Emerald Eyes

Chapter 10 - The Retaliation

When I regain consciousness, I see we're in the dark alleyway behind the club. Two men are with us, and one's got a gun pressed against Siobhan's temple, while the other is pointing at me. Both the guns have silencers attached. I recognize the sturdy blond guy from the corner booth. Antonio. The other one doesn't ring a bell.

I know without asking that these guys are part of the Italian mob.

I glance at Siobhan and she's shaking like a leaf.

Dear God.

There's no way for me to try to defend myself while they're holding her like that. They'd put a bullet in her head before I could even try to do something to the first guy.

Assuming I didn't get shot too in the process.

"You're coming with us," the man pointing at me barks. "Move quietly, or your friend here dies. Rapidamente. Andiamo."

Siobhan releases a sob, and it earns her a hard slap to the face.

Freaking hell. There's no way out of this without following their demands until they let their guard down.

"It's okay, Si," I tell her in a soothing tone. "Just stay calm and do as they say."

She shoots me a pleading glance and I give her a reassuring smile though inside I'm a nervous wreck too. I know the likelihood of us surviving once we leave here is not very good.

Liam was right. I should have listened to him. They were up to something. What could they possibly want with us? Kidnapping two Angels waitresses in front of Kieran's nose? Taunting the Captain of the mob in such a fashion?

But there's little choice in the matter at this point. I'm suspicious as hell that we were literally in the kitchen for two minutes before they came for us. Almost like they were waiting on us, or someone alerted them we were alone in there.

Was it Matteo? The man who was flirting with me?

Something I'll have to think about later.

I step forward and the other man grabs me by the arm. They lead us toward the alleyway exit, digging the guns into our ribs.

"Scream and you die," one of them threatens.

I think of Liam, inside the club. How soon will he notice I'm not there? If he notices, that is.

Nico will realize Siobhan is gone, that's for sure.

And then what? They'll have to find us. That might take time. I can't count on that. I watch both men carefully as we walk, trying to look for any opportunity I can. It doesn't come.

At the end of the alleyway, two of Kieran's men are slumped face down into the ground. I bite into my fist to stop myself from screaming out loud. I don't have to see the bullet holes to know they're already dead.

These Italian guys are crazy, coming in here like this and shooting people up. Flashbacks from the shootout at my grandmother's wake flood my mind. It's happening all over again.

Except this time, Liam is not here to help me.

Panic is slowly engulfing me, but I can do nothing. If I didn't believe it before, I know now they won't hesitate to put a bullet inside of us too.

My only hope is that they're going to use us for ransom or something. Anything that will keep us alive for a while until I can figure out what to do.

The moment we're out the alley, we're tossed into the back of a van and burning rubber down a back street. Siobhan is practically hyperventilating and can barely keep it together as they tie us up. I worry that they'll shoot her if she keeps at it.