occurred.
I walked out, shoving my weapon into my pocket, the sun blinding. As I grabbed my sunglasses, I caught the sound of tires screeching on the pavement, my extensive training drawing immediate reaction. I jerked the weapon into both hands, dropping down and rolling for cover, my breathing ragged. As I held the SIG in both hands, peering out from around one of the stone columns, a dark-colored sports car swerved around the corner, one of the tinted windows slowly opening.
Pop! Pop!
One of the shooter’s bullets ricocheted off the stone, a second coming dangerously close to my head.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
I got off three rounds, all kill shots except the car had been rendered bulletproof. I shifted, moving closer, aiming for the small space of the open window. The shot missed, forcing bile into my throat.
My soldiers raced forward, immediately getting off several rounds.
The driver managed two more, hitting one of my soldiers.
I bolted off the stairs, shooting directly in front of the car, both hands on the weapon with my arms extended.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
I emptied the magazine, the windshield finally cracking as two of the bullets made it through.
“Fuck!” My hiss was drowned out by the screech of tires.
The driver slumped forward even as he pressed down on the accelerator, heading straight for me. I stood my ground, issuing two more before being tackled by my soldiers. I heard the sound of the horn just as I went down, gasping for air.
After the car swerved once again, the tires jumping the rounded curve of the landscaping feature, the driver managed to get control. Within seconds, it headed down the expansive driveway in the opposite direction.
“Jesus Christ, boss. Are you all right?” Jorge demanded, racing to my side.
I slowly rose to a standing position, glaring at the taillights, my chest heaving from the increasing rage. “I’m perfectly fine,” I growled. “Go see about Carlos.” I could tell the soldier was hurt badly, blood seeping onto the pavement.
“Yes, boss.”
My next task would be to hunt down Mr. Calleja and I would enjoy every minute spent capturing anything and anyone that mattered to him.
“I don’t know if he’s going to make it, boss. This is bad.”
Alviro Calleja had just made the worst decision of his life. His life was in my hands
After all, big game hunting was my expertise.
Chapter Three
Rafael
I’d made certain Carlos was comfortable, the local hospital one my family had given to generously, allowing us to avoid any police activity. I didn’t want this getting out before we had the opportunity to develop a plan of action.
Other than just killing the motherfuckers outright.
After leaving the hospital, I’d driven straight to my father’s estate, storming in through the front door, my feet thudding against the marble as I walked through to the wing housing his office. I still had difficulty believing we’d been played, especially in this manner, although there was no honor in the Los Charlines clan. None.
“I heard about the shooting. You look like hell, brother,” Dartanian hissed as he rounded the corner.
“I’ll live. What are you doing here?” My brother hadn’t given a shit for years.
“I have my reasons to be in the neighborhood,” he said, grinning like the playboy I knew him to be.
“You mean you’ve been spending times in the arms of a particular woman instead of handling aspects of business.”
Dartanian’s glib demeanor immediately shut down, his eyes turning cold as ice.
“Look, Father called me, barking that I needed to get my ass here quickly. Evidently there’s a mess to clean up. So, you want to tell me what the hell actually happened?”
While I might have struck a chord, the challenge one I rarely made, he knew I was right. I was far too agitated to give a shit about whether I’d hurt his feelings or not. “A ruse involving Calleja.”
“Interesting. The bastard isn’t wasting any time in taking over. What the fuck was it?”
“A meeting with his second in command.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You mean one that didn’t end well.”
I exhaled, glancing toward the closed door of my father’s office. “It was a warning and an attempt on my life.”
“Fuck.”
I paced the floor, still remembering the asshole’s words. “Where are Javier’s children? His wife?”
“What? What do they have to do with this?”
“You heard me. Where the hell are they?”
Dartanian cocked his head. “They were threatened as well?”
“Hell, yes. The meeting was a goddamn ambush and I was stupid enough to fall into it.”
“Why would the Los Charlines do something like that? They have to know