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My fingers work on the panel, and I hope for the best. Destiny laughs in my face as the garage’s overhead lights start flashing red and an ear-splitting siren echoes through McGuire’s property.
“Fuck,” Vladmir groans as Nik shouts my name.
“My bad,” I say. Then I run as fast as I can towards Nik’s car. I unlock it and jump into the driver’s seat of the shiny vehicle. After pressing the start button, I yell, “Step back.”
Nik and Vladmir barely have enough time to react and follow my instructions because I slam my foot on the gas and ram the car into the gate. I waste no time before backing up and doing it again. This time, the metal partition falls over.
“Get in,” I say to the two men as I drive through the garage’s opening.
With a disapproving shake of his head, Nik yanks the door open before taking the passenger seat. Vladmir hurries to the back of the car, pistol in hand.
I stare at the gun in shock for some reason.
“Kat. Drive the fucking car,” Nik grunts. His sharp tone snaps me out of my reverie.
I peel out of the area, racing through the property’s driveway just as screams echo behind us and bullets zip past the car. Vladmir sticks his head out of the window and fires back.
I gasp, swerving, and Nik grabs the wheel. “It’s all good, Kat,” he says in a soothing tone. “Just keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. Don’t worry about the shots.”
“Don’t worry about the shots?!” I yell, turning to face him. “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”
The car swerves again as I speed away down the driveway and onto the main road. Nik tries to reassure me. “Shh. Just do your best. Please. Just worry about driving. Let’s put some distance between us and them.”
He’s barely finished with his sentence when I spot headlights in the rearview mirror. Nik and Vladmir share a look that makes me feel cold to my bones.
“What is it?” I ask Nik anxiously.
“Can you drive with one hand?” Nik asks Vlad, making eye contact with him through the same mirror.
Vladmir hesitates for a moment before nodding.
“What are you talking about? Why would he have to drive with one hand?” I ask frantically, glancing at the headlights as they grow closer and closer.
Nik ignores my question, so I look at Vladmir, noticing his right hand wrapped in bandages. He even has a makeshift splint. It must be broken.
“What happened to your hand?” I ask. Vladmir shakes his head, glancing at Nik from the corner of his eye.
I look at Nik, too, but he doesn’t make eye contact with either of us. After a moment, I understand with a jolt that Nik must’ve broken Vladimir’s hand. I’m even more shocked when it dawns on me that he must’ve done it to punish Vladmir for touching me earlier today.
“Are you fucking insane?” I yell, turning my head to look at Nik. “You broke his hand!”
Nik sighs. “Kat…” he says in a pacifying tone.
“What’s wrong with you? With both of you!” I ask, yelling even louder.
“Kat, we can talk about this later. Now, for fuck’s sake, will you please focus on driving?” Nik shouts right back at me while reaching over to keep the wheel straight.
“How can you expect me to focus on anything right now when I just learned you broke this man’s hand as punishment for touching me?” I ask. My rising tone doesn’t impress him. Nik makes eye contact with me, looking as angry as I’ve ever seen him.
“You’re damn right I did,” he says. “You’re mine, Kat, and anyone who even thinks about laying a finger on you will have to answer to me. I’ll kill the next one, too, if I think it’ll drive my point home better.”
4
KAT
I stare at Nik in shock.
“Eyes on the road,” he says. I follow his command without thinking.
