Kobe, Bad Blood (Blood Roses Book 1) by Danielle Norman (great reads TXT) 📕

A slow clapping sound grew louder, and my heart sank. Dante stood near us, the shadow off the large building behind him covered his face.

“Guess who was caught eavesdropping?” Spider said, and Dante laughed in obvious delight.

“Well, this night just gets better and better,” Dante said and then snapped his finger twice.

Spider dropped his hand from my mouth and yank me upright as he stood. I tripped on my own fucking feet and fell to my knees in front of Dante.

“What is this?” Easton asked as he stepped closer and stood beside Dante, his eyes hard on mine.

“I found her sneaking around between the cars, Easy,” Spider hissed and Crow pressed the gun to the side of my head.

“Oh, Allie.” Dante used air quotes around my cover name. “It’s about time. I’ve been waiting for this.”

A hand slammed across my left cheek, and I fell backward to the ground, pain blossoming at the site of impact.

I let out a whimper.

Dante crouched beside me, fisting his hands in my hair, and pressed my face harder into the gravel.

“You’re familiar with the term set up aren’t you, baby doll?” He taunted, his breath stank of cigarette smoke and unbrushed teeth.

“What?” I gasped and fought against the hand that held me down, desperate for a view of Easton. He wouldn’t let anything happen to me, would he?

A quick high whistle came from above as Dante jerked his head and released me. He moved in time for me to watch Easton’s eyes go wide before he was pistol whipped. His body fell to the pavement with a sickening thud.

A scream ripped through me. “No,” I cried and whimpered as a boot came down hard on my hand as I reached for Easton.

“Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out, Easy?” Dante sneered at Easton. Easton jerked up his eyes dazed.

“What are you talking about?” Easton asked and stared at the boot that slowly dug my knuckles into the hard asphalt.

“Oh don’t play dumb with me, boy. We’ve known each other for years. I mean, you remember, don’t you? Or did you forget your own best friend?” Dante cackled, mad with glee. “And you.” Dante smirked down at me. “I mean, you couldn’t have forgotten your brother right? You cried alone at his funeral. Even then, you were so pretty. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

Dante let out a heavy sigh, his eyes distant as my blood ran cold.

“What?” I gasped as his boot released my hand, and I pulled it back to my chest.

“Business,” he said, his tone casual. “It wasn’t personal at the time, but now it is. “Jared and Easton ruined my first big deal.” Dante turned to Easton. “Don’t your remember? You called the cops on me. I was trying to pick up my package and you thought I was breaking into a truck. It was your lucky day that a cop was close enough to save you that day.”

“The cop getting gas?” Easton asked softly.

“Yeah. Who would have thought that a drug deal would happen in bright daylight close to a cop? No one, that’s who. It was perfect until the two of you decided to be good Samaritans.” Dante leaned forward and spat on Easton. “You both were supposed to be shot that day. Then when you were arrested, I was sure that my boys would take care of you in jail. But they fucking dropped the charges on you. But, oh, when I figure out who you were, it was like fucking Christmas morning. I could take care of what should have been handled years ago.

My head reeled at the realization that Dante knew who we were, that Jared had been killed for being a good person. I reeled at the fact that Easton was supposed to die as well. All of this information was too much, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think straight. It was as if the years of suppressed anger and pain had boiled to the top and was primed for an explosion.

“You piece of shit,” I muttered in disgust.

“Which brings me to you, pretty Allie—or Kobe, I should say. The day I saw you in Sasha’s bar, I knew immediately who you were. You haven’t changed at all. That’s when I put all of the pieces together.”

My pulse roared in my ears as I raised my foot and kicked hard. Dante’s knee made a popping sound as he bellowed and fell forward.

“You little bitch,” he shouted.

But, I couldn’t enjoy his pain because a sharp kick landed on my ribs, making my vision blur. Dante’s angry hands grasped my throat, and I fell backward, my head bouncing off the concrete, sending stars circling above my head.

I saw it, the large fist coming toward me. My years of training kicked in and despite the pain, I rolled to my side and felt a small amount of satisfaction when I heard Spider’s fist connect with the black asphalt.

I didn’t have time to react before another fist landed against me, this one hitting me in the soft tissue above my kidneys. Pain ricocheted around me. Another hit landed on the back of my head and forced my head to skid along the pavement and my teeth digging into my tongue.

“No,” Easton yelled, his voice distant as another blow landed, and then the world was still. Crow was there, holding the gun toward me. I stared up into the barrel as my mouth filled with the bitter taste of my own blood.

I couldn’t fight anymore, my last slow breaths wheezed in and out of my battered body. I closed my eyes and a single tear trickled down my cheek. I’d failed, but at least Getty would have enough surveillance for a murder charge.

The sound gunshots filled the air, and I sucked in my last breath, braced for pain. My eyes flew open as Dante’s body collapsed on top of mine, crushing me under the dead weight. Another shot fired and fluid