Page 20 of Always Been Mine (Always #2)

The gate to the junkyard was wide open. The chain and lock holding it closed hung undamaged on one side, which indicated that both parties had contacted the junkyard owner.

It was a relief not to deal with breaking and entering charges, although she had dealt with these scenarios on more than one occasion.

The place was a well-known neutral ground for warring gangs from the Cloverleaf District.

Still, there had been instances when the meets deteriorated into violence.

Beatrice was able to contact Brian Haines again to get confirmation for where the meeting was taking place in the junkyard.

“What you got?” Gabe asked when she got off the phone.

“They’re on the north side of the junkyard. The man they’re meeting is a relative of Senator Mendoza and was a longtime informant whom they haven’t heard from in a year. At least that’s the explanation Zach had told Brian.”

“How long has Zach been in the employ of the Senator?”

“Two months.”

“So he’s not exactly an expert on the Senator’s associations.”

“Yes. And I see where you’re going with this. ”

“Do you? What happened to the senator’s former Chief of Staff?”

“He died of a heart attack almost three months ago.”

Gabe uttered a noncommittal response. Beatrice’s attention was drawn to their surroundings.

Piles of crushed metal and, well, junk were stacked as high up as twenty feet.

She had to applaud the location of the junkyard because the Cloverleaf District is a dumping ground of stolen vehicles and most of the buildings were close to being condemned.

“There’s Zach,” Gabe said. The Chief of Staff was standing by the senator’s vehicle.

Brian and one other BSI security personnel were standing facing outward and watchful.

There was another car parked close by. It had rental tags.

As Gabe’s SUV rolled by, Beatrice took a picture of the license plate.

Gabe was circling the area, probably looking for a less exposed parking space. He pulled in between two junk piles.

“Wait for me,” Gabe instructed. He exited the vehicle and looked around. Then he came to her side and opened the door. “Come on.”

He was shadowing her the entire way.

“Zach, what the hell is going on?”

The Chief of Staff looked duly chastised. “I’m sorry, Beatrice. The senator was ready to drive himself if we didn’t go with him. There was no stopping him.”

“Who’s the guy?”

“His uncle.”

“A relative from Colombia?”

“No. He’s an American citizen. His son—the senator’s cousin—is involved with the right wing paramilitaries who protect the cocaine jungles, and there are rumors of a breakdown of peace talks with the government.”

“Why meet him here? Why not at his house?”

“His wife and children. He doesn’t want this issue to touch them. ”

“Well, it’s too late,” Beatrice snapped.

What was it with these men? They try to separate their duty from their family.

There would always be blowback from people unhappy with their choices.

“He had involved his family once he’d decided to take on this crusade against the drug traffickers.

It will only be a matter of time before they get to his wife and children. ”

“Beatrice,” Gabe said her name quietly, but it was rife with caution. She was projecting.

The door to the senator’s SUV opened and a man Beatrice didn’t recognize alighted. The senator followed, grimacing when he saw her.

She was about to introduce herself to the senator’s uncle when a single gunshot cracked through the air.

Everything seemed to happen at once.

The senator’s uncle fell to the ground.

More shots were fired and Zach Jamison crumpled as well. Brian went for the senator and shoved him back to the SUV. The other security guy jumped into the driver’s seat.

“Go! Go! Go!” Gabe shouted at Brian. “We got Jamison. Get the senator out of here.” Tires spinning, the senator’s SUV shot forward toward the exit of the junkyard.

Gabe heaved Zach over his shoulders. “Beatrice, get moving!”

She ran as fast as she could, ignoring a burn in her side even as bullets exploded around them. When they reached the safety of their vehicle, Gabe tossed Jamison in the backseat.

“What about the senator’s—”

“Dead. He was shot through the head,” Gabe muttered as he turned to her and practically dumped her into the passenger seat.

Soon, they were burning rubber out of there. Their SUV flew through the gates at top speed, the back of their vehicle fishtailing when Gabe made a sharp turn onto the road. Beatrice looked back and saw a car and several motorcycles tear after them .

“They’re coming after us!”

“I know.” Gabe’s eyes shifted from the road to the rearview mirror.

They sped through a deserted stretch of road with abandoned buildings on both sides.

A harsh indrawn breath beside her drew her attention from the back of the vehicle to Gabe, and that was when she noticed the spreading map of red on his jeans.

“You’ve been shot!”

“Flesh wound.”

“Bullshit, flesh wound. That’s a lot of blood, Gabe!”

“Babe, calm down,” Gabe ordered. His voice was steady, but the way his jaw clenched tight afterward gave away the gravity of his injury. “The senator’s car is up ahead. If the bikes get any closer, I’m going to run interference. Prepare to brace.”

The words barely left his mouth when there was a loud pop.

They shot out their tire!

Gabe cursed as he struggled to maintain control of the vehicle.

The buildings appeared to jar crazily on all sides as their car careened from one corner to the other.

Just as the SUV was about to tilt over, it righted itself, and finally jumped the curb.

The back of the vehicle slammed into a building before skidding to a halt.

Gabe shoved a gun at her. “I want you to get out of here, turn right, and call 911. I’ll provide cover fire. ”

“I’m not leaving you.” Beatrice opened the passenger door and was dismayed to find out it opened enough to only allow her lithe form through, not Gabe’s big body.

Gabe quickly exited his side amidst a rain of lead. She watched in horror as another bullet whipped his body around. He collapsed chest first on the hood. Unfettered fear gripped her heart. Their eyes met across the hood.

She loved him.

She was not losing him today .

“Gabe!”

“Damn it, Beatrice. Get out of here,” he growled as he returned fire and tried to get between the car and the building, but he got hit again and fell.

She concentrated on firing rounds in the direction of the enemy’s assault as she made her way to him, assisting him to take refuge behind the car.

“Beatrice, get away from here,” he repeated, his breathing getting more serrated by the second.

“Shut up,” Beatrice snapped, flinching as a couple of shell casings ricocheted and hit her face. She smiled grimly when a voice howled and cursed. At least she got someone.

Gabe pulled himself up and rejoined the firefight. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the back of his head was soaked with blood; he was becoming alarmingly pale as the blood seeped out of him.

They needed to get out of here because they were outgunned and outnumbered.

Gabe seemed to be aiming with cold precision as he felled several of their assailants, but they were not prepared for this type of assault.

It didn’t take long for them to run out of ammunition as Beatrice used up her last magazine.

Gabe said he had a few shots left.

He dragged her down to sit beside him. He didn’t look good. Blood was mixed with sweat on his face. His lips were white, but his gold-flecked eyes were blazing. He handed her his gun before gripping her face with his bloody hands. “Please, Beatrice, I need you to go.”

“I am not leaving you.”

The gunfire ceased.

Words rushed out of Gabe’s lips as footsteps approached. “Goddammit, Beatrice! I don’t want you here.”

“Sully! You dead yet?” a voice called out. There was a cackling of laughter and heckling .

“Oh, no you don’t, Gabriel,” Beatrice whispered harshly. “You are not pulling your fucked up reasoning on me again. You begged me to take you back just a week ago. Well now, I’m taking you back. You better not fucking die on me. Got me?”

Gabe’s lips twitched. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” His lighthearted words were dampened by a wince of pain. “This sucks.”

“You’re riddled with bullet holes and all you can say is ‘this sucks’ ?

” She was trying to keep her voice steady, but it cracked.

He was fading, bleeding out right in front of her.

Beatrice found herself praying that if only they’d make it out of here alive, she would forget all the hurt of the past three years and only move forward.

“Gabe?”

“Love you, poppy,” Gabe whispered. “. . . damned much . . .”

“Don’t die . . .”

“Trying . . . not to . . . but you . . . go . . .”

“Never.”

“Now doesn’t this look tragic?” A man Beatrice had never seen before appeared a few feet from them. Her grip tightened on the gun. She lowered her hand fractionally.

“You’re not looking too good, Sully.” A wariness passed through the man’s face. “And not surprised to see me. Now why is that?”

“Fuck you, Ryker.” There was renewed vigor in Gabe’s voice.

Ryker? This was Ryker? The man who killed Eric and Kelly Winters just to send a message to Gabe. Another man, this one a Latino, appeared behind Ryker.

“No, buddy, I think you’re the one who’s about to get fucked,” Ryker said.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why else? Money,” Ryker sneered. “And I’m so tired of being second best to you.

Well, guess what? I’m smarter. Better.” He laughed maniacally.

“You know why? Because you handed some bitch your balls and it made you stupid.” Ryker’s eyes landed on her.

A chilling fist gripped her heart. “But before I let you bleed out, you’re going to watch me shoot her. ”