Page 103 of Intent to Kill
“What the fuck...” Antonio said, watching with wide eyes.
Nameless’s horrified buddy rushed at her. She kicked him down and began to lay cover fire as Adam moved throughout the bar, killing with only his hands and his fists. To him, it was more fun that way.
Adam reached Antonio, who went to load his gun with shaky fingers, but Adam kicked it away, raising his fists and inclining his head to entice Antonio to do the same. Antonio, it seemed, however rightfully afraid, wasn’t willing to go down without a fight either. The situation was covered, so Mercedes focused on the four backup thugs who remained alive.
One rushed to help Antonio, so she shot him before he could get close.
The other three rushed her. Breaking through her barrier of bullets, the tallest one tackled her from the tabletop onto the sticky tile.
Her head pounded as she felt the weight of a body holding her down. Two guys held her arms at her sides, while the third straddled her and gripped her throat.
Her breath was failing, darting out of reach every time she fought to catch it. The man was rough. They sure weren’t pulling punches anymore. The disgusting fuck even had the nerve to lean down and lick a line across her cheek.
Gross as fuck. But a good opening. She clamped her teeth on his ear and ripped. He released her with a howl. Twirling her legs, she kicked the left one off her, and grabbed a gun to shoot righty in the head, then lefty, too, for good measure. As a final killing blow, she pushed up and grabbed a knife from the bar top, plunging it into the strangler’s heart.
She finally stood and threw her hair from her eyes, turning back to Adam and Antonio’s fight.
Adam clearly had a desire to tease because the fight was still fucking going. Adam now danced around Antonio, not bothering to lay a fist himself, only dodging the ones Antonio so desperately threw.
With Adam distracted by her approaching, Antonio managed to land a hit against Adam’s cheek. Adam fell back, stunned, but smiling as he wiped the blood away with his thumb.
Now flanked between them, Antonio faltered, like he couldn’t decide who was the worst one to surround him. Especially since they were barely acknowledging him, only looking at each other with raw and wicked delight.
Just at the moment that Antonio turned toward Adam with wide eyes, Adam threw a punch with all his weight behind it, sending Antonio careening toward Mercedes.
She grinned as Antonio fell into her.
“Give him hell, baby,” Adam said.
She took her knife and grabbed Antonio by the neck, holding him still at her front. He struggled, but she only pulled him in tighter.
“Say hi to Yani for me,” she said, but he barely had a moment to appreciate the comment as she sliced across his throat in a polished swipe.
The blood poured freely, his carotid severed and washing onto the tile like a heavy wave. Even as he died, bleeding out in front of them, they only looked at each other.
Fucking hell, she was turned on. By the look of it, Adam was, too.That’s why they belonged together.The thought stunned her like a Taser.
Finally, she released Antonio’s neck and he thudded down.
She moved to stand over the body, coating her shoes in the thick pools of blood.
“Damn, baby,” Adam said.
Returning from the blood haze, she looked over the bar. A complete mess. Torn to shreds, bodies everywhere, and coated in blood spray. “Looks like we’ve got a big fucking mess to clean up,” Mercedes said, and she didn’t just mean the state of their bar.
* * *
SEPTEMBER 1986
Once they’d lost their home at the trailer park, there was truly nowhere else to go. Blake’s men had been hot on their heels ever since.
They found temporary shelter in a dirty alleyway at the edge of the city. Out of breath from the pursuit, Adam only encouraged a brief stop. They had maybe a ten-minute lead on Blake’s men. At best.
“I think we lost them,” Mercedes said.
“Only just,” Paul said. “It was really close.”
“Really close,” Carlos agreed as he stopped to sit on a trash can.
