Until Her - Ami Van Page 0,50
slip from around her arm and he falls forward in slow motion. A hand clamps around her mouth right before she can let out a scream.
“I’ll end you right here and now!” a man shouts in her ear, ending her struggle.
The voice was familiar. It’s a Romano soldier. She knows it in her heart that it is.
He drags her down the alley but she didn’t see a waiting vehicle anywhere near and her eyes dart left to right, looking for a way out or anything that might help her.
Pop.
Another shot echoed from somewhere and the man loses his grip on her. He falls to his knees but he’s trying hard to get back up.
“RUN, ARIANA!! GET OUTTA HERE!” Mitch screams at her before he falls flat on the ground again.
She waits, hoping on her next heartbeat that she can see any movement from his still body.
The stranger must’ve regained some of his strength back because he reaches out and grabs her ankle.
There’s no way she’s going back. Not today. Not ever. This is her first chance at escaping a debt that she never took, a debt that she’s never even seen. There’s no way in fucking hell that she wouldn’t put up a fight. If she’s prepared to die under Cristian’s drugs then she should be prepared to die fighting to get out too.
She pivots her hips and kicks at the man’s hold on her as hard and as many times as she can. He finally let go when she gives him a good knee to the face. She hopes that the crack she heard is the sound of something breaking in his head.
The moment his hand slips off of her, she runs. And runs.
She runs as fast as she can, turning corners up on corners, not knowing which direction to go. But she keeps running. She runs like the wolves are chasing her down. Because that’s exactly what’s chasing her. Wolves.
She didn’t know which way to turn or which house to go into but she continues running until homes turn into businesses. Until streets are lined with cars. She didn’t even know how long or how far she ran but the sight of the sushi restaurant that Adam took her for lunch comes into view and she heads right into it.
It’s not crowded, thankfully.
The hostess stares at her with eyes widened as she tries to catch her breath. “Are you okay?” the hostess asks.
“I need a phone,” she half shouts and half whispers. “Please! I need you to call the Kings. Adam King. Hurry!”
Chapter Twenty-One
He’d just walked into the house, trailing after Jazzy when his phone buzzes…and buzzes. He watches his daughter walk away with Pam who was waiting by the staircase before he answers the unfamiliar number.
“Adam!” Derrick calls out to him from the office before he can say anything into the phone. He looks down at the phone and sees that the call has disconnected anyway.
He steps into the office and Derrick is out of his seat alongside Chase, Elias, and Mason. He caught Derrick’s wince at the sudden movement and nearly asked his brother if the pain is tolerable.
“What’s going on?” he asks, looking from one man to the next when he sees their grim expressions.
“The safe house was attacked. We have men down. McCullen’s men too,” Chase answers.
“WHAT?” he roars. “Ariana. Where is she?” he asks through the boulder in his throat.
He sees the look on Chase’s face. He knows he should be asking about their men. He should be asking if they know who did this. Then again…he already knew. Which means, Romanos might have her. And if so, then nothing else matters. The business was always first. Not this time.
“We don’t know yet,” Derrick answers.
“Who’s out there?” he asks. “Fuck this. I’m going to the house.”
“No!” Derrick stops him. “Right now we’re going to assume it’s the Romanos. If that’s the case, then let McCullen handle it. We don’t need to play our hand until we have to.”
“Derrick’s right, Adam.” Stella steps into the office with her phone in her hand. “I’m just as worried about her as you are.”
He looks at her and then at her phone.
“What did McCullen say?” he asks her. “Is she there?” he hesitantly asks. It’s better than asking if she’s dead.
“No,” Stella answers. “She’s not. But Marcus didn’t make it. I have James and Tommy discreetly spreading the word and looking for her right now.”
“That’s not enough!” he shouts. “We have men all over the fucking city!