Vincenzo volunteered to escort me out of the building, but Cristian assigned John Angelo instead, and I was relieved. I think my other bodyguard might have killed me. John Angelo leads me to a rear exit at the back of the ground-floor parking lot, and apprehension washes over me. Darkness encroaches on the sky overhead as we emerge in an alleyway. Dumpsters overflowing with trash line one side of the grim space while empty crates are stacked in a tall pile on the other side.
“Take this.” John Angelo stuffs a wad of cash in my hand.
I open my mouth to ask why, but movement in the alley traps the words on my tongue. Lights flash from a dark SUV a few feet in front of us, and the terrified scream that rips from my mouth is instinctive.
“Shush, Sloane.” John Angelo clamps a hand over my mouth. “It’s okay. It’s not the cartel. It’s my brother, Rob.”
“Your brother?” I choke out as the driver’s side door opens and a tall, muscular man with cropped dark hair steps out.
“He’ll drive you to the farthest bus station and purchase you a ticket.” John Angelo holds my shoulders in a gentle grasp. “Get far away, Sloane, and keep running. If you’ve crossed the cartel, they won’t stop hunting you. Change your appearance. Get a different ID. Only use cash. Rob will take you to an ATM. Take out everything you can, and then rip up your card. Never stay in the same place for too long, and don’t trust anyone. Do you hear me?”
I nod over the messy ball of emotion in my throat. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because I see what the boss can’t right now.”
Tears well in my eyes. Guess I’m not quite as broken as I thought I was. “I couldn’t do it! I couldn’t do what they asked of me. I love them, John Angelo. It wasn’t fake. It’s real.” The words rush out of my mouth in a desperate plea.
“I know, sweetheart. I know.”
When he hugs me, I have to choke back my tears. I’m literally running for my life now, and I can’t break down. I need to harden my heart and act smart if I’m to survive. “Protect them, please.” I shuck out of his embrace as his brother bends down to retrieve my bag. I have no idea how it even got there, but I’m grateful. “Pablo Fuentes won’t stop trying to hurt Cristian and Elio because of Cruz. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to them.”
“Worry about yourself, Sloane. Cristian has the resources to protect his family. You’re all alone.” He presses my Glock into my hand. “I put extra bullets in your bag. All untraceable. Keep this with you at all times, and don’t hesitate to use it.” A soft kiss lands on my brow. “Good luck, young Sloane. I’m sorry I can’t do more.”
“You’ve done enough.” He’s gone behind his boss’s back, and that could get him killed. “I won’t ever be able to thank you.”
“Thank me by staying alive.” He nods at his brother. “Godspeed, Sloane. Be safe.”
