Page 83 of Hard Lessons

“What? You went soft behind those bars?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Paulo chuckled.

The shadows served them well and within minutes they’d found their way to the back of the building. It only took a second to break a lock and get into what appeared to be a kitchen.

A sudden movement caught Luca’s attention.

They had company.

“Behind you,” Paulo said, aiming his gun over Luca’s shoulder.

Luca ducked to the right, his finger on the trigger of his own weapon.

Paulo fired, the silencer muffling the shot.

A heavy thud confirmed he was on target.

Luca swung around, as he did so a huge shadow filled the doorframe. The wrong end of a gun stared his way. “What the fuck!”

Everything left Luca’s mind, it emptied, all he saw was the gun, all he thought of was survival.

Instinct took over, he took aim and fired.

The shadow slumped to the right then hit the deck.

“There might be more.” Paulo clasped Luca’s shoulder then stepped over the fallen body.

Luca stared at the man. A guy he’d never met but whose time on this Earth he’d just brought to an abrupt end.

Damn it. Hewasgrowing a conscience. And he blamed Serena, all her talk of a peaceful life with no midnight drama.

“Come on,” Paulo called from the corridor.

“God give me strength,” Luca muttered, rummaging in the dead guy’s pocket. He pulled out a set of bike keys then went to keep Paulo company.

Paulo was heading up the stairs, a ghostly figure dressed all in black and with his weapon at the ready.

Luca scanned the room to his right, then the one at the base of the stairs. All was quiet; it didn’t seem the type of hotel to have guests, which was convenient for them. Likely it was just used to launder money, store shit, and hide out from time to time.

Too bad the DiTavos didn’t think to have better security.

On the landing, Paulo opened the first door. “Nothing.” He closed it, stepped up to the next.

“Let me.” Luca pushed past him. He tried the handle. It was locked. “I’d put money on her being in here.”

Paulo nodded.

“Cover me.” Luca raised his boot, took a deep breath, then kicked the door, right by the round handle.

It flew open, slamming against the wall.

A bed in the middle of the room was highlighted by a shard of moonlight. In it was a woman pushing to sitting.

“Don’t even think about reaching for your gun,” Luca said, stepping in and back-kicking the door closed.

“What the fuck!” She stilled and raised her hands. “How the hell...?”

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