Page 18 of Gin & Jewels
Just as the door opened and the men stormed in, Brad turned to see what I was looking at. Before any of the five of us in the store could react, the masked men barreled in. One yelled in a deep voice, “Everyone get your fucking hands up—now!”
Without hesitation, I shot my hands straight into the air. Two of the robbers aimed their guns at Martina and Ray, one stayed by the door as though he was a lookout, and the one I assumed was the leader because he was the one who’d spoken, pointed his gun toward me.
“Get behind me, Cassie,” Brad growled.
I looked to see that Brad was moving his girlfriend behind him. I moved over a step so his body was shielding mine even with the glass case between us.
“Listen up,” the lead robber said, again in a voice that sounded as though he was trying to mask his own. “Do as I say, and no one gets hurt. If I see any of you going for any sort of alarm, I won’t hesitate to shoot you. And you”—he wiggled the gun at Brad as though to show emphasis—“just stay there, and everything will be fine.”
“All right,” Brad replied. “I agree. No one needs to get hurt.”
My gaze moved to his girlfriend, who was pressed up against his back, her face buried into it. I wished with everything I had in me that we could trade places. I wanted to hide behind him like that, to actually feel protected and not just hope he’d stop a bullet if someone were to fire.
“Now,” the same robber declared, “we’re going to hand you bags. All you need to do is fill them up, and then we’ll leave. Got it?” I nodded again, watching as Martina and Ray started to fill their bags. The leader came over to me and extended his hand with a black bag in it. “Be a goodLittle Doveand do as you’re told.”
I blinked as I reached for the bag.Little Dove?Was it Keith?
Before I took the bag fromKeith, Brad reached for the gun and swiftly removed it from hishand. “Now, you listen to me, motherfucker.”
Keithlaughed, and I waited with bated breath.
“Cassie, go hit the silent alarm,” Brad ordered.
I started to move, butKeithlunged for Brad, his fist hitting him in the jaw just as Brad pulled the trigger. The gun didn’t go off; the only sound it made was a click. WhileKeithand Brad tussled, the other guys snatched the bags from Martina and Ray and moved toward the exit. Brad rotated, hooking his arm aroundKeith’sneck.
“I could kill you right now,” Brad seethed.
And then it happened.
A gun went off.
I jumped, and Brad’s girlfriend screamed. I didn’t know who took the shot, but in a blink,Keithgroaned, and Brad dropped his arm. When he was free,Keithran out the door with the others. I looked at Brad and saw blood seeping through his blue button-down shirt.
Five Years Prior …
The dirtand dust kicked up outside the Humvee as Fields, Brown, and I were on our way back from doing a routine check on an Iranian village not far from our basecamp. It was just the three of us making sure the village had everything the people needed, and that no one required attention or medical care.
An explosion shook the ground and lifted the Humvee off the ground, rolling onto its side. I was shaken, rattled, and jerked around with the vehicle. When I came to in the back seat, my ears were ringing, and my head was throbbing.
“Everyone okay?” I asked, trying to blink the pain away.
Fields groaned. “My leg is pinned.”
Fuck.
“I’m good,” Brown stated. “You, Rhodes?”
“Fine.” I heard chatter coming toward us, but not loud enough for me to make out any words. “We gotta move. Call for backup, Fields.”
My door was against the ground, so I moved, opening the gunner’s hatch to climb out.
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Bullets hit against the dry dirt near me, and I got behind the back of the Humvee in the opposite direction of the firing guns. Brown followed. “Did you see anyone?” I asked.
