PURPLE HEART - Soliders Of Fortune [BOOK TWO]

Chapter THIRTEEN

Sunday Santos

With Javier's arm slung heavily over my shoulders, my desperate eyes search the casino floor for any sign of help.. I scan each passing face, longing to lock eyes with the Loanshark, but he is nowhere to be seen.. I'd even be grateful for a glimpse at Verity, but she is too distracted at the bar to notice us on the other side of the atrium.. I try to catch the attention of the men who had nodded towards Max when we'd first arrived, but they're all so engrossed in their card game that they don't look up as we glide right by them..

It is as though I am invisible..

Nobody questions a thing as Javi weaves us deliberately through the tables and quickly out the front door.. When the brisk night air hits my lungs, I shiver at the sudden shock of cold that permeates my body.. "Diablos! It's s-so c-cold out here, carajo!" (Hell/ Holy Shit)

My muscles tighten with a frosty anger and my teeth chatter noisily, only irking Javier even more.. "Walk!" He snaps, yanking harshly on my arm, dragging me around like a pestilent child.. "Move your ass Sunny! Keep up!"

"Owh!" I wince as his fingertips dig into the already tender flesh of my wrist.. "I don't feel so good, Javi, Please-"

Every step is painful, my back and stomach both ache relentlessly, and the woozy throb in my head causes my eyesight to blur.. Javier must have hit me a lot harder than I'd realised, and now that the shock of his assault is wearing off, the full effects of the damage done now grow more symptomatic.. A pounding from inside of my skull disorients me, causing me to stumble like a baby deer.. The ground shakes and everything sways, making it impossible for me to keep my balance and even harder for me to keep the tequila sloshing around my empty stomach from coming back up..

I am too busy trying to walk and not puke at the same time, that I fail to notice the lone shadowed figure who leans casually against the brownstone brick of the Casino exterior, just ahead of us.. And it seems Javier doesn't see him either.. The orange ember of a lit cigarette sails through the blackness as the shadow-man flicks it aside and takes a step in front of us.. Jet black hair, cornflower blue eyes and a tiny rose tattoo dissolve into view beneath the streetlight and I immediately recognise the displeased scowl of Max's brother.. His surly voice pierces the silence and Javi huffs in annoyance to be distributed.. "Where ya running to, Printsessa?"

It takes me several seconds to realise that Luka is talking directly and deliberately to me.. "Oh.. I- I'm-um-"

"She's coming with me-" Javier interjects to shut me up as he postures, drawings his shoulders back and lifting his stubbled chin.. But Luka holds up a dismissive hand to silence him..

"I wasn't fucking talking to you, Mudak.." (asshole)

The intimidating Russian narrows his steely gaze on me.. "You." His stare squints into suspicious slits.. "You going somewhere?"