Among the Echoes (Wrecked and Ruined #2.5)(69)

"Erica, what the f*ck are you doing? Don’t try to be brave here." I call out.

"I’m sorry. Don’t be mad at me, okay?" She swallows before looking over her shoulder at Wilkes. "He’s in the security room with two of his men. Just don’t hurt Slate."

Wilkes’s eyes go wide as his smile grows to epic proportions. "He’s here?" He exclaims before leaning in and whispering, "This just got interesting." He nods his head toward the back hall and three of the four men head that way.

"I’m sorry," she whispers before squeezing her eyes tight and covering her ears.

"Erica?" I jump to my feet, immediately concerned about why she is apologizing.

Suddenly, I hear shots fired and shouting down the hall. Wilkes uses his gun to signal his last man to investigate before aiming it back at Erica’s temple.

I stare down the hall, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Leo’s not in that room, but I have no idea who the hell is. Just as suddenly as it started, the whole room goes silent.

Wilkes yells, "Mark!" but no one answers. He nervously takes a step forward and shouts again, "Dan!"

With his attention focused somewhere else, I see it as my chance to make a move. I quietly rise to my feet, but Erica’s head swings toward me. Her eyes are desperate but fearless as she mouths, "No. Sit down." The determination and bravery on her face has me momentarily willing to comply.

As soon as my ass hits the chair again, I hear a thick Spanish accent roll through the room. "Lucas Wilkes. It’s so nice to finally see you again."

At the entrance of the hall, all four of Wilkes’s men reappear. Only now they are unarmed, restrained, and being pushed forward with guns at their back. I’ve never seen the four new men who are escorting them. They are definitely not on my payroll, but they are clearly here to help.

Wilkes spins, pulling Erica completely in front of himself.

The group of men split as a young, well-dressed Hispanic man saunters into the room from between them.

"Mateo Rodriguez. What the f*ck are you doing here?" His eyes are surprised but he never lets his smile falter. Wilkes swings his gun forward, pointing it at our newest guest.

"Looking for you, of course." He grins as three more men follow him—guns raised and aimed directly at Wilkes. "My new friend, Leo James, paid me a little visit this week. He informed me you were on the way here to find him. I have always wanted to visit the Windy City, so it was actually quite fortuitous." He pushes his hands into his pockets and shrugs casually.

"You are an idiot, Mateo! It was their testimony that landed Dom in jail. Now you are working with them? Have you forgotten about your family’s honor? Because I sure as hell have not."

"Oh, I know all the facts, Lucas. I also know that Dom was a traitor and should count his lucky stars that he gets to serve a life sentence on the inside of a prison. Because, should he ever be released, he will unquestionably share your fate. So you see, I owe Mr. James quite a bit. He killed your stupid brothers and got rid of mine as well. Seriously, I don’t know why he didn’t come to me sooner. My apologies, Erica. It appears I’m a bit late to the party," he says, taking a step toward her.

"Back the f*ck up!" Wilkes yells, but Rodriguez ignores him.

"I have to admit, Erica. I’m impressed. I have heard you are quite skittish. I had my doubts when Leo told me of your plan. But you managed to prove me wrong." He moves even closer.

"One more step and I swear I will kill her."

"I’m thinking that’s not a good idea," Leo snarls, appearing a few feet behind Wilkes along with Johnson and two other men I definitely recognize.

"So nice of you to join us, Leo," Rodriguez purrs.

Wilkes immediately spins to face Leo, firing a shot before he even stills. Erica jumps, and for the briefest of seconds, Wilkes loses his grip on her neck. In a move so fluid I have no doubt it was choreographed, Erica drops to the ground. No sooner than her hands slam over her ears, Rodriguez’s men fire their own bullets at Wilkes.

I watch helplessly as Erica lies on the floor while bullets buzz over her head. I try to call her name, but I can’t even hear my own words among the chaos. After a few seconds, Wilkes collapses lifelessly to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" Leo yells, covering his shoulder as it bleeds through his shirt.

I rush toward Erica, dropping to my knees beside her. "Fuck, are you okay?"

"I, uh… I think so," she says, fighting back the tears as she sits up and crawls as quickly as possible away from Wilkes’s dead body. My hands are still zip-tied behind my back, but she throws her arms around my neck and buries her face in my chest.

"Someone cut him free," Leo barks. "Babe, can you come look at my shoulder?"

"Oh, God." She shakes off whatever emotions were just about to overtake her and runs to Leo’s side.

My hands are freed by Johnson as the room moves in slow motion around me. Erica is frantically tending to Leo with a box of medical supplies someone magically produced. Rodriguez is ordering his men to take Wilkes’s thugs back out the window in the security room, Wilkes is lying dead in the middle of my living room, and sirens from the street are screaming toward us.

"A word, Mr. Andrews," Rodriguez says, walking up behind me.