The One Who Got Away (Wilde Ways #12) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,60

moved—as much as it could—in a quick nod.

“That’s what I thought.” She seemed satisfied. “Antony, let him go. Time for us to figure out what the hell is going on.”

Chapter Fifteen

“There’s some injured people inside. A lot of them,” Jacob clarified as he threw a quick glance toward the closed back door. “Cops are probably going to be called soon. We should get the hell out of here before your face, Antony, is thrown all over the place.”

“I didn’t see any cameras during the bar fight,” Ella said. She’d been looking, too. Trying to make sure that no one whipped out a camera and filmed the tech whiz Antony Kyle in a bar fight. Her legs were braced apart, her hands at her sides, and her attention was focused on the man slumped against the wall as she assured Jacob, “I don’t think we have to worry about Antony being blasted on social media.”

“It’s not social media I’m worried about.” Jacob shifted closer. “It’s the cops. Did you miss that part? They will be coming. You left a ton of injured people in there.”

“Not all us,” Antony said. “Once things got going, everyone joined in. Not like we did all of the damage.”

“Wonderful. Freaking fantastic to know. I can’t believe I have to go over the meaning of low profile with you.” Jacob raked a hand through his hair. “I was told you knew how to do your job. I was told that I was going to be in the shadows. I was told this was easy work—”

Cal tried to break and run.

Antony just grabbed him and shoved him back against the wall. Ella had to note that Antony had lightning-fast reflexes. And a whole lot of strength. The way he’d been inside that bar…

It had been as if she’d been looking at someone else. A complete stranger. She never could have imagined Antony fighting so fiercely. So powerfully. He’d been brutally efficient as he dispatched every threat that came his way.

Cal whimpered. “L-let me go, man—”

“Sounds to me like you were told wrong, Jacob,” Antony said as he stared at his target. “Not really my problem.”

“Uh, yes, it is your problem!” Jacob fired back.

Antony’s hold tightened on Cal. “Where the hell did you think you were even going?” Antony demanded.

“Can’t…can’t be caught by cops.” Cal’s breath heaved in and out. “On p-parole. Can’t go—”

“You don’t want to be caught by cops? Then maybe you shouldn’t sneak up behind people and, oh, I don’t know, slam a chair into them,” Antony snarled back. “That’s called assault, dumbass!”

“You were hunting me!” His voice had gone all high-pitched and nasally. There wasn’t much light out there, but Ella could still make out the fear on his face as Cal said, “Angela called me. T-told me you were—were coming. I wasn’t gonna—”

“Angela,” Ella sighed as things started to make sense. “The ex-girlfriend. No wonder she was so helpful with our tip.” This hadn’t been the case of an ex wanting to out her boyfriend. This has been a setup. “I’m guessing she’s not really such an ex, is she? More like your current girl?”

Cal nodded jerkily. The fight seemed to have left him. Antony released his hold on the man but didn’t step back.

Jacob cursed. “Look, can we get this shit moving?”

They could. They would. “Axel Walker,” Ella said the name deliberately.

“Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” Fear quivered in Cal’s voice. “You guys are the ones…you killed Axel? Now you’re after me?”

If he thought they’d killed Cal…

“I didn’t have nothing to do with that job! Nothin’!” Cal swore. “I know the money was supposed to be good, but that job was too big for me. I’m not a kidnapper. I don’t do that shit! That’s hard time. I can’t go back to jail. I couldn’t—”

“Kidnapping,” Ella locked on that portion of his rambling speech. “Who was the kidnapping target?”

“I don’t know! Shit! Look, Axel wanted help. Someone he could trust, but I wasn’t down for that. Told him no. He was gonna be on his own. Said he’d do it anyway and…look what happened! He got himself shot.”

“Don’t know that he got himself shot,” Jacob mused. “So much as someone with a gun shot him.”

Ella shifted her feet as she tried to figure out her next question.

“Look, I’m not mixed up in this mess!” Cal was frantic as he pressed back against the dirty wall. “I heard what happened to Axel. Hate it. But I’m not involved, I swear! Don’t fuckin’ kill me!