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Chapter 47 (Lou-Lou)
Alyssa looks at me in disbelief. "Damn, Lou-Lou. I sure as fuck underestimated you."
I give her a wink. "Yes you did, bitch. And if you want DeLuca brought to his knees, I'll be glad to help you do it. But if you hurt Ricardo; trust me—I'll make your life even more of a living hell than it already was."
My eyes co
"Noted, now start driving," Alyssa demands.
She adjusts herself in her seat so that one gun is pointed at me and the other is pointed at Ricardo. "Either one of you try and pull something, I'll be reenacting my own version of Romeo and Juliet, got it?
She gestures between us with her guns. "So, what's the story between you two? I gotta hear this."
Ricardo lifts his chin and glares at her. "None of your fucking business," he grits through his teeth.
"Well, seeing as I'm the one holding a gun to your face, call me crazy but I'd say it was."
"Oh, I'm calling you crazy alright," he mumbles.
"Seriously," I chime in. "You got a set of cajones, Alyssa. I'm impressed."
It's true...despite her being bat-shit crazy. Her fearlessness when it comes to taking DeLuca down is commendable.
"Thanks, I think. But I'm not crazy," she says softly. "I'm just protecting Jackson and getting my revenge."
We stay in silence for the better part of an hour. All I can think about is what's going to happen at the warehouse when we get there.
"Are you guys like step-brother and step-sister or something?" Alyssa asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. She wiggles her eyebrows. "I'm not judging, that's kinda hot."
"Fuck off," Ricardo barks.
"He's not my step-brother."
"Why are you so important to DeLuca?" She then asks me.
I grip the steering wheel and wince. Memories of DeLuca flash through my mind and I drag in a low, slow breath."Probably the same reason you're so important to Ford."
And that's about as much as she's getting out of me...in part because the docks are up ahead.
Of course, that's when Alyssa starts hyperventilating.
Oh, no...she can't back down now.
Ricardo and I exchange a look before we both put a hand on her shoulder.
"Breathe, Alyssa. DeLuca will be here any minute; if he's not here already and you'll make one hell of an easy target if you're passed out. Then all of this will be for nothing," Ricardo says.
"It's true. It's time to get your payback. DeLuca deserves everything that's coming to him," I add before I step out of the car.
Adrenaline and excitement are pumping through my veins and I can barely hold back my smile when she places her gun to my head and we begin walking toward the warehouse.
I know he's in there. I can feel his presence looming throughout me.
I almost want to warn Alyssa...but then I wouldn't make a very good hostage and DeLuca would know her bark is worse than her bite.
And her bite needs to be the kind that kills.
"Back the fuck up," she growls in his direction, surprising me.
Atta, girl.
He takes a few steps back and fixes his dark orbs on her.
I can feel her heart beating erratically against my back and I glance at DeLuca, forcing his intense gaze to land on me instead.
"Are you okay, Bambina? Has she hurt you?"
"I'm fine," I reply, the ice thick in my tone.
"Don't take that tone with me," he barks. "You know I worry about you, Lucia
My stomach recoils...but I know what I have to do. Ricardo's here and I'm not giving him a reason to hurt him. "I'm so sorry, mio amore. It's been a long day."
Beside me, Ricardo tenses.
"Sit over there," Alyssa tells us, motioning to the wall.
We make our way over and DeLuca and Alyssa face one another.
Part of me is hoping she'll just shoot him but then I notice the gun in his back pocket.
Shit. Alyssa thinks he's unarmed.
"So we meet again," DeLuca says and I bump my shoulder against Ricardo's. "He's armed," I whisper out of the corner of my mouth.
Ricardo gives me a subtle nod, never taking his eyes off DeLuca.
"I'm not afraid of you," Alyssa states.
That's when DeLuca puts his hand in his pocket. I open my mouth to warn her...but to my surprise Alyssa points her gun at me.
DeLuca immediately pauses and I don't miss the fear in his eyes.
"Stand by me, Lou-Lou," she orders.
"No!" DeLuca shouts.
Ricardo mutters a curse and the look DeLuca gives me could burn an entire town to the ground when I stand up and walk over to her.
I promised her I'd help her kill DeLuca and I meant it.
"It's safe to say that you might not want to make any sudden movements again. I specifically told you to come unarmed."
She pulls me in front of her. "Granted, it's not a crowbar, but I swear you'll feel every second of the impact when I kill her."
I cha
It works because a moment later he removes his hand from his pocket.
"You'll never get away with this," he says.
She laughs. "I beg to differ."
I hear the sound of someone's footsteps approaching as a large shadow walks through the back entrance of the warehouse.
Unfortunately, the shadows not big enough to be Jackson which means it can only be one person walking through those doors.
The gray suit and blue eyes prove me right...along with the gun in his hand that's currently pointed at Alyssa.
"Drop the gun, Alyssa," Ford sneers.
Behind me, Alyssa croaks, "You go
His eyes waver and he sighs. "You know I could never do that. But I can't let you kill DeLuca, either."
"Why not?"
"Because then how would you find out the truth, Alyssa?" DeLuca sneers behind him.
I hear a gun cock and DeLuca laughs and says, "I appreciate you volunteering to be my bodyguard, Ford."
Ford curses under his breath and closes his eyes.
"However, I suggest you stay right where you are, special agent. There's something I've been meaning to tell Alyssa."
Ford moves the gun toward me then. "If you do, then I'll take out Lou-Lou."
That's when Ricardo stands up and my pulse skyrockets because I've never seen him look so fucking angry before.
He looks so downright murderous right now...DeLuca looks impressed.
Ricardo cocks his gun and stands behind Alyssa. "And I'll take out Alyssa," he says to Ford in a gravelly tone.
Oh, shit.
DeLuca smiles. "Good job, son. I'm proud of you."
My stomach lurches because I know how much Ricardo's always longed for him to say that. The sheer irony that he's hearing it today of all days is eerie.
"Shit," Alyssa says, her voice strained.
"Sorry, Alyssa. But I'm not letting him kill Lou-Lou," Ricardo barks and my heart grips.
That is, until I take a look at the current predicament we're all in.
Everyone has a gun pointed at them except DeLuca. Which is exactly the way he pla
DeLuca claps his hands. "Good. Now that we've got that all sorted out and everyone knows where the other stands. Alyssa, I would like your attention."
"Don't, Alyssa," Ford says. "Whatever he says isn't true. You have to trust me. I love you. I have always loved you."