Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Jake

I don't need any more information to know he is barreling toward us at eighty miles an hour.

It's fucking Toni.

And that fucker is going down. "Get Nia in the car," I snarl at Roman, who responds instantly by wrapping an arm around her and tucking her into his body.

One of the doors on Toni's SUV flies open and a goon with a gun hangs out as several shots ring out on the airfield. I recognize Gio Vendetti as we all duck, Roman covering Nia with his larger frame.

I say a quick and silent thank you to my nephew as I pull my Glock from my waistband, popping off a shot.

Not at Gio, but at the gas tank. I'll deal with that piece of shit later.

The ping of the hit echoes through the open air and we all know that the car is about to blow.

The pilot must see it too because the plane revs up, beginning to taxi down the runway to the far end .

Which is a good call, we don't need to add jet fuel to the inferno that's about to ignite.

All the doors to the SUV open, five men jump out of the car.

I only care about one.

I set my sights on Toni, even as more bullets begin to pepper the air.

Luke has his pistol out too and he returns fire.

I level my gun, aiming right for Toni's chest.

He raises his hands as his men cease fire. Standing between them, he glares at me. "I want my daughter. That's all."

"The one you tried to suffocate with a pillow?" I bark back. "I don't think so."

"I'm doing you a favor, Jake," Toni calls. "She'll never be faithful to you."

"You're confusing her with yourself," I growl back. I don't believe it for a second. I was there when Nia chose me over escape. I know her wounds like I know my own.

The ones this fucker gave her.

If I give her love, the kind that isn't selfish, she'll be mine forever.

"She isn't yours," Toni snarls. "Hand her over and I'll end the vendetta between us. I'll surrender another casino, you'll get your tunnel."

I shake my head. "We're getting your casino and our tunnel either way, old man."

He shakes his head. "That's what you think."

I have no idea what he's got planned and I don't care. I'll surrender Nia over my dead body. "No. That's what you think. Admit it, Toni. You've lost."

He snarls and quick as a snake, he raises his gun. Mine comes up too, both firing at the same moment.

I barely feel the prick in my arm as my shot hits him square in the chest.

One of the other men pops off another shot at Luke before they all scatter .

Luke volleys several more shots, but I don't think he hits anyone as they keep running.

"You go," Luke cries over the noise of the plane. "Get out of here before the car blows."

"But—" This is a big mess to clean up.

The plane stops again, further down the runway. Luke might be right. If we don't get out of here, we might never leave. Then again, as the man in charge of security, I have the most justifiable reason for shooting. Toni fired first.

It's Roman who is still holding Nia tight. "We got it, big guy. Go. Get her out of here."

"But I'm the one with the license to…"

"We're not going through police," Roman murmurs. "He's a wanted man and he's going to disappear like one." He places a hand on my shoulder. "Now, you get out of here and get yourself patched up."

"Patched up?"

That's when I look down to see my arm covered with blood. "Fuck."

"He shot you," Nia says on a gasping breath. "You're hurt."

Maybe it's the adrenaline but I barely feel a thing. "I'll be fine, sweetheart."

She's pushes out of Roman's grip, falling toward me, and wraps her arms around my waist. "Let me see it."

"On the plane, love. You can check on the plane. But we've got to go."

She gives a shaky nod as I wrap my other arm around her, and we climb back into our car.

Nia slides over the bench seat as I get in next to her. She instantly starts fussing with my shirt, assessing the blood. "Do you think it hit the bone? Can you move the arm? Did the bullet exit?"

Roman climbs into the passenger seat and Luke is already in the driver's seat. The moment the doors are closed, he speeds off toward the plane.

"Nia, I promise, I'll be fine. We should be talking about you. Toni is dead. "

Roman and Luke exchange glances as I watch the woman I love. I just shot her father…

She shakes her head. "Toni was dead to me a long time ago." She squeezes me tighter. "You're my family, which is why, the second that door closes, you're showing me the wound."

Roman meets my gaze over the top of Nia's head. I know that he is realizing the depths to which he had it wrong. But Nia turns to him. "We'll need a doctor."

"I'll take care of it, Nia," he answers in a reassuring voice as we reach the plane.

It's then that Toni's car blows. Our car rocks with the blast and despite my arm, I hug Nia close, shielding her.

"Don't worry," Luke says pointing at the windshield. "Bulletproof glass."

My arm is starting to ache, and I'll be glad to be settled into one of the seats of the plane with some bourbon in hand, Nia tucked into my side as we fly far away from here.

Roman opens the door. "I'm going to speak to the pilot, see if he can take off with Toni's car still on the runway."

I grimace, realizing we have a witness outside the family. "Who's the pilot?"

"Don't worry," Luke catches my gaze. "It's a friend."

I'm not sure what he's getting at. I'm normally better at reading the meaning of his words but my arm is really starting to ache now and my head hurts.

Roman and Luke retrieve the bags from the back of the car and carry them up the stairs, behind us.

We enter the low-lit interior of the plane, and I immediately sit in one of the large leather captain's chairs, my eyes closing.

I let out a long breath. My arm hurts like hell, but I can also feel that it's a fleshy muscle wound and not the bone.

A few stitches, some antibiotics, and I'll be good as new.

That doesn't stop Nia from starting to fuss.

She starts undoing the buttons of my shirt, pulling it off my body. "I'm fine, sweetheart," I murmur but she only clucks her tongue .

"You'll let me be the judge of that."

"Ever treat a bullet wound?" A slick accented voice calls from the front of the plane.

Nia lets go of my shirt, spinning.

My eyes widen as I try to glance around the amazing curve of her ass. Is that Gris?

If it is, that man is about to be toast.