting hold. Blood oozes from various cuts along his brows and cheeks, and his eyes have already begun to swell.
Cooper’s chest rises and falls as he steadily swings his gaze from Ben to the woman he’s sworn to protect. “Just give us the girl, and we’ll be on our way.”
She struggles against the giant, kicking out for his balls, but the sounds of guns cocking has her body going lax in his grasp.
“You’re not going anywhere, pretty boy,” the big guy grunts.
Derrick’s gone ridged, standing in front of me with his legs spread in a fighting stance.
Cold eyes stare our friends down, as a helplessness I’ve never felt washes over me in waves.
“Well, now. What do we have here?”
Jackie’s smooth drawl grabs my attention across the grassy field. Adrenaline jackhammers through my heart.
“They escaped, boss. Your stupid whore let that one loose.” Alfonzo spits the words like venom.
Jackie’s face displays a frightening shadow when Alfonzo speaks. Cool, deeply pained eyes slide my direction.
It’s difficult to hold his gaze, but my chin kicks up anyway. I may not want harm to come to him, but these people are my family. If betraying him means saving their lives, then I won’t be made to feel guilty for this.
The man with the glasses smirks. “Give us the cue, boss.”
Jackie ignores him as if he’d just remarked on the weather as opposed to unloading his weapon on us. The Glock he holds tight to his side glints in the light of the moon.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” he says, casually adjusting the cuffs of his suit to show off the gun. “If y’all play nice, then we’ll consider letting you walk away from here alive. Try me and this will not end well for you or the girl.” He looks directly at Derrick, giving him a nearly imperceptible nod.
Silence presses in on us like a tidal wave, but still, no one moves.
Alfonzo and the other two guys wait for directions but keep steady gazes trained on their opponents. They miss the silent conversation that passes between Jackie and Ben.
Jackie gestures to the giant. “Give her to me.”
With a grunt, the man bear-hugs her to his absurdly muscled body and walks her the short distance to Jackie’s side.
“Let go of me!” she shrieks and thrashes in his grasp. When he hands her over to Jackie, he presses the gun to her temple.
Ben stiffens at the angry tears streaming down her face. “I’ll kill you!” she screams into the night, her voice edged with hysteria.
“You’ve got five seconds to get out of here or I’m going to put a bullet in her skull,” Jackie says coolly.
What is he doing?
Derrick backs us up a step while Ben slowly lowers his gun. I have no choice but to follow their lead. Jack’s arms ripple as he struggles to comprehend a mouthed command from Ben.
“Five. Four. Three,” Jackie begins his countdown and when he reaches ‘one,’ Kenneth breaks rank, swinging his fists toward the man.
“Fuck you!” he shouts, barreling straight toward his daughter.
A scream rips from my chest. “No!”
Without pause, Jackie extends his arm and pulls the trigger. The explosive sound of a bullet exiting the barrel before blowing Hazel’s father backward ricochets around us.
