Andrei
An attack was imminent. I shouldn’t have let my guard down.
My only concern was getting Adelaide to safety. The attack took less than five minutes. I got the manager to account for everyone in the restaurant. There were no casualties, just a couple of wounds.
Adelaide and I were the main targets. The focus was on us, which told me someone within the restaurant had been asked to give our location. I got Adelaide to her feet and walked her out of the back of the restaurant where Leo and Terrance were already waiting.
Before I put Adelaide in the car, I force her to look at me.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. I’m fine. What about you?” Her hands go to my arms, holding me.
“I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong.”
I quickly glance over her body and see no cuts, no bruises, nothing. She was fine. I got her to safety. Leo and Terrance had been waiting around the back, per my instructions, in case we need to leave privately, but of course, doing this meant they weren’t there to see who attacked.
“Take her home,” I said, looking at Leo.
“No, no, no, I’m not leaving you,” Adelaide said.
“Baby, you cannot be here for this, okay?”
“But, what about the cops?”
“I’ll deal with them.”
“Andrei?”
I cup her face and pull her into my arms. She’s scared. I get that. Shaking. I don’t care that my men are seeing me like this. If it had been anyone else, I’d have told them to get their fucking shit together, but everyone else, are not my wife.
“I’ve got to go and see what the fuck happened. They could come back.”
She shook her head. “Then come with me.”
“I’ve got to do this.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Please.”
I slam my lips down on hers, kissing her. “I’ll be fine. This will be easier for me if you go home. Please.”
I hate seeing her cry, and I wipe the tears away from her face, not wanting to be the cause, but knowing I am. Whoever attacked me today was going to pay severely. I was having a good, quiet day with my wife and they had come and fucked with it.
Adelaide holds onto my hand and I have no choice but to help her into the car. My heart, for the first time, is pounding. Is this what I thought it was? Did Adelaide care about me? Was she worried I might die?
I wasn’t sure what it was, but I kissed her and then looked to Leo. “Nothing happens to her, understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
I step away from the car and watch it drive away. Terrance is by my side. “This was an inside job,” I said.
“Sir?”
“I was the only target. Whoever did this knew I ate at this restaurant.” I didn’t believe Adelaide was the target. This time, I was.
I was annoyed that she had to experience that. Someone was going to pay for instilling fear into my wife.
Entering the restaurant, I take a few steps in and the manager Clifford is there. “Sir, follow me,” he said.
The cops would be arriving soon. Hopefully it would be someone on my payroll, and if not, they would soon arrive to deal with this mess. Heading into the back of the restaurant, Clifford takes me to the security rooms, where we have multiple cameras set up. I’m a stickler for security.
Watching the screens, Clifford leans forward and brings up the moment I enter the restaurant. Adelaide is with me and I’m not paying attention to anyone but my wife. This is a first for me. I never allow pleasure to come before business. The maitre d’ on the front desk changes, his stance becomes tense. He takes us to our table and leaves us alone.
I follow his movements, tracking him. The moment he’s back at the desk and out of earshot, he pulls out a cell phone and looks back, talking to someone. After a few seconds, he ends the call. Time passes, and then, the moment the gunshots hit, he takes off, running out of the restaurant.
“I want his name and details now,” I said.
I’m full of rage. This could be anyone-the drug dealer I took care of for Bethany, the Evil Savages MC. I wouldn’t put it past Rage to double-cross us. People were always after their own agenda, and right now I was so fucking pissed. I’d kill them all. I would have the streets dripping with blood if I had to. They nearly hurt my woman. There was no way anyone would get away with this.
I wanted to kill.
I wanted to hurt.
My thirst for blood was so fucking strong I could taste it. I was hungry for it.
Clifford arrived with the man’s details and I opened them up. It gave his address, which I had to wonder if it was real. Marcus Knight. I didn’t recognize the name, and glancing at his picture, none of his details rang a bell. I had nothing to do with this man, and he shouldn’t be trying to kill me, yet that was exactly what he was doing, and now I was pissed off. So fucking pissed.
The police arrived and it was someone on my payroll. I gave him a few tips, and then left, leaving him to clean up the mess. This is what I paid people for.