Sweet Pain (Amatucci Family #3) - Sadie Jacks Page 0,45

looked up, saw the DELIVERIES and SHIPPING ONLY sign above the elevator door at my back. I shook my head. I hadn’t even noticed he’d dropped me at the right door, but I should have known he wouldn’t take any unreasonable chances with me.

I waited out the last ninety seconds of the four minute countdown Mas had given Ryker and the front door team. As soon as I saw Nik and Daphne slide around the corner of the parking garage’s entrance, I pushed the button for the service elevator.

The door dinged open immediately. Following Mas’ quickly whispered directions, I flipped the toggle switch on the black square in my hand. A blinking red light appeared. I stepped into the elevator car and slapped at the button for the seventh floor.

The doors whisked shut, enclosing me in a chilly silence. Tapping my foot to cover the sound of the blood rushing through my ears, I counted off the numbers as they flashed on the black digital panel.

Sweet goddess, this was the slowest elevator known to womankind! I wanted to shout and yell. I just prayed no one could see me on the screens. I looked up at the camera in the upper left corner.

The red light below it was blinking.

I looked down at the device in my head. Looked back up at the camera. Smiled. The red lights were blinking in time with each other. I just hoped that was what I was supposed to be going for with all of this.

My tummy twisted as the car settled at the seventh floor with a mechanical groan of outrage. I winced as the doors seemed to open, hesitate, then fully slide open on a rough squeak. I stuck my head out, looked both ways really quickly. I sighed when I saw the hallway was clear.

Now for the next stage of my own personal mission. I stood in the path of the elevator doors, put the borrowed device into the space between the two sets of doors. Hitting a chrome button on the bottom of the black box, I slowly stepped away.

When the door held and no annoying buzz went off inside the elevator, I did a little victory dance. I’d successfully done my part. Suck on that, de Silva family bad guys!

I heard a low snickering laugh from behind me. Mas and his top lieutenant were sliding into the hallway from the far elevator. Mas rolled his eyes and shook his head at me.

How I’d managed to get to the seventh floor before them was a mystery.

Until I saw at least three mangled bodies on the floor of their now empty elevator car. I shuddered. Watched all eight of them creep down the hallway to the far corner office.

I began ticking off the minutes in my head.

When I hit five minutes, I felt the beads of sweat form on my forehead.

At ten minutes, my belly threatened to roll.

Just before I hit twenty minutes, one of Mas’ guys stuck his head out the door and called for me.

I raced down the hallway. Winced as my shoes slapped at the tile floors. Not nearly as quiet as the Death Squad who’d gone before me. I tried to tiptoe the rest of the way.

The man who had beckoned me, shook his head very slightly right before I crossed in front of the window next to the room.

I stilled.

“Come in. We need your help with the girl,” he said. With his free hand, he pointed behind him. The motion raised the edge of his shirt. The butt of his gun was nestled against his abs.

Shit. They were in trouble and I was their own option for rescue.

I nodded. “Sure. I’ll help in whatever way I can.” I stepped forward, faked a trip and bumped into his body. “Damn feet. Sorry.” As I backed up, I pulled the gun from his pants.

He turned quickly, shielding my body with his.

At least five men, not part of the Death Squad, were standing in the room. Guns pointed at the Amatucci soldiers. Mas was on the floor. A wound on his head slowly pumped blood onto the floor below him.

I gritted my teeth. “What the hell is going on?” I asked, ducking around from behind my human shield’s shoulder.

“You’re the bitch who has nine lives, it seems.” A woman came out from behind one of her own men. “Where is Antonia?” Her long pale hair was at odds with her dark brows and dusky skin tone. Her voluptuous body was