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CHAPTER EIGHT

Victoria

The club was in chaos. People were screaming and running everywhere, trying to escape the gunshots. One second, I'd been dancing between Az and Leighton; the next, I was on the floor looking at a dead body. Somehow, I managed not to scream as the men formed a protective barrier around me and pushed through the mob toward the back rooms.

My body trembled so violently that my teeth chattered, but I didn't stop moving. I couldn't even if I wanted to. Az firmly grasped my hand, ensuring I followed behind him. Joey was to my right, and Leighton was behind me. Without having to look, I knew that all three of them were carrying handguns and scanning the crowd for any immediate threats.

Another round of gunshots rang out, and a woman to my right stumbled back, blood blooming on her chest. A scream tore from my throat, and I surged forward instinctively. Az's grip on my hand tightened as I slammed into his broad back, and he glanced over his shoulder at me.

"Shit." He hissed, pulling me through the crowd faster.

I was still screaming when we broke free of the mob and stepped into the dimly lit hallway leading to the exit in the back of the club. It was eerily quiet in comparison, only my terrified screams echoing off the walls.

Leighton stepped in front of me, causing Az to drop my hand, and grabbed my face between his hands. "You need to breathe,ma petit démone. Can you do that for me?" His worried eyes flitted along my face.

My jaw snapped shut with a whimper, cutting off my screams.

"Good girl. We're going to get out of here alive. Just a few more yards to go and we're safe."

I nodded as he released me, returning to his position in the rear. Az grabbed my hand again, pulling me along behind him at a quickened pace. Pure adrenaline prevented my legs from buckling as we raced through the hallway and burst through the back door into the clear night. I gulped breaths of fresh air as if my life depended on it.

"Tiffany! Oh God, Tiffany!" I cried out, attempting to turn back as my panic ebbed enough for the realization that my friend wasn't with us.

"She's fine. She was with Rich and Craig." Joey assured me, grabbing my arm and dragging me back toward the car Az and I had arrived in.

The three men moved as a unit, all but carrying me to the car before Joey pushed me into the backseat and climbed in beside me. Leighton took the front passenger seat, and Az climbed behind the wheel before starting the engine and tearing out of the parking lot.

"What the fuck happened?" Az demanded. "How did guns get into the club?"

"Lucas is one of ours. The only way whoever the fuck that was would have made it as far as they did is if they knew that and took him out at the door before he could call for backup." Leighton replied.

I whimpered at the thought of another dead body, and Joey slid closer to me in the backseat. He wrapped one arm aroundme, pulling me snugly to his side while his free hand caressed my hair in an attempt to soothe me.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Az bellowed, slamming a fist against the steering wheel to punctuate each word. "It had to be another fucking setup."

His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, filled with rage, hate, and confusion that I didn't understand. I couldn't help sinking further into Joey's side under the weight of Az's stare. Something in his gaze told me that he blamed me for the attack.

"Fuck!" Leighton barked, causing Az to tear his eyes away. "I can't reach Rich or Craig." He turned in his seat to look at Joey. "Did you happen to recognize any of the fuck knuckles that thought a shootout on our turf was a good idea?"

"You said Tiffany was with them," I whimpered. "Oh God, what if–"

"They're fine." Joey cut me off, rubbing my back gently. "Rich and Craig know how to handle themselves. They wouldn't let anything happen to your friend."

"Stop worrying about the fucking Princess back there and answer the damned question." Az barked. "Did you recognize anyone?"

"No." Joey replied, shaking his head.

"What about you, Princess?" Az's gaze was back on me. "Did you see anyone you know?" He spat angrily, but his words had an undercurrent of pain.

Joey tensed beside me, turning to stare at me as well. I stared back at Az in the mirror for several seconds as realization slowly clicked into place in my panicked mind.

"Why the fuck would I know any of the attackers, asshole? Are you seriously implying thatIwas involved?I was there with you, remember?" My voice climbed as I spoke until I nearly screamed the last sentence.

Joey let out a breath, his body relaxing in relief, but Az was undeterred.

"I don't know, Princess. You seem to have a lot of connections with some real bad people."

"For fuck's sake, Az." Leighton snarled. "She didn't even know we'd be at the club until you got there with her. How the fuck is she supposed to plan a whole ass attack on the place? Besides,nothinghas added up to her beyond what Gary gave us. You all call me the crazy one, but you're making connections that don't fucking exist."