Illicit Temptations (Tempted Series Book 1) (21 page)

“We all set?” Rico asked as he dropped the baggies into the other guy’s palm.

“We’re all good. Just waiting for Gino to give the order and then it's show time.”

“Good,” Rico said, turning to the blonde. “Time for you to get the fuck out of here before shit goes down.”

“But Rico…,” she whined.

“Do as I say” he said gravely.

I backed away from the door slowly. I didn’t want the noise of my heels to give away that I had overheard or seen anything. I leaned against the wall trying to process what I had just witnessed, but where did I even begin? I even contemplated the idea that my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe someone had slipped something into my drink? I didn’t just see Rico ripping lines with… that girl.

Fuck! She’d be coming out of the sound booth any second. I turned around and hurried on tiptoe to the steps so that I wouldn’t make any noise. I held onto the bannister and hurried down the stairs in my six inch heels. I had to tell someone what I heard didn’t I? I mean he had said something was going to go down. I didn’t even know what the fuck that meant, but it couldn’t be any kind of good. My mind was racing my heart was pounding; I was on the brink of having an anxiety attack. I didn’t have time to have a fucking anxiety attack. I reached the bottom of the stairs and paused to draw in a deep breath hoping to get myself together.

I nearly screamed when I felt two hands take hold of my hips and drag me back against a hard body, but my sixth sense kicked into gear when I felt his breath against my ear.

I was safe.

It was him.

“Happy Birthday Princess,” my Mikey whispered before he turned me around to face him. His smile hypnotized me making me forget everything all I could concentrate on was him and the way he looked at me. His heated stare robbed me of my ability to speak invaded my thoughts and took my breath away. One glance at him dressed in that suit his eyes full of desire as they scanned my body completely inebriated me.

He reached out his fingertips grazing my cheek.

“God you’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against mine. He was so close his breath mingled with my own soft pants. I lifted my hand closing my fingers around his wrist. His hand stilled against my cheek and he let out an agonized groan.

“I’ve been watching you all night waiting to get you alone. I’m going to kiss you Nikki. I’m going to put my mouth on yours and show you what it’s like to be really kissed. I’m going to make you forget about any other kiss you’ve ever had so that you’ll only remember mine. I’m going to own that pretty little mouth of yours.”

A gasp escaped my lips as his groin brushed against my leg he leaned closer, pressing his hardened cock against my thigh.

I was paralyzed watching the slow smile spread across his tantalizing mouth and then his lips brushed against mine.

“Get ready Princess, there’s no turning back,” he said, whispered his voice full of promise before his mouth claimed mine.

His lips fused with mine working them tasting them sucking them between his. His tongue slid along the seam of my lips begging for entry into my mouth. My lips slowly parted inviting him to devour my mouth as I dreamed countless times that he would. His tongue slipped between my bruised lips invading my waiting mouth. Holy Christ! Our tongues met and there were fireworks honest to god I heard fireworks go off in my ears.

Mikey pulled away from me abruptly dropping his hand from my face. I opened my eyes startled at the sudden change, but before I could gauge his reaction or understand why he had ended our kiss, I heard someone scream out.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Get down!” He shouted at me, reaching behind his back, he pulled out his gun. My eyes widened as I stood still unable to move. “Nikki get down!” He ordered as he raised his gun aiming it behind me.

I could hear screaming coming from every direction. Mikey’s voice became muffled, and all I heard were those damn fireworks again, only they weren’t fireworks they were actual gunshots. It hit me at that moment, everything I overheard upstairs flashed through my mind shouting at me that I should’ve warned someone. I should’ve warned my father, oh god my family was in there! I slowly turned around prepared to run to my family when I was thrown to the floor. Mikey’s body fell on top of mine acting as a shield.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I closed my eyes and listened to the blazing sound of the gunfire.

I pointed my gun down the center of the smoke filled hallway prepared to shoot anyone who dared to come toward us. I had no idea
what was going on in the main area of the club, but it didn’t sound very promising in fact it sounded scary as all hell. The music had come to a screeching halt the booming sound of the bass of the music replaced by the screams of people and gunshots as they blasted off the walls.

I glanced down at Nikki her body shaking beneath mine as she cried. Fuck this wasn’t how I pictured it would be when I finally had her underneath me. I dropped one hand from my gun keeping it steady as I continued to aim it down the hallway. My eyes shot back and forth between her and the end of the corridor. I placed my free hand on her head, stroking her hair soothingly

“It’s okay baby just please try to calm down,” I asked desperately. “I don’t really
know what I’m supposed do here, I’m a fuck up not a gangster so work with me Princess.”
I said hoping that she’d muster up some sort of control. I had no fucking idea what was happening, and I wasn’t really experienced in this shit. I was having a hard time keeping my own shit together, but seeing her so terrified, forced me to keep myself focused.

I glanced around trying desperately to come up with some sort of plan. I needed to get her out of here and to safety. I was about to head to my office but thought better of it, how safe could that be? I didn’t know what these people wanted, but they didn’t come charging into a nightclub
guns blazing for nothing. They’d tear this place apart until they got whatever it was they craved.
I looked down at Nikki again, she lifted her head off the floor turning her head slightly so eyes met mine the fear reflected in them sent me over the edge. I reached for her hand and scrambled off her to stand up slowly. I looked around cautiously before looking back at her

“You trust me?” I asked her watching her nod. “I’ll keep you safe,” I vowed. I may not have a fucking clue as to what I was doing, but I had never been surer of anything in my life as I was in that very moment promising to keep her out of harm’s way.

I pulled her to her feet and brought her body to lean against the wall that was behind me. I spread my free arm across her shielding her while I pointed my gun towards the main dance floor. The gunfire wasn’t so loud anymore, neither were the screams that echoed through the club. I motioned to the other end of the hallway the smoke clouded our vision, but I knew the emergency exit was down that way.

“Start walking” I told her keeping my arm across her as we walked sideways along the wall. She covered her mouth, coughing as the smoke attacked her lungs. “The fire exit is down the hall.”

“Mikey… what about everyone else?” She choked out as we made our way struggling to see the door. I had no answer for her. The truth was grim people died here tonight I just hoped for Nikki’s sake, it was no one she loved.

People were shouting in the distance ordering directions sirens sounded in the distance. The dust was settling and I couldn’t help but wonder what the newspaper headlines would read tomorrow. We made our way to the exit, and I pocketed my gun pushing the heavy metal door with all my might but it was jammed or fucking locked all I knew was that it wouldn’t budge. Nikki whimpered beside me clutching the sleeve of my suit holding onto me as if her life depended on it for all we knew it might.

“Fuck!” I shouted as my forehead touched the door and my fist slammed against it. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out what I should do next.

“Is there another way out?” She asked me nervously. “Or do we have to go through the main floor,” her words sounded full of dread. I couldn’t blame her I didn’t want to see the ruins that undoubtedly filled the main floor either. I glanced at her reaching out to touch her cheek, I opened my mouth to speak, but I had no idea what to say. Suddenly the metal door opened abruptly I pushed Nikki behind me quickly as she screamed in terror I reached for my gun. I raised it aiming it directly at the person who opened the door, holding my breath as I psyched myself up to pull the trigger.

“Don’t shoot it’s me!” Anthony said, pulling me by the lapels of my suit through the door before he grabbed Nikki and forced her out the door. Just as she cleared the doorway, someone fired down the hallway we just left. Anthony returned the gunfire as Nikki and I crouched down to the concrete along the side of the building.

“There’s a car waiting for you down the alleyway. Go!” He hollered as he continued to fire down the smoke engulfed hallway. “GO!”

I grabbed Nikki’s hands pulling her back to her feet. I took her hand in mine ready to run, but she wouldn’t budge. She turned around to face Anthony her face streaked with tears.

“My sister’s in there! Anthony you have to get her out of there!” She thrashed as she pulled her hand from mine and grabbed onto Anthony’s arm. “Please!”

I grabbed Nikki from behind and Anthony shrugged free of her hold on him. Christ didn’t her father teach her not to latch onto someone when they were firing a fucking gun?

“I’ve got her,” he said to Nikki quickly diverting his eyes to me. “Get her out of here.”

I nodded, pulling her against my body, but she wriggled to break free. She shook her head and cried out. “My family is in there! I can’t leave them Mikey!” She screamed at me fighting with every fiber of her being.

That was the difference between Nikki and me her family meant everything to her, she was so afraid of losing them as opposed to me who had already lost mine. I knew that place she was in I lived there the night before my mother died, I succumbed to that hell and I wanted more than anything to take her away from it.

I hauled her over my shoulder, her fists beating against my back as I ran down the alleyway with her secured in a firefighter’s hold. She kicked her legs, her heels nearly colliding with my crotch the last thing I needed was to be kicked in the balls right now.

I skidded to a stop when I reached the curb taking in the black SUV that was running. I cocked my head to the side readjusting Nikki in my arms to see if I recognized the driver and nearly toppled over when I saw Jack “Bulldog” Parish behind the wheel. Ah, shit!

“Get the fuck in the car!” He shouted out the window. I didn’t know if he was the enemy or the ally I didn’t know who the fuck to trust. I looked behind me, but Anthony was nowhere in sight. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked back at Jack. I could hear the roar of motorcycle engines creeping closer to us.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I spat, looking all around the deserted area for an escape. He must’ve heard the suspicion in my voice as I answered him back because he sighed exasperated.

“Look, kid I told Vic I’d see to it that you and his daughter were safely tucked away. Now I’m telling you if you don’t get the fuck in the car you will be the one responsible for your death and hers,” he glanced in the rear view mirror as half a dozen Satan’s Knights pulled up behind him. I tore my eyes away from Jack to take in the badass men and their bikes the first biker closest to me nodded to me assuring me that he had my back.

“Clocks ticking kid,” Jack said his patience wearing thin.

I guided Nikki down from my shoulder, placing her on wobbly heels cursing the fucking stilettos that she had decided to wear. She looked over her shoulder squinting her eyes against the bright headlights of the bikes.

“Jesus Christ,” she murmured before turning back to me.

“These men are friends of your dad’s they are going to take us somewhere safe, okay?” I said running my fingers nervously through my hair.

Her lip quivered as she nodded her head slowly wrapping her arms around her body.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said, because she looked desperate for assurance. She looked at me biting her lip, trying not to cry. She reached for my shirt clutching the fabric in her hands she closed her eyes for a moment.

“Mikey this is all my fault,” she struggled with her words, pausing before lifting her head to meet my gaze.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, not comprehending how any of this was her fault as I ran my hands down her arms slowly.

“No baby, it’s not. It’s all going to be okay, I swear to you,” I said catching the bikers flashing their lights signaling me to move it along and the sirens were growing louder. I reached around her and pulled open the door. “Get in the car Nikki we need to get out of here.”

She didn’t argue as she climbed into the back seat of the Ford Expedition. I slid in beside her before I could even close the door Jack pulled away from the curb. I glanced out the rear window watching as the first two motorcycles leading the pack passed us by so that they were now riding in front of us. The next two remained on either side of us and the last of the pack followed behind the SUV.