Free Lace and Bullets: A Hitman Romance by Marie Carnay Page B

neck and shoulder. It paused at her breast and Damien stepped forward. “Hands off. She’s not Marcelo’s yet.”
    The enormous man ignored him. The gun kept moving. “You know Marcelo thinks you’d fetch a pretty penny with Valera. His crew is landing on the next pier tonight.”
    “He’s selling her to Valera? But they’ll take her back to Colombia.”
    Rocco let the gun linger on her hip. The circle of the barrel dug into Mia’s soft flesh. She closed her eyes.
    “You know how much they’ll pay for an innocent girl who looks like this? Those big eyes.” The gun left her hip and Mia opened her eyes in time to see it lift her hair. “That long, sexy hair.”
    Damien turned to her and the alarm in his eyes seemed genuine. “I figured she’d stay here.”
    “What’s it matter to you?”
    Damien shrugged. “Nothing.” He shoved his gun into his waistband and any hope Mia had vanished. “You know if Marcelo’s good on my conditions?’
    Rocco’s eyes darted up to Mia and back down. “Yeah, sure. You should head in. He’s expecting you.”
    Damien nodded. He took Mia by the arm to lead her toward the warehouse, but Rocco stopped him.
    “I’ll be taking her. Marcelo wants you to go in alone.”
    Damien’s grip tightened. “Is that right?”
    “Yeah. He told me to come find you and get the girl. She’s going straight to a car. You’re going in.”
    Mia’s eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Something was going on behind the words, but she couldn’t make it out. Was it a set-up? Was Damien having second thoughts?
    He glanced at her as he spoke. “What if I don’t like what I hear?”
    Rocco shrugged. “Don’t think he cares much about that.”
    Damien snorted. “Nice knowing you, babe.” He leaned toward Mia and grabbed her head. His lips brushed against her ear. “When I tell you to run, do it.” He made a loud smack with his lips and pulled back.
    “Tell Marcelo she’s got a mouth like a vacuum. It never loses suction.”
    Rocco laughed. “You’re one mean son of a bitch, Damien.”
    “I try.” Damien walked toward the warehouse as Rocco held Mia by the arm.
    He slipped in through the door and the brute laughed. “That man doesn’t know what he’s got comin’. You don’t screw with Marcelo and live to tell about it.”
    Fear bloomed fresh in Mia’s chest. If Marcelo killed Damien, she would never escape.
    Rocco tugged her toward the street. “Come on. I’m gonna sample the merchandise.” He grabbed at his crotch and made a sick sucking sound with his lips. “Think you can handle me?”
    Oh my God .
    He shoved her to her knees. She fell with a thud to the pavement.
    “Eyes up, bitch.”
    Mia looked up through a tangle of her hair. No fucking way.
    She didn’t need Damien to save her. She could do this on her own. As Rocco tugged on the zipper of his pants, Mia tensed. He could shoot her in the back for running away, but it would be better than giving in.
    The brute’s pants fell around his ankles and Mia threw herself to the ground. She rolled over the pavement as he cursed and struggled to yank them back up. Planting her bound hands in front of her, she pushed up and staggered to her feet.
    “I’m gonna get you for this!” His words bellowed through the night and Mia took off at a sprint.
    The shoes Damien had given her were a size too big and every step was like running in mud. She tripped over broken bottles and crushed cans, stumbled over cracks in the pavement. But she kept going.
    The sound of gunshots pierced the night. She didn’t know if they were shooting at her or Damien, but it didn’t matter. The lights of the warehouse faded behind her and she ducked behind a broken down car. Her breath came hot and fast and she gulped in the foul-smelling air.
    Footsteps sounded in the dark and Mia cursed. This can’t be happening. She took off again, trying to make it to somewhere she could hide. She didn’t find it.
    A body slammed into her from behind.