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“What the fuck?” Bekker whisper-barked.
“I tripped,” I lied.
The cobra growled and hissed, its attention now fully on us.
“Well, hello there.” Slowly, I waved a hand in the air to test my theory.
The snake moved from side to side, following my hand’s movements.
“Stop it with the provocation.” The merc dragged me to the opposite side of the room. “She doesn’t like it.”
“I see that.” I tossed a glance at Javier. “It’s fascinating, don’t you think?”
He shook his head ever so lightly.No. The corners of his eyes tightened.Don’t do it.
“Seems to me you’ve put all three of us in a pickle,” Javier spoke and the cobra whirled in his direction. “That snake doesn’t like you anymore than she likes me.”
“She won’t attack me,” Bekker said, but the snake made her own statement, swiveling and growling at him.
“Don’t know about that,” Javier taunted, his rumbling voice recapturing the irritated creature’s attention.
The merc pushed me toward the tall rectangular window and pressed his gun against the back of my head. “Open it,” he hissed, his gaze darting between me and his pet on the bed.
“Um…” I stared at the window, and an icy calm spreadthrough me. “This window doesn’t open.”
“What?” The man eyed the big rectangular glass. His frown revealed his disbelief.
“It’s stationary,” I informed him. “Did you not take this small detail into consideration when you planned the backup to your backup, Bekker?”
“You know my name?” He drew back and glared at me before he reclaimed that awful sneer. “I don’t care.” Keeping his hold on my arm, he pushed me aside. “Get out of my way.”
His movements had the snake turning to us again. The merc aimed his sound-suppressed gun at the window. In an instant, I visualized the scenario he was about the create.
His shots wouldn’t be loud, but the vibrations and glass breakage would rile up his pet. He was counting on Javier moving forward to prevent Bekker from shoving me out of the window. I had no doubt Javier would come after me. The snake would strike at the closest threat: him.
Everything happened at once. The moment Bekker’s gun was no longer pointing at me, I reached back and grabbed the Glock from the back of my pants. Bekker pulled the trigger and loosened his shots. It took several bullets aimed at the same spot, but the window blew out and shattered. In my peripheral view, I spotted the powerful cobra launching. Toward me.
***
Javier
As the snake sprang, I reached out and yanked the blanket from the bed, twisting it at the same time. It caught the cobra’s tail, reducing its momentum. Following through, I hurled the blanket-entangled snake off the bed. The only reason I got away with it was because the snake had already lunged in Missy’s direction and was unable to change course in midair.
Plunk.
The cobra landed in the corner behind the upturnedchair. Voices and violent pounding came from the door. Shots rang out in the room, both suppressed and not suppressed.
I pounced toward the corner window, wielding the IV pole as a weapon. Missy and Bekker were entangled in a fight that wasn’t a fair match. Biceps bulging, Bekker enveloped her much smaller form, wrestling her for her gun.
My gun. She’d kept it.
The turd saw me coming. Clutching Missy to his chest with one arm, he lifted his weapon and aimed it at my face. Before he could pull the trigger, I swung the IV pole and struck his hand. Bekker’s gun flew across the space and clanked against the opposite corner. Another shot echoed in the room.
“Missy!”
I shoved the turd off my woman and pummeled him with a punch to the face that sent him flying. I put everything I had into my fist. He landed with a grunt on the floor and didn’t move. Missy stumbled, still holding on to my Glock. I wasn’t exactly solid on my feet, but I caught her. Crimson streaks soaked the front of her top and stained her jeans. Her face was beyond white, transparent. I could see her delicate blue veins beneath her skin.
When her eyes closed, my heart stopped. For once, I pled with the nuns’ God, praying that she’d just fainted. When I thought about the alternative, I felt myself wither and die.
