Shameless - Sybil Bartel Page 0,10
or parking lot. Dominic was old as shit, but make no mistake, he’d shoot me without hesitation.
“Do not yell at him,” Cara snapped.
“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll shoot you on principle,” I warned Cara as the old man made an act of slowly getting out of the Lincoln and picking his way around the sedan.
His hands up, Dominic shook his head sheepishly. “Mr. Shade.” His accent thick, his voice wobbled with age. “I had no choice.” He attempted a smile. “I cannot say no to the signora.”
“Who else knows where you are?” If their cell phones were on, Antonio was tracking them same as Cara had tracked me.
“I tell no one, I swear.” The old man crossed himself with one hand.
Sighing like she was the one who was put out, Cara rolled her dark eyes. “I told you I left him. It is just you and me now. Stop this nonsense. We need to get moving.” She gestured toward the restaurant. “You’re attracting attention.”
“I’m not attracting shit,” I corrected. “You are.” In a white dress with high heels, she was dressed for Miami Beach summer, not Jacksonville winter. “Get back in the car.” I tipped my chin at Dominic. “You’re taking her home.”
“No,” Cara protested, clawing at my chest. “I am coming with you.”
“The fuck you are.” Done with this bullshit, I eyed Dominic. “Bring me both of your phones.”
As the old man shuffled back to the Lincoln, the passenger door of the Escalade opened.
Motherfucker. “Back inside, princess,” I barked.
Ignoring me, Summer walked around the front of the SUV. “What’s going on?” Eyeing Cara, she glanced at me. “Is that the psycho ex?”
Whipping her head around despite my hold on her, Cara practically levitated. “Who the hell is that?” Looking up at me, she seethed. “You are fucking this girl?” Switching to Italian, she let loose. With a string of cuss words, she cursed me, my family and my unborn children before threatening to cut my dick off.
“Get in the Escalade,” I warned Summer as Dominic came back and held the phones out to me.
Crossing her arms, Summer defiantly glared at Cara. “Not a girl, bitch. Woman. Just ask Shade.” She smirked.
The shit hit the fan.
Cara lunged at Summer, Dominic dropped the phones as he made a grab for Cara, two waiters came out of the restaurant yelling, and a third car with tinted-out windows careened into the parking lot.
I didn’t fucking wait to see who it was.
I didn’t have to.
Shoving Cara into Dominic, I grabbed Summer and tossed her in the Escalade. “Move, move, move!”
She scrambled across the driver seat and over the center console as the first shots plunked into the SUV. Jumping in after Summer, I yanked the door of the armored Escalade shut, shoved the key in, and threw it in reverse.
Gunning it, I backed into the street but then slammed on the brakes as two of Vincenzo’s henchmen fired at us in broad daylight like this was the fucking Alamo.
Grabbing the back of Summer’s neck, I shoved her head to her lap. “Get down.” Opening her window, I took aim.
“Oh my God, what are you doing?” she screeched. “Don’t stop, drive!”
Shots hitting the SUV, Cara screaming, Dominic yelling, Summer shaking, I pulled the trigger four times.
The back wheels on both cars went flat.
Putting the window up, I threw the Escalade into Drive and gunned it.
A couple more shots plunked off the SUV, but a block later, we were in the clear.
Checking my rearview mirror, I spared Summer a glance. “You can get up now.”
Breathing heavy, she didn’t move.
I scanned her body, even though I knew she wasn’t hit. “The vehicle’s armored, princess. You’re safe.” Grasping her shoulder, I pulled her up to a sitting position. “Put your seat belt on.”
Her face white, her arms crossed, she stared straight ahead. “You’re worried about my seat belt after shooting over my head?” Her voice and hands shaking, she reached for her seat belt.
I checked my side mirror and changed lanes at the last minute to make a turn. “You were never in danger.” Not from my shots.
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “They were shooting at us.”
From what some of the other men at Luna and Associates had said, this wasn’t her first rodeo. “Heard you were in the middle of a firefight at the Ultimate Music Festival.” Scanning the streets and rearview mirror for more of Vincenzo’s men, I blew through a yellow light.
“That was different,” she protested, some of the color