Standing By (Road House) (8 page)

“What am I supposed to do about that?” Emilio stilled his shaking hand. He had to play this cool. Max wasn’t a guy to fuck with.

“Don’t get smart with me, you little prick. I’m out twenty grand thanks to your worthless father and ten for the whore.” He could hear Max take in a draw from his cigarette, likely to calm his own nerves. Being in debt that much meant he owed. And if owing Max was bad, Emilio could only guess the kind of people Max would owe.

“See, I’ve been thinking,” Max continued. “I’ve got all these debts and no collateral. So maybe I just take Nic here as collateral. That is, unless you’ve got the cash I want.”

Emilio stilled. There was no way. He could come up with some, but there was no way.

“I’ve got fifteen.”

“No good enough!” Max shouted into the phone. The sound of things being thrown around made Emilio worry for his brother’s safety.

“I’ve got fifteen and my bike. You know it’s worth more than the debt.” Emilio waited, his heart lodged firmly in his throat.

“Deal. Meet me at the warehouse, and don’t try anything funny.”

“Let me talk to Nic.”

“Fine.”

Emilio could hear rustling through the phone.

“Emilio?” Nic scared voice came on the line.

“I’m here, bud.” Emilio swallowed the emotions threatening to bubble up.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry. I just wanted to help. Thought I could talk to them. Listen,” Nic got closer to the phone, “They want money. Get in the safe. Combination four, two, one.”

Emilio furrowed his brow. They didn’t have a safe.

The sound of Max’s laughter grated Emilio’s last nerve.

“Bring me the money and bike soon. I don’t like waiting.” The phone went dead.

Emilio sprang into action. In seconds, he was dressed and quickly lacing his boots.

“What’s going on?” Pan padded into the sitting room, sheet wrapped firmly around her.

“They have Nic.” Emilio stood and yanked open the drawer nearest him. Inside lay the guns his father left. He tucked them into the back of his pants and covered it with his shirt.

“I’ll be dressed in just a sec.” Pan raced from the room but stopped when Emilio grabbed her hand.

“You stay here.” He fixed her with a firm look. “It’s too dangerous.”

“I can be your backup.” Pan pulled harder, struggling to maneuver out of his grip.

“No!” he shouted. “No. You can’t be there. I just couldn’t take it. It’s bad enough they have Nic, and I don’t know what they might do.”

“That’s why you need me,” she pleaded. Her heart wrenched at the thought of him in so much danger.

Emilio pulled her to him and kissed her. Hard. Like he was trying to fill all his emotions in just one kiss. He pulled away and placed his forehead to hers.

“I do need you,” he said hoarsely. “That’s why you can’t go. The thought of losing you kills me. I just can’t think about it. I need you here.”

Both hands cupped her cheeks for one last tender kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered and then rushed out the door.

***

“Thanks for calling me, Pan,” Connor said. He paced the length of the sitting room taking in everything that she’d said. Maria and her mother stayed behind in case Nic happened to get away. It was a long shot but better than worrying about what was going on.

“He just took off. Said something about trading his bike over the phone. My guess is that asshat Max is in deep and needs cash.” Pan picked at her nails.

The detective had raced over the minute Pan had called. She watched as he made several calls. There was something going on tonight, and Max was in too deep to get out on his own. Worry ate at her over Nic. He had already been through so much. She only hoped they wouldn’t hurt him to force Emilio to make a trade.

Emilio.

Pan clinched her fist. You just don’t say you love someone and then take off, never knowing if they’ll see you alive again. If Max didn’t take him out, she just might.

“Right. Thanks, Chuck.” Connor hung up the phone and turned to her. “So it looks like we were right about some kind of drop tonight. Likely Max is supposed to pay and just doesn’t have the money for it. Him shaking down Emilio only shows how desperate he is.”

“So what does that mean?” Pan stood, ready to take action.

“It means,” he said, placing his hands on her shoulder, trying to steer her back to the couch, “It means that I’m going to get over to the warehouse. Some of the guys will meet me there are soon as they can.”

“What should I do?” Pan moved away from the couch.

“You should wait here in case he comes back.” He patted her hand.

Pan ripped it away and poked him in his oversized chest.

“Listen here, bub. I’ve been ditched once tonight. After a long day of being chased, shot at, amazing sex and a love confession.” Pan stepped forward and puffed up until she was about as intimidating as she could get. “If you think you’re leaving me behind. Think. Again.”

“We don’t have time for this shit.” Connor rubbed his forehead.

Pan held firm. She was sick and tired of these dumbasses telling her what she should do.

“Fine,” Connor said. “But you just make sure he knows I had no choice.”

Pan was pretty certain she heard him mutter something about crazy bitches but let it go. They had some ass to go kick.

***

Emilio pulled up at the warehouse. He couldn’t really figure out what Nic meant about the safe combination until he made his way up to the building. Four goons waited for him at the gate and waved him through. That meant two at the door and one inside with Nic. This was doable.

The cold steel of the guns pressed into his back. He hoped he wouldn’t need to use them but knew Max wasn’t going to let this go. For one, they had to get out of there on foot since he was trading his bike.

He climbed off the bike and walked to the doors.

“Light load there. Hope you don’t piss the boss off,” goon number one said and laughed.

“Quit fucking around. Boss wants to see him ASAP,” goon number two said.

They led him inside the dark warehouse. One behind and one in front. Like he was going to take off at this point. Machines sat empty, cobwebs collecting in the corners. A thick layer of dust and grim covered everything.

After traveling down a series of rows, they came to the back of the building.

“Ah, Emilio. So good of you to drop by.” Max grinned at him from behind a desk. Nic sat to his side with tape over his mouth.

“Cut the crap, and let’s get to it.” Emilio stopped in front of the desk and tried to make himself seem as large as possible.

“So where’s my money?” Max glared at him. “You know I don’t like games.”

“No game. Just a little assurance.”

Max stood and slammed his hands on the table.

“I don’t have time for this. Now where’s the God-damned money?” Little flecks of spit came out.

Emilio tossed the keys to the bike on the table.

“I tell you when Nic and I are safe outside the gate. Not until then.” Emilio crossed his arms across his chest.

“Well it looks like we’ve got ourselves a problem.”

***

“Now don’t get out of this car. The rest of the team will be here soon, and we’ll handle it.” Connor said as he stooped to the passenger’s side window.

He’d parked the car just down the road. They had a clear view of the gate and from what Pan could see, there were only four men out front.

“So what are you going to do?”

This just did not sound like the plan she envisioned.

“I’m going to sneak in and see what’s going on.”

Three shots rang out in the night. Both froze.

“Fuck this shit.” Pan slid over in the driver’s seat and revved the engine. “Get in, or I’m leaving your ass.”

Pan shifted into gear just as Connor flung himself into the car.

“This is not the right way to go about this,” Connor shouted over the squeal of the wheels.

“That’s my man in there. For all I know he could be bleeding out.” Pan screeched around the corner. “Hold on!”

They rounded the corner, two of the four guards flying over the roof. As the crashed through the gate, the others jumped out of the way to avoid the mangled fence.

“You just hit those men!” Connor screamed at her.

Pan gripped the wheel tighter. She’s hit those men and would run over others if it meant she got there in to save Emilio and Nic. They were Max’s thugs anyway. Guys who had no problem kidnapping and beating a kid, maybe even killing a kid.

She could see his bike to her the right. No one else guarded the bike, so she could only assume they were inside. She debated what to do. Outside the car, they were helpless. To the left was the truck access door. The main door had been lifted, but a strong metal gate had been pulled across.

“Don’t even think about it,” Connor said. “This thing would never drive again.”

Pan slammed her foot the floor and raced up the ramp.

“It doesn’t need to drive if we can get to them.”

The battering ram on the front of the car did little to soften the impact of the gate. Unlike the chain, the gate strong had little room to bend. It was only with a little luck that the chain and lock wrapped around the fence broke.

Pan and Connor covered their faces as the windshield shattered in on them. The sides of the fence scraped along the car as they went past, the grinding metal a sure sign to those inside that something was going on.

Pan peeked her eyes open and nearly choked at the sight. She had expected that there might be a small bump at the end but not the six-foot plummet looming before her. She hesitated. Break or gas? She floored it and held tight to the wheel.

“Oh no.” Connor sounded like he might be sick.

They flew through the air, and for a second, it seemed entirely possible that things would work out well. Then the reality of the floor came crashing in on the. Literally.

The car crunched as it hit the floor and several loud pops could be heard. Amazingly, they were still able to move. Pan continued to floor it. Sparks flew in all directions from the car. The grinding sound that was coming out of the vehicle meant it wasn’t long for this world.

Pan dodged various machines and a conveyor belt as she wildly flew through the rows. When the back wall came into view, she spotted monster that had caused all of this. Max stood over Emilio. Blood raced down his arm. Nic sat off in the corner. She made a snap decision.

She pressed hard on the horn and hoped that he would hear. Surely, he would know it was her. Who else would pull this kind of stunt? Pan aimed the car and prayed.

“What the fuck is going on?” Max pulled back. His men were already running out the back door.

Emilio spit the blood out of his mouth and covered the graze on his arm.

“Sounds like my reinforcements are here.” Emilio turned and watched as the unmarked car wildly made its way toward him. “Un-fucking-believable.”

He launched himself at Nic, knocking them both behind the metal rail on the side. He turned to see the black car screech to its side and slide forward, blocking Max in.

Connor, pale and slightly shaken, crawled out the window facing Max, gun drawn and ready. The sound of sirens cried in the distance, getting closer by the second.

Pan leapt from the driver’s side and stormed out of the car. She was a sight to be seen, even in his sweats and little tank.

“You were supposed to stay at the hotel.” Emilio gave her a stern look.

“What, so you and Nic could get killed?” Pan continued to storm over to them. “Not on your life, buddy.”

Pan first examined Nic and then turned her attention to Emilio.

“No bullet holes?” She gently touched the large gash on his arm.

“Just grazed me.” He looked at his blood-soaked shirt. “I think he was just trying to scare me. It’s not like he can get money from a corpse.”

The relief flooded through her, then contorted to rage. Pan pulled back and socked him right in the gut. Emilio doubled over at the impact.

“Don’t you ever fucking tell a woman you love her and then leave to go get killed.”

Emilio straightened up to see the pain in her eyes. She threw herself in his arms and squeezed.

“I love you too, dumbass.”

Emilio shook to keep from laughing. Yes, that was just the confession he was looking for.

Epilogue

Pan and Emilio stood, arms linked, in his mother’s living room. It had been months since that night without so much as a peep.

“We still don’t know who was behind this mystery shipment and exactly what Max was buying into. He’s been very tight lipped since we took him in. Likely trying to save his own ass.” He looked around the room, his gaze lingered on Maria. “We got wind that your father might have played more of a role than we thought, but we’re still piecing things together.”

They all shared shocked looks except Mama Diaz.

Connor turned to her.

“This doesn’t seem like a surprise to you.”

She shook her head. A single tear rolled down.

“It doesn’t. I knew he was in something big. Kept telling me we’d be able to retire on some island.” She looked at Connor. “That kind of money doesn’t just come from nowhere.”

“Well,” he said. “You hear anything, anything at all, you call me.”

He stopped when he reached Maria. “Or if you just need to talk,” he said quietly and wrote down his cell. His fingers slipped along hers as he passed over his card.

Emilio clapped him on the back and shook him back to reality.

“Thanks again for everything. Not so sure I’d be here if it weren’t for you.”

“Thank your damn fiancée.” Connor shook his finger at her. “You’re never getting near my car again.”

He huffed out the door.

A chime broke the silence, and Pan looked at her phone.

“Oh my God. We have to go right now.” She yanked on Emilio.

“What the—” Emilio started as she pulled him hard behind her.

“That baby! She’s having the baby!” Excitement raced through her. She hopped up and down.

Emilio pulled her in and kissed her hard.

“Now let’s go see what we’ve got.”