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Now, they’re the ones pinned down. Yet, the twenty-plus team of killers refuses to surrender. On the north and south sides of the ambush, our people open the roads and allow the intact SUVs to escape.
Behind me, Zoot’s team finishes up near the semi. Noble’s group roars down Lafayette Street, turning left to meet up with Zoot. Both crews stop when they see me.
Zoot looks over the still dangerous night. “What the fuck?”
“Natasha’s SUV went in the river,” I say, sounding as empty as I feel.
Noble glances toward the bus blocking most of the road and the broken guardrail. “Grab a bunch of guys to search the riverbank. We need to finish up here and tag a few assholes to squeeze for info.”
As the remaining enemy retreats into the city with our teams in pursuit, the Kovak brothers jog toward our group. They hesitate when they see the bus.
“Where are our sisters?” Maks asks as if we’re at fault.
“Show them,” Noble says when I get stuck.
Zoot doesn’t wait around to talk. He rides with his group up Lafayette Street in pursuit of the fleeing gunmen. The battle spreads out, block by block, even as the tide turns in our favor.
I gesture to the Kovak brothers to follow me down past the bridge where we can access the riverbank. We gain people as we move. Indigo and Tack join the search. Golden stays with Sync who is bloodied and bullet-ridden yet alive.
Syndicate men follow after their bosses. We’re a dozen strong when we hit the muddy river’s edge in search of any sign of the woman I love.
NATASHA
A jolt brings me back to my senses. A panicked Petra is sobbing my name and shaking me. I reach for her and call for the driver in the front seat. My words are met with silence. Switching on the overhead light, I lean between the front seats to find him slumped over and unresponsive.
The SUV bounces in the current, shifting and tilting. My frantic heart insists I shut down and give up. I don’t know what to do. The man in the front seat was supposed to protect us, but he might be dead.
Thoughts of Bear and the kids steal my panic. My brain suddenly hatches a plan of action. As clarity takes over, I visualize every step.
Still hunched on the floor, Petra fumbles with her phone to call for help. I grab my purse where my switchblade is always stashed. When Siobhan bought the weapon for me to deal with perverts, I swore I’d never have the will to harm someone with it. She still insisted I keep it with me as a good luck charm. Now, I retrieve it and try to think like Siobhan.
“What are you doing?” Petra asks when I slash the side airbags.
“The engine is still running,” I explain calmly. “We need to roll down our windows at the same time and jump out. The water will come in quickly. We can’t hesitate. We need to get out of the SUV before it’s dragged underwater.”
“Our gowns are too heavy,” Petra says and starts tearing at her dress’s many buttons and hooks.
I slice down the front of my gown, nicking flesh in my haste. My breathing is too quick. I’m panicking, yet we need to get out of the SUV immediately.
Petra sees what I’ve done and tugs her dress away from her skin to make it easier for me to cut through the fabric.
Once we’re stripped down to our underwear and dress slips, we climb onto the seats.
“On the count of three,” I tell Petra, “we roll down the windows and jump out.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know,” I admit as the SUV starts tipping forward.
“We’re going to flip. One!” I cry and reach for the window button.
Praying my plan will work, I hurry through the next two numbers and press. Petra does the same, and the windows fortunately ease downward. Water splashes inward immediately. The only reason the interior isn’t quickly flooded is the river’s current drags the vehicle’s nose downward. The back seat is slightly upward as we leap into the water.
I’m unprepared for the icy water or violent current. My entire thought process was on getting out of the vehicle. Once I’m in the river, I feel like a ragdoll shaken by an unruly child. As the vehicle flips, the momentum tosses me toward Petra. I reach for her hand, making contact yet unable to hold on.
Petra struggles to stay above the water. The swollen river’s current slams us together twice before I’m finally able to grab hold of my sister. We try to steady ourselves and swim toward the shore.
A fallen tree in the river brings our momentum to a violent halt. With too much force, we slam into the soggy trunk. Petra goes limp. I can’t catch my breath. My lungs scream, and my muscles refuse to obey.
