Page 32 of Savage Little Lies

Dmitri’s smile broadens a little as he nods. I like his smile more than I should. “It was nice.”

That’s…surprising to hear him admit.

Our eyes linger on one another, tension filling the space between us.

What would’ve happened if we were all alone on that dance floor? Would he have kissed me? Would I have kissed him back?

And would I have done it for the plan or for myself?

“Your cars have arrived, sir,” one of Dmitri’s men tells him, interrupting our moment.

That’s probably for the best. I’ll pick back up with the flirting and wooing on Monday when my feet aren’t killing me.

A line of black SUVs that I know are Dmitri’s approach us, ready to pick up him, me, and all his men. And Annika, wherever she is.

I sneak another glance at Dmitri because he admittedly looks damn good tonight, but I don’t get a chance to admire him for even a second. My heart drops as a red dot crawls up his chest.

“Get down!” I scream before grabbing his arm and jerking him down to the ground with me just as the sound of a gunshot echoes throughout the plaza.

A bullet whistles over our heads and shatters one of the glass hotel doors behind us, making people shriek in terror and scatter.

Dmitri immediately jumps into action and wraps his arm around me, shielding me as a flood of people scream and run in all different directions to escape as more shots ring out from different places. “Where are they? Where the fuck is the shooter?”

“I don’t know, sir! We can’t see them!” one of Dmitri’s men tells him as he lifts his handgun, trying to see through the surrounding darkness for any sign of the attackers. His head suddenly snaps back as a bullet pierces his forehead, making him collapse in front of us.

I can’t even find my voice to scream as I stare at his body while blood slowly pools around his head. His lifeless eyes peer back at me, a glassy sheen falling over them.

Just like that. He’s gone.

“Fuck,” Dmitri grits out before waving at some of his men. “Get him in the car! We need to move!”

I hold on to him as he helps me to my feet, my head remaining low to avoid catching a stray bullet. My legs threaten to weaken as fear clutches me, but my survival instincts are stronger. I refuse to die tonight.

“This way!” Dmitri tells me as he leads me to one of the SUVs down the sidewalk, fighting through the wave of people rushing away from the resort.

My heart pounds as my eyes dart back and forth, trying to find the shooter. Who is doing this? Why is this happening tonight of all nights?

Dmitri grabs the handle of the passenger door to open it, but the window suddenly shatters, making us stumble back into the torrent of people. They push and shove us forward, nearly separating us as chaos and panic ensue.

We need to get out of this crowd. We have to get out of sight. Dmitri was the first target, which means he’s probably the main one, and they’ll be looking for him.

“Dmitri!” I shout as I grab his arm, yanking him to the left off the sidewalk. I point to a side door of the hotel. “We can leave through a back exit!”

Dmitri nods and kicks open the side door before hauling me inside just as a bullet hits the door frame. He takes my hand and leads me down the hallway, both of us breathing heavily. “Stay close to me.”

There’s no way in hell that I’m letting us get separated right now. Dmitri was the target, but I feel safer next to him.

Dmitri zigzags through the hallways, taking us deeper into the hotel and into the employee only areas. He grabs his phone out of his back pocket and calls one of his men in his recent contacts.

“Arman, get a car to the back of the hotel now!” Dmitri demands. “Tell the others to get the hell out of here. We can’t fight what we can’t fucking see!”

I end up kicking my heels off as we approach the kitchen, my bare feet hitting the floor. The last thing that I want to do right now is slow Dmitri down by forcing him to carry me the rest of the way.

He wouldn’t leave me behind no matter what.

Dmitri ends the call and leads me through the kitchen, dodging past workers and counters to reach the back door. He throws it open and heads out where the dumpsters are located, his head turning up and every which way to make sure no shooters are around.

The gritty surface of the ground bites at my feet, making them hurt even more, but the pain is at the back of my mind right now. If I’m feeling pain, I’m still alive. That’s what matters most after such a close call. Way too close.