WARIDI ✔️

Chapter Forty

DEAN'S POV

River and I were in the middle of a mini make out session in the middle of the street surrounded by her too many bodyguards when all hell broke loose. The first round of gunshots rang out and everyone began running for their lives. River and I were immediately pushed to the ground as the guards formed a protective barricade around us and leading us back into the restaurant. We had to stay low so we literally crawled in there like we were soldiers. I was confused as to what was happening and one glance at River let me know that she was at a loss too but at least she did not look scared. My first instinct was to protect River but I felt inadequate because I was unarmed. This was not a fists kind of fight but one that needed use of firearms which I was not equipped at. I was man enough to admit that I was scared but that did not matter because I had to put River first. Her father would kill me if anything happened to her, I needed to protect my wife at any cost no matter what it took.

I heard one of the bodyguards radio for backup while River and I hid behind and overturned table while bullets flew all around us like hailstones.

"Fucking hell, it's the Mexicans." Mateo, River's closest bodyguard yelled as he switched out his used-up magazine for another.

"Dad will never let us live this down." River chided trying to make a joke even when our lives were hanging on the balance.

"Then we have to survive don't we." I replied with a smile.

River smiled at me just as a bullet flew past our heads missing me by an inch.

"We can't stay here. We are sitting ducks." River cried out as we crawled towards another table.

I saw some of the guests hiding under the tables huddled together. They were in danger because of us. All they had wanted was to enjoy a nice Italian meal but instead they were caught in a mafia war they were not a part of.

"We have nowhere to go." I said to River feeling my heart try to beat its way out of my chest.

"Stay down, I'll be back." River said and before I could stop her, she crawled away and went back towards the entrance.

"River!" I yelled trying to follow her but a gun was fired at me making me crawl back to my hiding spot.

I thought gun fights between cartels only happened in movies but there I was stuck in the middle of it all. I had no idea where River had gone and what was going through her mind but I did not like the situation that we were in even one bit. Neither of us was wearing bulletproof vests like the bodyguards so getting hit by even one bullet could be fatal. Oh, what would they tell my mother when they sent my body to her riddled in bullets. My siblings wouldn't have anyone to look out for them. I was all they had yet my life was one bullet away from being snuffed out.

Before I could overthink too much River came back with blood in her hands, her hair dishevelled and teras streaming down her face.

"Mateo is dead." She cried before I could ask her.

I knew River did not like any of her guards but she cared about them. Mateo had been with her the longest so their bond was stronger. I had no words of comfort to offer er, none that wouldn't sound pathetic anyway so I pilled her into my arms and kissed her forehead.

"Did you find a way out of here?" I asked her.

"Yes through the kitchen but we cant leave yet, Adrian is coming to cover us." She replied.

I nodded even though sitting while people continued giving their lives for us did not sound right. I knew her father had already been notified so backup would be arriving soon and hopefully not a second too late.