Launching the empty bottle across the warehouse, it slams against one of the many metal pillars, shattering into a thousand pieces. I have no doubt I'll have to clean that shit up tomorrow. The boys are more than happy to help me clean up after myself when it has something to do with the Widows, but when it’s my own reckless bullshit, I'm out on my own.
The guys ignore me and keep on with their bullshit conversation, reminiscing about ‘old times’ that I wasn’t even here for because my ass was locked up. Either way, I appreciate them if only to keep me from making a stupid fucking decision.
They fill me in on all the little ins and outs that I’ve missed about Ocean and her daughter, Storm, and just when I think I can’t take another word, the alarm of the warehouse drops and screeches through the whole building.
The four of us pause, each of us glancing at the brother beside us and silently putting a game plan together. We’re on our feet in seconds, mine slightly wobbly after the bottles of bourbon that I’ve downed over the past two days.
We instantly split up and get out of the center of the building, making the targets on our back not quite so obvious. We were sitting ducks chilling out in the middle of an abandoned warehouse like that. It was stupid, but I assumed no one could find me here.
Guess I was wrong, just like I was wrong about Roni.
My gun rests comfortably in my hand as I creep toward the front entrance of the building with Eli on the other side. Sebastian and Kairo head for the back roller door, making sure we have all exits covered, but I don’t like it. The four of us should always stick together, though, in a building like this, it’s near impossible.
I hear the familiar metal scratching of someone yanking at the lock on the front door and I glance over at Eli. Whoever this person is either has balls of steel or is really fucking stupid. I’ll take option number two.
It’s not the Wolves. They would have run at the first hint of the alarms being dropped, so that puts it down to drunken teenagers who are probably wanting to get in and trash the place. They’re about to learn a really important lesson; don’t fuck with Dominic Garcia.
Eli and I get closer and closer while listening to the sound of the chains recklessly being yanked away. We don’t bother being careful. With the alarm screeching through the building, no one on the outside will be able to hear us.
We’re covered in darkness, and as the chains finally come free, a grin pulls at my lips. This is exactly what I’ve been needing to get my mind off Roni.
The roller door begins to lift and I see a lone shadow standing at the other side with just the light from a cell phone. Without hesitation, I rush in.
My arm slips around the throat of the shadowed person as my gun presses up against the person’s temple, and just as I go to squeeze my arm a little tighter, I get hit with the familiar scent of her fruity shampoo.
Roni freezes for a fraction of a second before racing up and tearing the gun out of my hand. “What do you think this is?” she demands, not daring to step out of my hold. “I come all the way back here and get hit with this bullshit?”
“Roni?” I question, hardly able to believe what I’m seeing as she slowly turns in my arm. The guys all stand around, checking that there’s no other threat, and within seconds, discreetly walk over to their cars and fuck off out of here, leaving me gaping at the woman who has destroyed me while the alarm screeches through the warehouse.
She looks up at me with those big, pleading eyes. “I couldn’t stay away,” she whispers, her voice somehow heard over the alarm.
I don’t wait a second longer before crushing my lips to hers and kissing her deeply. I scoop my hands under her body and lift her into my arms before walking back into the warehouse to where we’ll be protected.
The alarm shuts off and I can’t help but wonder if it was on some kind of timer or if Kairo has shut it off remotely. Either way, I don’t really give a fuck, all that matters is the woman in my arms.
I pull the roller door down behind me and remind myself that I’m going to have to come back out here and lock it up properly but Roni is too important to pull myself away from right now.
I take her right through to the shitty bunker that we’ve been calling home and place her down on her feet, right before the bed, my lips still crushed in a furious battle with hers, each of us fighting for dominance.