HARDCORE: Storm MC(53)

“Okay, babe. What do you want me to do?”



He considered for a moment. “I think we need to impress upon Mr. Ronn here that not only is he not going anywhere today, but that he’s got some payback to do for what he’s taken from us, don’t you think? I think this particular vampire owes us some blood.”



“I totally agree. You know that. But I don’t want you to go to jail, baby. Not today, okay? I don’t think I could handle that.”



Dom laughed. “Don’t worry, babe. No jail. I promise. But I can’t not hit the bastard.”



Realization hit me then. This was my opportunity, too, to finally get some payback for Tania. God, how had I forgotten Tania today? It was like my mind was still disconnected from everything around me, and it was only barely beginning to function again, just now.



I whispered her name. “Tan.”



Dom heard me, and looked at me softly. “Yeah, baby, Tan. Tan and Manny. What do you want to do?”



My face crumpled some, and I could feel wet heat in my eyes and behind my nose. I looked down at my hands, clasped around that handgun, and I forced myself to my feet. My legs were still feeling rubbery, but they were strong, and I willed them to hobble closer to Dom, who was still straddling and pinning Ronn to the floor.



I came to a halt standing over them and wasn’t sure what to do.



“Dom, I can’t think. You go ahead first.”



He looked at me inquiringly, as if checking to see if I was okay even just to stand. I nodded at him and backed up a few paces, into the library. The backs of my knees soon hit the leather sofa, so I sat.



Dom went to town on Ronn’s face for… I have no idea how long. Not that long. But he took several shots, and there was some blood spray, and I turned my head away so I wouldn’t see anything after that. I was fairly certain that there would be at least a broken nose, maybe also a cheekbone or jaw, by the time Dom was finished. Ronn deserved every hit and then some, as far as I was concerned.



Dom reined himself back, still straddled over Mr. I’m-Gonna-Kill-Everyone-And-Retire-To-Micronesia, and flexed his hand, looking down at his knuckles. They were bloody and must have hurt a lot, but his face held fierce satisfaction. Ronn was moaning and holding his hands up to his face, attempting to roll back and forth a little on the floor but unable to under Dom’s weight. He wasn’t going anywhere quick.



“Your turn, baby. Whatcha wanna do?” Dom was looking at me.



I had a little more faith in my legs this time, and I got up from the sofa with both hands wrapped around the gun. Fortunately for me, it was a small one and fit my grip easily.



“I don’t want to kill him, Dom. But I want him to hurt.”



“I hear you, babe. How ’bout you aim for his shoulder?”



I looked at Dom’s bleeding wound—it was a tiny hole in the front, but it was bleeding, and I remembered the view from the back and winced at just the thought. “Tit for tat. That seems right.”



Dom put his good arm around my legs and supported me while I framed the shot from point-blank range. Ronn just laid there, watching my face in horror, but knowing he wasn’t going to get out of this one.



“Sienna, keep your eyes open, babe. Keep your eyes on your target spot. Okay? Don’t close your eyes.”



“Okay, Dom. I’m keeping them open.”



And I pulled the trigger. And Ronn shrieked like a little girl. And Dom one-arm squeezed my legs in a proud hug. “You got him. Good job. You good now? Or do you wanna do another?”



My eyes narrowed in thought. “That was too easy. And that was just for you. He hasn’t paid for Tan yet. He needs to pay for Tan.”



Dom considered me for a moment, then backed up from his straddle and shifted so he was in a kneeling lockdown of Ronn’s lower legs. “Do what you gotta do, Sienna.”



Oh boy. My man totally got me.



I shifted down-body of Ronn, following Dom’s move, and once again his arm supported my legs, giving me strength and balance. I aimed at Ronn’s groin. Ronn started really hollering and wiggling, just as I took the shot, and I missed my target, only getting him on the outer hip. It was really little more than a flesh wound. But his panic was satisfying, and I was done. I did not need another go.



I tossed the gun back onto the rug in the middle of the room, away from all of us, so it would be out of play for whatever came next. Dom once again gave my legs a brief hug, and then he nodded. “Okay, onward. Let me get this guy tied down. You see anything we can use for that?”



I pointed at the curtain ties, and Dom ripped them off the wall and made quick work of tying first Ronn’s ankles and then his wrists together behind his back.