Page 89 of Irish King

We were soon at the side of the van, Kellen breaking away to move to the front. I headed to the back, noting right away that one of the rear doors was open. After checking to make sure that Jose wasn’t lurking behind it, I poked my head in.

Relief washed over me as I spotted Ma. Her eyes flashed as she realized it was me. I hurried inside, giving her a quick once over.

“Con!” she said in a whisper. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” I asked. I took out the small pocketknife I always carried with me, using it to snip through the zip tie. Ma had a few bruises but looked otherwise OK.

“I’m bloody fine!” she said. “That right prick came in after the wreck and took Claire!”

Anger rushed through me at the idea of Claire being in Jose’s clutches.

“Is she alright?” I asked, cutting Ma’s ankle ties.

“Banged up a bit, but no worse for the wear. But if he does what he wants with her…”

She trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.

“Coast is clear.” I put my arm out for Ma, gently leading her out of the back of the van. “Take cover behind my car. Any luck, this will all be over soon.”

Ma nodded as we stepped outside. “Get his arse, Connor. You bring that girl back home safe.”

“Got it.”

Once we were out of the van, I followed Ma with my eyes as she hurried over to the Jag and disappeared behind it.

Relief hit me once my mother was safe and sound, but the fight was far from over. I sprang around the other side of the van, gun raised in anticipation of spotting Jose. I only saw Kellan coming around the other side, however.

He shook his head as he came over to me.

“No sign of him,” he said. “But he couldn’t have gotten f—”

Before he could finish the sentence, a series of gunshots rang out, panging into the side of the van. I leaped onto Kellan, pinning him to the ground.

“Shite!” I called out.

Once Kellan was down, I shot my gaze in the direction of the gunshots. Jose was there, Claire held in front of him as a human shield.

“Connor!” she shouted just before Jose pulled the two of them around the alley corner.

“Come on!” I shouted to Kellan. “Let’s move!”

I took one more look over my shoulder to make sure Ma was OK before breaking out into a run. Kellan ran with me, the two of us soon reaching the right angle of the alley and turning. Once we were around the corner, we spotted the pair.

Jose, beat up and bloody from the crash, held Claire in front of him, a manic look on his face, his gun pressed against Claire’s jaw.

“Stop right there, puto!” he shouted. “One more step forward and I’ll blow her pretty head off. Entiendes? Lower those fucking guns!”

I held my pistol up for a moment before turning to Kellan and nodding.

“Don’t you hurt her!” I shouted. “I can promise that you won’t like what happens if you touch even so much as a hair on her head.”

“You do what I say, and it won’t come to that. This girl, I am going to use her as my ticket out of here, my guarantee of safe passage. Here is what’s going to happen… you let me go and together, we travel to Mexico. Once I am there, I give you my word that you can have her back.”

As he spoke, Claire flashed her eyes at me, an unspoken communication that she was going to try something. What, I had no idea, but I could only trust her.

I nodded.

“You could’ve had it all, puto,” Jose said. “You could’ve stayed on top, been part of our cartel. And now you’re nada. Too b—”

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