“Geoff,” I called to the silent man. “Stick close to me. Whatever happens, your sole duty is to keep Kit safe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
I surveyed the diner as I entered, scanning the faces—
“Sully!”
Oh, the sweet music of his voice. Kit sat in a booth at the rear of the diner. I hurried toward him.
Kit jumped to his feet and flung himself at me. His shoulders shook, and he breathed hard, clenching my shirt between his fingers.
“You’re safe.” I kissed the top of his head. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Geoff is here too.”
He sniffled. “I was so scared.”
I caressed his cheek lightly, mindful of the angry-red bruising. How dare someone put their hands on him. I’d kill the person whose fingerprints marred Kit’s skin.
“What happened?”
“Nolan ambushed me at the apartment building. I don’t know how he found out about that place, but he threatened Song, and that’s why he’d called me to help him with applications today. They were already at the apartment when I got there.”
“They?”
“Yes, Nolan was with another guy. Talon Scott, I think his name was. He works for the Grimaldos.”
Fuck. Our time had run out. Javier knew we were behind Ivan’s death, and now he was after Kit.
“We should get out of here.” I took Kit’s hand. “If Nolan wasn’t already dead, I would—”
“Dead?” Kit slapped a hand over his mouth.
“Yes, he fell down the stairs at the apartment and broke his neck.”
Kit’s face turned white, and his body sagged. He would have fallen if I hadn’t caught him.
“Oh my god,” he whispered. “Oh my god, Sully, I killed him.”
“What do you mean?”
“They were forcing me to leave with them down the stairs. To get away, I shoved Nolan, and he tumbled down the stairs. I didn’t mean to kill him.”
I took his face between my hands and planted a kiss on his forehead. “You listen to me, Kit. You can feel any way you do about anything, but I won’t have you mourning that piece of shit. You hear me?”
“Boss.” A hand tapped my back. “We’ve got company.”
I glanced over my shoulder and took in the two men who’d entered the diner. They stood out—Latino men, with tattoos up to their neck and wearing jackets in this heat. A third man came in after them, this one white and void of tattoos, but from his whispered words to one of the others, they were together.
“It’s him!” Kit cried.
“Go!” I shoved Kit in front of me toward the door marked Staff Only.
“Hey, you can’t go back there!”
“Run!”
A gunshot rang out, and someone screamed. Kit took off and sprinted through the door. I followed him with Geoff at my heels.
“Where’s the exit?” I grabbed a stunned man who stood at a kitchen sink, scrubbing a skillet.