Page 159 of Dissolving Prejudice

“Merde… All this from one little puff—”

Loud noises cut into his words.

Not just noises.

Shooting.

“What is this fuss?” Dion grunted while getting up to his feet.

“I don’t know, boss.”

“Putain de bordel de merde,” Dion barked. “Go and check.”

I heard a door opening and closing and caught some movement in the corner of my eye before the room slowly became darker, and the noises turned muffled until they were all gone.

Shay-Lee

I parked the van behind a large warehouse that, with its broken windows and collapsing roof, had seen better days. Getting a bit closer to the windshield, I eyed the gloomy place and the cars parked around it before glancing to the back of the van, where Oro was writhing in pain like a slug while Jordan sat beside him.

“Is this the right place?” I asked.

“Y-yes,” he cried. “Now, take me to the hospital. You promised. You promised to—”

“Gag his mouth with something. His voice is getting on my fucking nerves,” I ordered Jordan, then switched off the van’s engine.

“W-what?” Oro gasped. “But you said you’d take me to the hospital if I got you here.”

“And why would you believe what I say? Aren’t I a cunning slut?” After using Oro’s own words against him, I opened the door and stepped outside. The strong musk of salt water and fish that carried through the air hit me, and I scrunched up my nose. It stunk, but I pushed the thought aside and looked at the cars parked around the building. While two of them were just basic black SUVs you’d imagine a gangster driving, one was a beautiful Rolls-Royce. Guessing who it belonged to wasn’t hard, and I was relieved to know Dion was also here.

I heard the back door of the van sliding open before Jordan got out with a muffled Oro tossed over his shoulder. After glancing at the sock shoved into Oro’s mouth, my eyes slid down to his legs and the blood-soaked tourniquets above his knees, right where I shot him.

I sure hope it hurts.

It wasn’t like I wanted to carry Oro with us, but his presence was essential to prove that he was the one behind this whole shitshow.

“How many men do you think are in there?” Jordan asked after stopping beside me.

Looking down at my gun, I loaded it. “Don’t know, but I sure hope all those boxing classes you took are worth something.”

He snorted, and I looked up to smile at him. We might be laughing now, but there was nothing funny about what we were about to do. But then again, I’d rather joke than shit my pants out of fear, and if thinking about this whole thing casually would stop my body from freezing, I’d do just that.

Dropping the smile, I looked him in the eyes.

“Ready?” I asked, well aware of what I was asking of him. Obviously, risking my life to save Camilo’s wasn’t even a question to me, but to Jordan? He hated Camilo and had no reason to help me more than he’d already had. And yet, despite all the bad blood between them, he just nodded.

“Let’s go,” he said before jumping Oro on his back so he’d have a better grip on him.

Carefully, we began advancing toward the building while constantly looking around. I had no clue what to do in situations like this, nor did I know how to work a gun (Oro might beg to differ), but I was about to learn. Sure, Camilo had taught me basic stuff, like how to unload a gun, but to actually shoot a man from a range? All I could think was that hopefully, I didn’t shoot the way I drive.

Once we reached the building, Jordan stopped and took Oro off his back.

“Wait here,” he told me while signaling to stay quiet.

“Why?” I frowned, lowering my voice.

Jordan straightened up and faced me, his expression harsh. “Just trust me, okay?”

I knew that based on our past, I should do anything but trust him. Yet, given the fact he’d saved my life not too long ago and was now risking his, I tightened my lips and nodded. Pleased, he held my stare for a brief second, then turned on his heels and rounded the building. A few seconds after he’d disappeared from my sight, I heard men’s voices, and things quickly heated. Their shouting, followed by the sounds of beating flesh, made my heart pause as nerves nibbled at my spine.