AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shakes her head, fear blazing in her eyes.
“I’m going to get you out of the house. We’re going to the woods.” I look down and note she’s in her pajamas and has no shoes on. I look her in the eyes. “Don’t move. Do you hear me? I’m going to get you a coat and shoes.”
She nods. I close my eyes as I draw in the strength to leave her for the few moments it will take. I’m not thinking when I lean in and kiss her. It’s fast but fierce, and then I’m running into her room, grabbing the first pair of sneakers and a coat from her closet.
I glance down the hall and see she’s exactly where I’ve left her. I decide on one more detour to my room, where I grab another gun that I holster while I hold one in my hand.
I return to Kate and help her into her coat and shoes. “Stay close. We’re going through the kitchen to the garage and out the back. Got it?”
She bites her lip, and it’s killing me that she’s once again having to endure the dark side of humanity.
“Let’s go.” I take her hand, and shielding her, I rush downstairs, through the kitchen and into the garage. I should drive us out of here, but based on the amount of gunfire, I’m not sure we’ll make it. So, I open the back door of the garage, waiting to hear gunfire.
When nothing comes our way, I put my hand on Kate’s shoulder and look her in the eyes. There’s so much I want to say, like how sorry I am. And how much I admire her strength. How I wish I could be a different sort of man. The man she wishes I was.
Instead, I say, “We’re going to run like hell to the trees. They’re not far. Okay?”
She nods, and once again, I take her hand. We’re ten feet outside the door when gunfire sounds, whizzing past us. I tug her along, dodging and weaving, firing back toward our assailants and praying like hell that we don’t get hit.
Once we hit the tree line, I drag her deeper into the woods and finally pull her behind a large tree. I hand her a gun.
“Stay hidden. If in doubt, shoot.” It’s possible she’ll shoot one of my men, so it’s pretty shitty of me to give her this direction, but everything I’m doing is for her. Only her.
“Liam… don’t leave?—”
“I have to go kill these motherfuckers.” I don’t wait for her to respond. I don’t have time. I rush back toward the house. It’s so fucking dark, but I take out two men when I reach the garage where I have more guns. I arm myself and then head back into the house and out the front door.
“Babichev, is that you, you motherfucking pussy?” I call out. I run off the porch, taking shelter in the dark and behind a tree, getting my bearings.
“To the right!” one my men yells out. My gun thrusts right, and I fire, dropping one of Babichev’s men.
When I was a kid, my dad once took me to California for a short vacation that I later learned was also some sort of Bratva meeting. During our stay, there was a large earthquake. It felt like hours that the ground shook, but apparently, it was only a few seconds. Gunfights are like earthquakes. They feel like they take forever, but by the time the shooting dies down, it’s only been a few minutes.
I remind myself of that as I move stealthily around my property, killing Babichev’s men, disappointed when I discover it’s not Babichev himself. Then again, he’s probably not here. He’s that sort of cowardly leader. In my mind, if you can’t fight with your men, you’re not suited to lead.
“The house,” someone yells. I don’t recognize the voice, which makes me think it’s one of our ambushers. I look toward my house, hoping my men and staff are out, when all of a sudden, it goes up in a fireball.
Fucking hell. For a moment, I watch until I realize debris is starting to rain down. I run deeper into the woods and consider that this isn’t going to end well. I need to get to Kate and move her to someplace safer.
I make my way toward her. I take out two more men when I hear engines rev and the sound of vehicles gunning it out of my drive.
“Those motherfuckers have some balls,” Artyom says as he steps up beside me and watches my home burn.
“Balls we just shot off,” Robbie says, joining us.
“Yes, but—Boss… your house.”
“We need to get to Kate. Keep quiet in case there are any men left behind.” We continue to the backwoods, and I pray that no one found her.
I finally reach the tree, and taking a deep breath, I round it. She walks into me, and I take her shoulders to steady her. A gunshot rings out, and pain pierces my gut. I drop to the ground.
11
KATE
Terror fills me. First, because I’ve been found. Survival instinct has me firing the gun. The man who grabbed me drops. But he’s not alone. Another knocks the gun from my hand and throws me against the tree. He presses a gun against my temple.
“No!” the man on the ground yells at my would-be killer. Only then does it register. I’ve shot Liam.
