final thing to happen in a person’s life, and I thought it should be respected, even if I was the one who was causing it.
“We don’t know. They wouldn’t let us see them.” Lorenzo blinked, but it wasn’t a normal blink. He kept his lids closed for several seconds too long, the signal that I’d been waiting for. I snapped the gun off my waistband, extended my arm, and fired off two shots in quick succession, one for each of them, landing in the middle of their foreheads.
Blood spattered all over my light-gray shirt, and I cursed, knowing there was no way I would get it out now. I should have known better though. I should have worn black.
Their bodies slumped forward, the blood marking the wood of the table and the carpet on the ground. The entire room would need more than a clean, it’d need an overhaul. But Lorenzo would take care of that. He always did.
I clicked the safety on, stowed it back in its holster, and tilted my head at Romeo. “Get rid of them.” His gaze veered over to Lorenzo, and my temper skyrocketed. He’d second-guessed everything I’d told him from the time I’d been made captain. I’d thought it was growing pains, but now I was seeing that I had to nip it in the bud.
Lorenzo’s deep voice echoed around the room, but I didn’t pay full attention to it. Instead, I took three steps toward Romeo. “You got something to say?” I ground out, low enough so only he would hear me.
“The boss—”
“Is busy,” I interrupted, staring him right in the eyes. “I gave you an order, soldier.” I paused, letting that sink in. “I give you your orders. Not Lorenzo. You answer to me.” I swiped a droplet of blood off my cheek, knowing that it would only smear. “Are we clear?”
Romeo’s nostrils flared, his face turning red, but finally he clipped his head in a nod and moved toward the two bodies. I crossed my arms over my chest, watching as he dragged them out of the door and into the back room where several more soldiers were waiting to help him. I’d had three more join ranks under me. They were up and coming, needing to learn the ropes, but they were getting there. One of them was Romeo’s brother, Rafael. From what I’d seen so far, he was the total opposite of Romeo. Where Romeo never cracked a smile, he was full of them. I couldn’t help but wonder how long that would last in our business.
Once the door clicked closed behind Romeo, I looked back up, spotting Lorenzo walking toward me. He didn’t need to say a word to let me know he was ready to go. I simply fell into line behind him.
“Problems?” he asked as we entered the SUV.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I told him, starting the engine. “Where to?”
“Home. Aida is waiting for me.” He pulled out his satellite phone, effectively ending the conversation. Being part of the organization meant you needed to learn when to speak and when not to. I wasn’t sure it was something I could teach to my soldiers, but I was determined to show them the way. We all had a reason why we’d joined, whether by blood or by force. Whichever it was, loyalty and dedication had to be at the forefront of every decision.
I swiped my hand down my face, trying to formulate a plan to effectively show my soldiers without putting any of them at risk. My job just got a hell of a lot harder than I’d ever thought it would be.
CHAPTER 8
LUNA
The hand on the clock ticked by, haunting me. I had an hour until the midnight deadline, and I couldn’t find my laptop anywhere. It had been here when I got home from college earlier, but now it was nowhere to be seen. I was positive I’d left it on my bed while I went to have a shower. Had I imagined it?
No. My assignment was ready to go, all I needed was to do a last proofread and then I could click send. But not if I didn’t find the damn laptop.
I yanked the sheets off, searched under the comforter, under my bed, and even in my small set of drawers that held the few thrift store clothes I owned.
Fuck. What if I’d left it in the kitchen when I grabbed a snack earlier?