I duck low and tuck myself behind a door, aiming for the legs of one of the shooters. He goes down first before the guys take out the rest of our opposition. I hear a grunt, and a body hits the floor near me.
“Fuck,” Elias shouts, and I see him clutch his chest. I prepare to run toward him, but he holds up his palm.”It didn’t pierce the vest. I just forgot how much it hurts when there’s impact. Keep going. I’ll be fine.”
I sigh in relief. “Good. Now, let’s go.”
“Don’t get yourself killed, Prescott. I only just started liking you assholes,” Sebastian quips, and Fernando snorts.
We enter an open space when all hell breaks loose. Men pour out from all angles, and I prepare to fight.
A draft blows through the windowless building, and the hairs rise on the back of my neck seconds before I hear a shriek and I’m tackled to the ground.
“You stupid bitch.” I hear someone wail as the wind is knocked out of me. The voice registers as she climbs on me.
Hands wrap around my neck as Brittany sneers. “You should’ve never come here. We had a plan, and you ruin??”
My dagger sinks into her side before she can finish. She screams, tipping off me. Then I’m on top of her, my arm rearing back and punching her in the face.
“Cry me a river. Your delusional skank friend needs to know when to take a loss,” I hiss, then I rip the knife from her side and raise my hands above my head before slamming the blade into her chest.
“Why couldn’t you just choose me? We are perfect together.” I hear Samantha screech, and I don’t think. I stand up and run in the direction of the voice.
I stop short, slowing my steps so my boots don’t make too much noise. “Samantha, you have to know the only way this ends is with your death,” Rowan reasons.
Peeking into the room, I see Rowan tied to a chair with a gun to his head.
“Don’t hide gutter trash. I already know you’re here,” Samantha snarls.
Inhaling, I temper my anger. I need to be smart about this. It’s just me, and I have no idea when the other guys will arrive. They’ll raise hell that I didn’t wait, but I’m not taking the chance with Rowan’s life.
“Drop your weapons at the door, bitch, and get in here,” Samantha demands.
“Don’t you come in here, Emma,” Rowan counters, but I ignore him. He can yell at me when he’s home safely. Then, I’m going to torture him slowly until he promises not to do this shit again.
I step into the room, and she waves the pistol around in the air. “All the weapons.” Then she aims it back at Rowan’s head. “Or half his face will be splattered on the floor.”
“There’s no need for the threats,” I mutter, removing my thigh holsters first. As I bend, I meet Rowan’s gaze. He imperceptibly dips his head, understanding my plan.
Placing my knives and gun down, I stand and then walk further into the room.
“That’s close enough,” Samantha spits once I’m about five feet from them.
I stop. “Samantha, you don’t-” Rowan begins, but she presses the muzzle of the gun against his head.
“Shut up, Rowaniel.” She sneers at his name with so much hatred.
“Hey,” I exclaim, trying to get her attention back on me. It works, Samantha’s glare fixes on me.
Lifting the firearm, she motions for me to get down. “On your knees, you dumb slut.”
I fight back an eye roll, staring her in the face. “How about you put down that gun?”
“How about you get on the fucking ground where you’ve always belonged,” Samantha snaps, training the pistol back on Rowan. “Before I shoot him.”
My hands shoot up. “Okay. . . okay,” I breathe, slowly lowering to the floor.
“You should’ve heeded my messages to leave,” Samantha declares. “I gave you so many chances to disappear!” She swings the handgun back at me when I’m nearly on the ground. “But you wouldn’t fucking l??”
Samantha’s words are cut off when Rowan slams his head back, cracking her in the face. She screams, dropping the gun and grabbing her nose. Blood streams down as her weapon skitters away. I’m moving before she registers her mistake.
Springing off the ground, I charge forward. A snarl passes my lip as I pull back and jab her three times in the side of her head. Samantha falls, and I hop on top of her, fisting her hair tight in my grip.
“You talk too damn much,” I bark, landing blow after blow. She tries to protect herself, but I strike any spot she isn’t covering. “You threatened me, tried to kill people I love, and took what was never yours.”
“Emma, watch out,” Rowan warns, but I’m so lost in my rage that I miss when she must have taken out a weapon.
I’m knocked off balance when I see something glint in the light.
Utilizing my momentary loss of focus, Samantha dives at me with a knife. I roll out of the way when the clank of metal hitting concrete sounds.
“I’m going gut you. Then make Rowan fuck me in your blood before I sell those bastard twins on the black market,” Samantha shrieks running at me again, but I’m already twisting up into a crouch.
Nope. Dead bitch on aisle one.
My foot swings out, kicking her in the side of her knee at full force. I hear the crack as she drops to the ground, losing the knife in the process.
Samantha shrieks, springing off the ground faster than expected, and tackles me to the ground.
“You stupid bitch. You never know when to quit,” Samantha sneers as my back hits the floor. I grunt but manage to move my head before her nails can come into contact with my face. Before she can make another attempt to scratch me, I grab my hair sticks and swing, stabbing her in the shoulder.
She screams, clutching her arm as she falls off me. I’m up and straddling her chest and fisting her hair while I punch her repeatedly in her face. “No. You’re the one who doesn’t know when to take a hint. But don’t worry, I’ll happily teach you,” I snap, landing another blow to her face. Then, I’m off the ground and kicking her side.
“You think you can threaten my kids,” I shout, stomping on her fingers with the heel of my combat books. Samantha’s choked sobs echo throughout the room, but it’s nowhere near enough. “You think you can take from me and not lose the offending limb?” I snarl, slamming my boot down on her shoulder.
Samantha kicks out, and I accidentally go down. Then she belly crawls in the direction of the knife, but I’ve had enough.
Standing, I dart around her, whipping out the cable saw, locking the wire around her neck, and tugging.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.