Page 76 of The One
Dinner was superb. The food, the wine, the conversation.
Mariella, when she’s relaxed and at ease, is a joy to be around. And she’s damn beautiful to look at.
Every smile, every spark in her eyes seems to pull me in deeper.
We’re walking toward my car, still happily chatting, when suddenly…
B A N G.
The sharp crack of gunfire splits the night, and the glass of the shop window behind us shatters into a storm of shards.
I barely manage to drag Mariella down, my arm gripping her tightly as we take cover behind a nearby car. Bullets are raining down on us and, judging by the chaos and intensity, there’s at least three shooters, maybe more.
And I’ve got no backup.
Fuck!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mariella
The sound of shattering glass and screaming bystanders chills me to the bone.
My pulse thrashes in my ears as I whip my head toward Mateo. He’s already pulled his gun from his jacket, his expression deadly calm, eyes darting, scanning the scene like a predator hunting its prey.
“Stay low,” he yells over the chaos.
No problem there. I’m practically frozen in place, pressed hard against a car. Slinking into the gutter, I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to swallow down the huge lump of fear. The sound of gunfire rattles through me, my body trembling with each sharp crack.
The sound of bullets ricocheting off metal fills the air as Mateo fires back over the hood of the car, his curses sharp when he runs out of ammunition. My stomach twists at the sound. Has he got more?
He reloads quickly, his movements practiced, but the tension in his jaw is unmistakable.
Suddenly, he thrusts his phone into my shaking hands.
“Call Romeo for backup.” His voice is firm, but not harsh. It’s the voice of someone who’s been through this many times before.
My fingers fumble with the phone. Bullets are still flying and my heart is lodged somewhere in my throat, making me feel lightheaded.
Breathe, Mari, breathe. Now is not the time to lose it.
I try to keep my hands steady as I swipe the screen. My breath is shaky, my mind racing.
Mateo’s presence beside me is oddly reassuring, even in this chaos. He’s focused, a coiled spring ready to act. Somehow, knowing he’s here makes me a little less terrified.
Romeo picks up on the third ring, and before I can even get a word out, the rapid fire of gunshots crackling down the line tells him everything he needs to know.
“I’m on my way,” is all he says.
God, I hope ‘I’ means more than just him, that he’s bringing backup. Because judging by the intensity of the shots still raining down, we’re going to need it.
I clutch the phone tightly, glancing at Mateo as he stays crouched, gun ready, muscles tense.
He holds out his hand, and I pass him his phone. He slips it back into his jacket as his eyes find mine.
“We’re outnumbered,” he says close to my ear.
How did he determine that? Has he counted the shooters? Or is it from the number of bullets still whizzing around us?
