his light-weight jacket. “Stay here, I’ll go look out back.”
Kent moved to the doorway leading into the kitchen. The sound of something slamming against the back of the house was heard over the dog. “See anything?”
He’d no sooner got the words out of his mouth as gun fire erupted, peppering the front of the house with a spray of bullets.
Kent heard Moody shout something as he dropped to the floor. The television set exploded in a flash of blue light. Shit. He heard the sound of tires squealing on the pavement and Rufus’ continued barking. “Please tell me you’re not dead?”
Several moments later, Moody walked into the room with his cell phone to his ear, and blood running down the side of his face. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Might’ve pissed myself though.”
Moody chuckled and disappeared back into the kitchen, still on the phone.
Kent stood and dusted the broken glass from his clothes and hair. He felt something on his face and reached up to discover a trail of blood running down his forehead. “I’ll be in the bathroom.”
Passing Maria’s bedroom, Kent entered the small bathroom and turned on the light. He found a washcloth and began cleaning the small cuts. They all looked superficial, so he didn’t think a doctor was in order, but he knew the few cuts he had would be enough to scare Marco.
After rummaging around under the sink, he came up with a box of cartoon character bandages. “Great,” he grumbled.
Moody stuck his head into the bathroom. “Sure you’re okay?”
Kent nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Police are on their way. Eddy blind-sided me.” He wiped at the small cut under his eye. “Bastard got away when the gunfire started.”
“What the hell was that?” Kent asked, bandaging the last of the nicks on his face.
Moody turned and walked back into the living room with Kent close behind him. “I think Eddy brought company.”
Kent ’s chest tightened. “You think he was trying to have his family killed?”
Moody rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I think Eddy was coming around back because he knew he was being followed. The gun spray was probably from whoever he was trying to get away from.”
Kent studied the room. In a matter of seconds, Marco’s living room had been trashed. Kent’s gut clenched when he noticed the sofa. How many bullets had found their way into that piece of crap?
An image of Marco sleeping peacefully on the couch assaulted him. Kent shook his head. This time of night, the whole family probably would have been sitting around on the furniture watching television.
Sweat began to pour from Kent’s neck and forehead. “Do I need to be here?”
Moody glanced around the room. “No. I’ll take care of it.”
Kent nodded and went through to the kitchen. He grabbed the long leather leash from the kitchen table and opened the back door. “Rufus!”
* * * *
By the time Angelo pulled into Kent’s driveway, they still hadn’t heard anything from Kent or Moody. Marco really wanted to call, but he’d promised he wouldn’t.
“Is this the place?” Nicky asked from the backseat.
“Yeah,” Marco answered, checking his phone to make sure it was on.
Nicky whistled. “Please marry this guy.”
Angelo and Marco both began to chuckle at Nicky’s change in attitude. “Just don’t get too comfortable. We’ll probably only be here for a couple of days.”
Nicky got out of the car and grabbed the laundry basket out of the trunk.
Marco opened his door. “You coming in?”
Angelo shook his head. “I’ll leave you guys to get settled.”
Marco reached across and squeezed Angelo’s arm. “The dog food’s in the trunk. If you run out before we can get back home, just call and I’ll get you some more.”
“Rufus will be fine, don’t worry.”
Marco gave Angelo’s arm one last squeeze before getting out of the car. “Maria, sweetheart, can you hand me my crutches?”
He heard a bang coming from the trunk and winced. Hopefully,
Kent moved to the doorway leading into the kitchen. The sound of something slamming against the back of the house was heard over the dog. “See anything?”
He’d no sooner got the words out of his mouth as gun fire erupted, peppering the front of the house with a spray of bullets.
Kent heard Moody shout something as he dropped to the floor. The television set exploded in a flash of blue light. Shit. He heard the sound of tires squealing on the pavement and Rufus’ continued barking. “Please tell me you’re not dead?”
Several moments later, Moody walked into the room with his cell phone to his ear, and blood running down the side of his face. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Might’ve pissed myself though.”
Moody chuckled and disappeared back into the kitchen, still on the phone.
Kent stood and dusted the broken glass from his clothes and hair. He felt something on his face and reached up to discover a trail of blood running down his forehead. “I’ll be in the bathroom.”
Passing Maria’s bedroom, Kent entered the small bathroom and turned on the light. He found a washcloth and began cleaning the small cuts. They all looked superficial, so he didn’t think a doctor was in order, but he knew the few cuts he had would be enough to scare Marco.
After rummaging around under the sink, he came up with a box of cartoon character bandages. “Great,” he grumbled.
Moody stuck his head into the bathroom. “Sure you’re okay?”
Kent nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Police are on their way. Eddy blind-sided me.” He wiped at the small cut under his eye. “Bastard got away when the gunfire started.”
“What the hell was that?” Kent asked, bandaging the last of the nicks on his face.
Moody turned and walked back into the living room with Kent close behind him. “I think Eddy brought company.”
Kent ’s chest tightened. “You think he was trying to have his family killed?”
Moody rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I think Eddy was coming around back because he knew he was being followed. The gun spray was probably from whoever he was trying to get away from.”
Kent studied the room. In a matter of seconds, Marco’s living room had been trashed. Kent’s gut clenched when he noticed the sofa. How many bullets had found their way into that piece of crap?
An image of Marco sleeping peacefully on the couch assaulted him. Kent shook his head. This time of night, the whole family probably would have been sitting around on the furniture watching television.
Sweat began to pour from Kent’s neck and forehead. “Do I need to be here?”
Moody glanced around the room. “No. I’ll take care of it.”
Kent nodded and went through to the kitchen. He grabbed the long leather leash from the kitchen table and opened the back door. “Rufus!”
* * * *
By the time Angelo pulled into Kent’s driveway, they still hadn’t heard anything from Kent or Moody. Marco really wanted to call, but he’d promised he wouldn’t.
“Is this the place?” Nicky asked from the backseat.
“Yeah,” Marco answered, checking his phone to make sure it was on.
Nicky whistled. “Please marry this guy.”
Angelo and Marco both began to chuckle at Nicky’s change in attitude. “Just don’t get too comfortable. We’ll probably only be here for a couple of days.”
Nicky got out of the car and grabbed the laundry basket out of the trunk.
Marco opened his door. “You coming in?”
Angelo shook his head. “I’ll leave you guys to get settled.”
Marco reached across and squeezed Angelo’s arm. “The dog food’s in the trunk. If you run out before we can get back home, just call and I’ll get you some more.”
“Rufus will be fine, don’t worry.”
Marco gave Angelo’s arm one last squeeze before getting out of the car. “Maria, sweetheart, can you hand me my crutches?”
He heard a bang coming from the trunk and winced. Hopefully,
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