Bishop rubs the scruff on his chin. “Well that’s the problem now, isn’t it? People always tend to want what they can’t have. You haven’t agreed to what I want from you, and yet you expect me to hand over what you want, just like that. You and I both know the world doesn’t work like that, X.”
“I told you the truth before. I don’t have any money to start a business with you.”
Bishop shakes his finger at me. “It’s not nice to lie to an old friend. I read your tax statements. You make nearly four hundred thousand dollars last year. You’re good for it.”
“Did you also read that half of that goes toward my travel and business expenses, and the other half went back to Tension in fines?”
“So you have nothing?”
“Like I told you . . . I. Don’t. Fucking. Have. It.”
Bishop sighs. “That’s a shame, because now I can’t let you go. I can’t have you pinning a kidnapping charge on me and my boys, so you’ll have to go.” He pushes the glasses on his face back up the tip of his nose as he turns to Kai. “Kill him—kill them both.”
Hearing his order, I reach for my gun, yank Anna behind me. I point my weapon directly at Bishop. “If he pulls that trigger, I will kill you. Hell, I should anyhow for trying to take away the thing I love most in this world.”
Bishop grins. “There’s the old X again. I have to tell you I like him much better than this new let’s-talk-everything-out-X. Old X knew how to get shit done.”
“Old X was a hot-headed idiot that fucked up his life all the time because he couldn’t control his temper.”
Bishop chuckles. “You really believe you’ve changed that much?”
“Yes,” I say with the sternest tone I can muster.
“Prove it. Walk out of here without throwing one single punch.”
I lift my eyebrows. “What?”
“I don’t buy this whole non-violence bullshit act, so prove me wrong. If I’m convinced, I might let you go.”
“Just like that?”
He nods and confirms, “Just like that. I want to see this new X in action, because the X I knew would’ve ripped my head off and spit down my throat for less. I don’t believe you’re any different from the man I once knew—from the hungry, angry kid I met all those years ago.”
I clutch Anna’s hand tighter, but still keep my gun drawn as I pull her toward the men. I tiptoe around the men, and he’s right, I would love to tear into these motherfuckers, but know getting Anna out of here in one piece is more important.
Once we’ve made it all around them and my back is toward the exit I keep walking backwards. “This ends here, Bishop.”
This is the first time in my life I’ve ever walked away from a fight, which is baffling even to me considering this is the one time I’ve ever had a good reason to go berserk and rip someone’s head off.
“I still don’t believe you,” Bishop says but I chose to ignore him.
As I turn away from him, Anna releases a blood curdling scream. “He’s got a gun!”
My eyes widen, knowing this could be the moment when it all ends. This could be the moment when my world turns black.
I point the gun at Bishop, waiting to see if he’s going to force me to pull the trigger.
The sound of my pulse thudding inside my head is the only sound I hear as everything around me seems to move in slow motion as Bishop and I stare one another down.
“Make your move, bitch,” Bishop taunts.
My chest raises and then falls as I ask God to protect my family.
The sound of glass crashing jerks all of our attention behind Bishop, police with the words S.W.A.T. written across the back of their black uniforms storm through the windows. “Everyone get on the ground!”
I grab Anna’s hand and pull her down with me. In these situations it’s best to comply even if you aren’t the person doing anything wrong.
“What’s happening,” She cries as cops over to us.
An officer kneels beside me and removes his helmet and glasses. “You all right, X? Anna?”
I raise my chin up to spot Cole wearing black tactical gear. “What in the hell’s going on Cole?”
He reaches down and helps both Anna and then myself up off the concrete floor. “I’ve been working on busting Bishop for years. When he kidnapped Anna, it was the last piece we needed to take him down.”
I glance over to where officers are cuffing Bishop, Kai along with his goons. “Federico Bishop, you are formally charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, assault, racketeering, felon in possession of a firearm, drug possession . . .” The list of things he’s being charged with seems to be never ending.
Something tells me Bishop and Kai won’t be getting out of prison anytime soon. That should make this neighborhood a hell of a lot safer for everyone in it, including Anna and I.
Anna clings to me, and I kiss the top of her head. “You all right?”
She nods. “I’m okay.”
Cole’s radio squawks. “Code ten, fifty-four at house fire located on 1020 Sycamore.”
Cole’s gaze flicks to me. “Why the fuck is there a dead body in your place, X?”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“That’s what that code means. Was there anyone in that house other than you and Anna when it caught fire?”
“No,” Anna speaks up. “Kai had the two guys that were just in here with him set the fire after they knocked Xavier out.”