Taz curled into a sitting position, his broken nose and bleeding shoulder protesting every millimeter of movement, so he could watch the women. Bianca wasn't about to go assassin on him, even if he wouldn't blame her if she did. It wasn't in her make up, but Amelia didn't know that.
"Your friend." The words rushed out. "I don't know where she is, but I do know some things that may help you find her. They postponed delivery of Genie's Wish, but the testing sessions are still going on. They took her last night, during the party. That's why we had to leave you."
It could be the truth. It could be bullshit to placate the woman holding a gun on her. Still, even if only ten percent was the truth, it was more than they had before, and judging by what she'd said once Oliver showed up with his nine millimeter, she had information to share.
"You said they were targeting Bianca and the women she went to school with. Why?" he asked, ignoring the pain making his body throb with every inhaled breath.
The distinctive blare of law enforcement sirens sounded outside. Vivi promised ten minutes if things went wrong and she hadn't been lying. They'd be here any second.
"I don't know," Amelia cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Get the girls from St. Bernadette's is all he said."
"Who's he?" Bianca asked.
A gunshot boomed in the tiny room.
Amelia went down, a small hole right between her eyes.
Bianca whipped around, her aim true.
"Get down!" Ignoring his own injuries, Taz jumped up, more than ready to take another bullet for Bianca if that's what needed to be done.
Oliver struggled to sit up as blood rushed from the gash slicing his temple. One leg of his pants was pulled up, revealing an ankle holster. He held a small two-shot pistol against his own head.
"We'd die no matter what. At least this way, it'll be fast." He pulled the trigger.
Another loud bang and he crumpled to the floor.
The door flew open. A group of men and one very short woman rushed into the room. Someone yelled, "Federal agents."
Keeping her movements deliberate, Bianca held up her free hand as she squatted down and laid the gun she'd gotten from Amelia on the floor, then stood up again. Standing beside her, Taz lifted his right hand since his left arm was too busy bleeding to cooperate.
"They're friendlies." Vivi kicked the gun away from what was left of Oliver, then gave them both an assessing look before guiding them through the throng of agents out into the hall. "Are you okay? You look like shit."
As if the words were a reminder to his body, the pain crashed into him. He tightened his grip on Bianca's hand but kept his face neutral. After the number of years he'd spent in the ring, he'd learned to deal with pain and get past it. "It was a through and through. I'm fine."
"You sit." Vivi pointed to the nearby bench and clicked on the mic hooked to her Kevlar vest, walking across to stand in the doorway to the room where the agents where taping off the crime scene. "We need a paramedic in here. Gunshot wound to the shoulder, moderate bleeding. Patient alert and a confirmed pain in the ass."
"Yeah, but you're my pain in the ass." Bianca sat down next to him on his uninjured side, her presence doing almost as much as a shot of painkillers to make his world better.
"You know I meant what I said on the stairs outside." Ignoring the hot jolt of pain searing his shoulder, he picked up her hand and kissed the love line dancing across her palm. "I took a bullet for you, Kitten. You better believe I love you."
She sat back. Tears made her eyes glisten but there wasn't an ounce of sadness in them. "And I'd take one for you."
He grinned. He couldn't help himself. Falling in love with Bianca really was the best win he'd ever have. "I'm going to translate that to mean you love me too."
She rolled her eyes. "You're so bossy."
He dipped his head for a kiss. "Just the way you like me."
"No." She met him halfway and brushed her lips across his, a hint of things to come and a promise for the future. "Just the way I love you."
CHAPTER TEN
Bianca almost caught a flash of something through the open spaces between her fingers before Taz put his own hand over hers, effectively creating a human blindfold. After two weeks of watching contractors tromp up to the Devil's Dip Gym's second floor to transform a small corner of the expansive space into her office, she was more than ready for the big—even if it was technically little—reveal.
"I said no peeking," he said, as he pulled her snug against him so her ass was pressed against his rock hard thighs.
The contact sent her body spiraling down familiar territory. Hard nipples? Check. Weak knees? Check. An overwhelming urge to climb him like a jungle gym and ride him until they were both hot, sweaty, and satisfied? Oh, hell yes. In the past three months they'd been insatiable and it hadn't made a damn bit of difference. Every time he walked into the room, her heart went into overdrive. And the rest of her? Well, it went soft, wet, and needy.