Buttons and Grace (Buttons 6)

“What about you?”

“I’ll stay behind and cover you.”

“No.”

Cane didn’t look at me.

“We both get out.”

“I’m not abandoning my men, Crow.” He glanced at me before he turned away. “I have to make sure I kill Tristan, not just for you, but for Adelina. I know you would stay and help, but you’re too injured. I got you into this mess, and I have to get you out.”

“The chopper can carry us both.”

“I’m not leaving,” he said firmly. “I’ll get out of this alive. Don’t worry about me.”

The chopper zoomed in at a high speed and dropped the rope ladder toward the ground. The rotors were loud, announcing the helicopter’s presence to everyone within a mile radius.

“We don’t have time, Crow. Go.” Cane left my side and darted back into the mayhem. He ran along the wall, staying under cover as he rejoined the fight on the other side of the warehouse.

If I could physically do something, I’d grab a gun and join him. But I was too weak to do any damage. I would just get killed instead. Since I had a family waiting for me, that wasn’t an option. I used the last of my energy to run and jump onto the rope ladder. I swung forward, toward the sky and underneath the helicopter.

They immediately flew off, carrying me away from the gunshots that could still be heard as we rose in height. My ribs screamed in pain, and the weakness from my limbs made it difficult to hold on, but I wrapped my arm around the rope and locked it into place. If I let go, I would dangle.

They started to reel me in, pulling me into the chopper as we flew over Rome and retreated to a safe location. When I reached the skids of the chopper, one of the men pulled me inside and shut the door. It was even louder in there, directly underneath the rotors.

“We’re taking you to the hospital.” He handed me a helmet with a radio so I could understand what he was saying.

I pulled myself into the seat and strapped myself into place, feeling my mind go fuzzy. “I need to talk to Pearl.”

“Cane’s orders are to get you medical attention. You can call her later.”

She had to know I was okay. “Just give me your phone.”

“We can’t use it in here. You know that.”

I ground my teeth and looked out the window, feeling the last of my energy slip away.

Chapter 8

Cane

The battle was over.

The bodies were piled behind the warehouse where they would be burned. The already run-down compound looked even worse now that we were finished with it. People in the area probably called the police when they heard the gunshots, but the police knew to look the other way. They knew we wouldn’t cross them if they let us be. The citizens thought the police ran this country, but it was actually the criminals that controlled it.

“Found your little friend.” Constantine emerged from the circle while dragging Tristan by the ankle. He pulled him along the pavement, a trail of blood smearing behind him. Tristan was still alive but seriously injured. Constantine dropped him right in front of me, wearing the same grin a demon would wear. “We’re settled, then?”

“Yep.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll be at your base first thing in the morning. I expect everything to be in order.”

“It will be.”

He nodded to his comrades before he winked at me. “Have fun. Revenge has always gotten me off far better than a woman ever could.” He walked away with his crew, heading to the vehicles scattered around the area. Some vehicles were on fire from the gunshots, and others were simply totaled.

I lost a few men, but most of us made it out of there alive.

Tristan wouldn’t be able to say the same.

Tristan pulled himself up with weak arms. Blood dripped down his forehead and across his lips. His hair was matted with the wet blood that soaked into the strands. He sat up, slightly swaying with weakness.

I didn’t feel an ounce of pity.

“What are you waiting for?” he said under his breath.

“I’m not waiting for anything.” I pulled the pistol from the back of my jeans and cocked it. “Just enjoying it.”

He narrowed his eyes in anger, but he still wouldn’t show his terror.

“Now you know how it feels to be powerless, to have someone control you without your permission. Pretty shitty, huh?”

Tristan looked at one of the warehouses in the distance. “Isn’t it strange to think we did business together for so long, and it was a single woman who changed all of that?”

She wasn’t just a woman. She was my woman.

He shook his head. “I became obsessed with her the second I laid eyes on her. But I suspect your feelings are stronger than obsession. The only reason a man would go to such great lengths was if he loved her.” He turned his gaze back to me. “So, I have to ask. Was she worth it?”