Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 93506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Fuck.
I should’ve canceled or postponed this operation the moment I felt there was something fucking wrong with this whole day.
A car revs in my direction, and I shoot the tire. It swerves to the side, but it continues approaching me at a maddening speed, so I use my safety net bullet and hit the other tire. It’s pointless to aim at the glass since it’s likely bulletproof. Besides, it’s tinted, so I can’t gamble and try to shoot the driver.
The van tilts and hits one of the containers, then rolls over. I grab onto a metal rod on the nearest container then push my weight over to the other side and then on top. I barely miss being shot at by the men in the van.
The moment I rise to my full height, the hammer of a gun clicks at the back of my head.
I let my weapon turn upside down and hang off my forefinger.
So I was the target of this whole operation. Interesting.
“Are you from the Belsky Organization?” I start to turn around.
He hits me across the head with his gun and then kicks me in the back of my knees. I fall to the top of the metal container with a resounding thud.
Red blurs my vision, but I smile. “I’ll take that as a yes. I must say, using the shipment day to get me is smart. I bet you meant to ruin the relationship between me and Juan, and that way, when you kill me, it’ll be marked down as a dishonorable death. But what to do? I might be one step ahead on this one. You don’t get to fuck with me and get out unscathed. That’s not how I operate.”
He hits me again, and this time, I wince, but I use the small moment to turn around. I get a glimpse of his masked face, but that’s the only thing I see before the barrel of the gun is shoved at my face.
“Kirill!” The shout comes first, then the shot follows.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I would recognize that voice even if I were sleeping. But what the hell is she doing here?
The masked man runs backward, and Sasha’s shot hits his chest, but he must be wearing a vest, because no blood comes out and he jumps off the container like a ninja.
For a moment, I consider going after him, but I remember that I don’t have any bullets, and he’ll probably shoot me on sight.
The fact that he didn’t engage with Sasha is weird, though.
Unless he thought she brought backup.
Quiet but fast footsteps stomp across the top of the container before she drops to her knees in front of me, the bottom of her rifle making a loud sound on the metal.
Her hands cradle my face, fingers shaking, and tears shining in her eyes. “Are you okay? Oh my God, is this a gunshot wound…? Did you…”
“Would I be alive if I were shot in the head, genius?”
“No, I guess not…” She’s talking to me, but she’s barely seeing me as she wipes my forehead and my cheeks with the back of her jacket sleeves.
The tears cling to her lashes before they drop and stain her cheeks. And these tears do unpleasant shit to me.
I reach a hand to her cheek and wipe one away. She pauses and shivers beneath my palm.
Fuck.
It’s been a long time since I’ve touched her, and now that I am, I feel like an addict who’s been thrown back into bad fucking habits.
I resist the urge to close my eyes and breathe her in, maybe even try to devour her in the process.
“Why the fuck are you crying?”
She continues wiping the blood diligently, like it’s her life’s mission. “I thought…I thought you would be hurt like…the other time and…that nearly made me go insane…”
“I’m fine.” I stroke my thumb underneath her eyes, but the more I do, the harder she cries. “We need to get out of here.”
“No, wait. Hold on…just one moment…let me get rid of all the blood and then…then—”
Her words come to an abrupt halt when I seal my forehead to hers. “I’m fine. This much won’t hurt me. Got it?”
Her chin trembles, but she doesn’t say anything.
“I’m going to need your reflexes, Sasha. I don’t have ammunition, and you’re the only one who can get us to safety. Can I count on you?”
Her hand sinks into the side of my jacket as if she’s a child who’s holding on to someone older, but her expression sobers up.
She offers a sharp nod and then brushes her lips against my cheek. The motion is fast enough that I only realize it after she breaks away. “Thank you.”
Fuck me.
I have to internally shake myself to be aware of the current situation and that I can’t actually fuck her on the top of this container.