Undeniable (Undeniable, #1)(38)

“Tap!”

“Prez?”

“Find out who bought Eva’s hit from Frankie. Use whoever you got to—the f*ckin’ Russians, the f*ckin’ Japs, cash in all my f*ckin’ favors, I don’t give a shit—just find ’em and end ’em.”

“On it.” Tap pulled out his cell and walked off.

“Prez?”

He turned around and found Jase standing beside Eva. She was staring at Frankie with tears in her eyes.

Shit.

“She came outside,” Jase explained. “Lookin’ for Frankie. She heard you, Prez.”

“You put a hit on me?” she whispered.

Frankie wasn’t smiling anymore. Eva took a step toward him, and Cox stepped between them and pressed the barrel of his gun into Frankie’s throat. “Don’t come near him, Foxy.”

“Why, baby?” she whispered. “What haven’t I given you that you needed?”

Frankie blinked. “Don’t f*ckin’ cry, baby,” he said quietly. “Wasn’t tryin’ to hurt you, just wanted you with me always. Can’t f*ckin’ sleep without you, and dyin’ is sleepin’ forever. Can’t sleep forever without you.”

Eva’s tears spilled over, and Frankie went stiff.

“I love you so much, baby,” Frankie whispered. “I thought you’d want to be with me forever.”

Letting out a strangled cry, Eva reached for him. He lunged forward to grab her, but ZZ was faster. Catching her around her middle, he started dragging her backward.

“No!” she screamed, thrashing. “Let me go to him!”

Seeing Eva upset and struggling, Frankie’s face went ice cold, and his eyes cut to Cox. Shit was about to go bad.

“Cox!” he bellowed. The crazy f*ck grabbed the gun, headbutted Cox, then dropped to his knees. One swift punch to Cox’s balls, and then Frankie was jumping to his feet, aiming, not at Cox, but at him.

He didn’t think, just reacted, barreled straight into Frankie, and they went rolling. By punching Frankie in his newly set shoulder, Deuce was able to gain the upper hand and managed to pin him facedown in the dirt.

Cox was lying on the ground, cupping himself, groaning about never being able to f*ck again. Eva was screaming hysterically and struggling violently, and ZZ was having a hard time keeping a good hold on her. It was a f*cking mess.

“Gonna find a way to end you, *,” he hissed in Frankie’s ear.

Frankie laughed.

Frankie was still laughing when a pair of headlights turned off the street and headed up the driveway.

Crank was a big guy. An ex-Marine who had no trouble taking Frankie off his hands and chaining him up in the back of his ride. It wasn’t the preferred ending, but it was better than nothing, and it would keep Eva safe until he could figure out Frankie’s tangled web of crazy.

And speaking of crazy…

? ? ?

“No!” I screamed, struggling to get free as Frankie was taken away. “God, no! You can’t do this! He won’t make it!”

Frankie couldn’t go to jail. He wouldn’t last. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t play nice with others. It was a recipe for disaster.

“Good,” Mick sneered. “Let’s hope he doesn’t make it five f*ckin’ seconds.”

I jerked my head in Mick’s direction. “You piece of shit!” I screamed. “Can’t ever keep your big f*cking mouth shut! Always butting into business you have nothing to do with!”

“Reel it in, Eva,” Deuce growled.

I stopped struggling and stared at him. Had he lost his mind? My husband was being sent to his death, and he was telling me to reel it in. Oh, hell no.

I let out a bloodcurdling scream, twisted out of ZZ’s grasp, and headed straight for Deuce.

“You f*ck!” I screamed, slapping, punching, clawing at any part of him I came into contact with. “You stupid piece of shit!”

It didn’t take him long to bring me down. Straddling my hips and pinning my wrists above my head, he glared at me. I happily noted his fat lip, bloody nose, and scratched cheek.

“What the f*ck, Eva?” he roared. “You find out your man’s got a f*ckin’ hit on you, and you’re attacking me?”

I was so beyond upset, beyond angry, beyond hurt. I felt so helpless, destroyed, ripped apart by my seams and everywhere in between. I’d been taking care of Frankie for so long now, and I was so tired, but it wasn’t his fault he was sick and couldn’t see things the way other people did.

As for Deuce. Who the f*ck did he think he was?

“Who the f*ck do you think you are?” I screamed.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the * who’s trying to save your f*ckin’ life, you stupid bitch!”

“Stupid bitch? Stupid bitch! Don’t do me any favors, you f*ck! I’ve never needed your help, and I sure as f*ck don’t need it now!”

Blue eyes blazing, he lowered his face to mine. “Bitch,” he growled, “we came here to bury your f*ckin’ man. What the f*ck woulda happened if he wouldn’t have told us ’bout the hit? Huh? What, bitch? You f*ckin’ tell me!”

I gathered as much saliva as I could and spit in his face. “Fuck you!” I yelled and bashed my forehead into his. My vision swam. That was definitely not as cool as it looked in the movies. Deuce shifted both my wrists into one of his hands and slapped his palm down on my forehead, holding my head down.