Lorenzo pov
"I know she's gone," I snapped. I leaned my head back against the headrest and ripped my shirt open. The buttons popped off and hit the car mats like tiny pins "Just get the shit out, I can't think with this fire in my arm."
Cemal pulled out a pair of surgical clamps and a bottle of clear antiseptic. He didn't say "sorry" or "this will hurt." He just poured the liquid directly into the wound. I gripped the door handle until the metal groaned under my palm. I bit my tongue, the taste of copper filling my mouth.
"Talk to me," I grunted through my teeth.
"It's deep," Cemal said, leaning in. The car smelled off antiseptic, blood, and my own sweat. "The glass slowed it down, but the bullet is sitting right against the bone. Hold still."
I felt the cold metal of the clamps slide into my skin. It was a sharp, biting pain that turned into a dull ache as he dug deeper. I watched his face. He was focused, his hands not shaking at all. This wasn't his first time digging a bullet out of me.
"Who was it?" I asked, my voice strained.
"The gear looked like The brakyln Syndicate," Cemal muttered, his brow furrowed as he worked the metal deeper into my shoulder. "But they moved like mercenaries. Professional. Fast."
"It was Gabe," I said, I sucked in a sharp breath as the clamps gripped the bullet. "The messenger, He's the only one who knew the route and am very sure he must have followed Mara from the party last night. One thing was sure, Ryan smart or someone else was pulling strings.
Clink. Cemal dropped the blood-stained lead into a plastic cup. He didn't waste time, He placed a heavy pressure bandage over the hole and wrapped it tight with medical tape, winding it around my chest and back.
"You're going to be stiff," Cemal said, sitting back and wiping his hands on a rag. "Where to? The safe house to rest?"
"No," I said. I sat up, the world spinning for a second before it leveled out. I reached for my jacket and pulled it on, hiding the bandage.
"The library."
Cemal paused, his hand on the door handle. "The library? You want to go read now? While the blood is still wet on the seat?"
"He took Mara to prove he's a man," I said, checking the slide on my pistol. The click was the only sound in the car. "I'm going to the library to show him the price of his foolishness. It's a strategic move, Cemal. He won't trade Mara for money, he's already been paid for the kidnapping. But he'll trade her for the woman who makes his dinner."
"It's a long walk for a man with one arm," Cemal noted, shifting the car into gear.
"Then start driving," I told him.
The library was quiet. It felt like a tomb. We walked past the rows of books, our boots making a dull thud-thud on the carpet. In the back, near the children's section, Mrs. Gable was putting books onto a cart. She looked up and smiled, but the smile died when she saw us.
I didn't look like a customer. I looked like a man who had just crawled out of a grave. My face was pale, and my eyes were dark.
"Mr. Lorenzo?" she asked, her voice trembling. "The library is closing in ten minutes."
I walked up to her, my good hand resting on the edge of her book cart. "Where is Gabe, Mary?"
"I... I don't know," she whispered, stepping back until she hit the shelves. "He's working. Why are you bleeding? What happened to your clothes?"
"Your husband made a choice today," I said. I leaned in close so she could smell the antiseptic and the blood on my skin. "He took a girl who belongs to me. Now, I'm taking what belongs to him."