Immediately, I think of the baby she’s carrying, but Quinn brings me back to the present when she produces the dagger she’s fashioned from a shard of mirror and a piece of cloth she’s using as a grip. She’s squirming under Ilya’s hold, and he doesn’t notice her bring it up slowly to chest height.
As the shard of mirror disappears into the narrow gap between her shoulder and Ilya’s arm, Ilya remains oblivious. His face has turned into a snarl as he’s forced to address me. “You want to plead for this whore’s life?”
“I can only save Quinn if she’s ready to be saved,” I say. I glance at her. “Are you ready, Viper?”
She blinks her red and swollen eyes once. Despite the hell she’s been through, she’s ready.
My trigger finger tenses as Quinn positions her dagger. She’s going to slash Ilya’s wrist. It’s not the hand gripping the gun, but the cut will distract Ilya for the fraction of a second I need to take the shot. It’s not much of a window, but she’s committed to the move, and so must I.
There’s a glint of reflected light as she draws the sharp edge of her dagger hard against Ilya’s wrist. Blood spurts across Quinn’s face a heartbeat before I pull the trigger.
Ilya’s mouth opens on a gasp of pain from the cut, and that look of surprise is his very last expression.
The Russian’s gun slips from his hand as he drops to the floor. He takes Quinn with him, but I’m already on the move. I slide the last few feet on my knees and ricochet off Ilya’s body as I catch Quinn. My body envelops hers.
Quinn’s bloodied head drops to my shoulder. I don’t feel her chest move or the warmth of her breath on my neck.
“Tell me you’re OK,” I demand because I haven’t dared to hope since she was taken.
She releases the breath she was holding, and I feel her nod.
“Ilya’s dead,” Ash speaks into his earpiece. “And we have Quinn.”
At the sound of his voice, Quinn’s head snaps up. Ash, Hunter and Mace have created a shield around us, rifles in hand. Quinn’s eyes widen in terror as a thunderous roar of automatic fire assaults our ears. She recoils backwards with a cry, her arms covering her head to defend herself – from my brothers.
“Shit,” says Mace.
Chapter 33
Quinn
When I’d made the dagger from a shard of broken mirror, I wasn’t exactly sure who I’d need to protect myself from. I have to consider the possibility that Reid’s brothers won’t be pleased by the news of my alleged-pregnancy. They could hate me all the more for trapping him.
When Ash had said he wasn’t there to make a deal, it sounded as if he didn’t care enough about my welfare to make the call himself. And as Reid sweeps me into his arms, I don’t know if I’m still in danger.
“Ilya’s dead, and we have Quinn,” Ash says.
I look up to find three looming figures bearing down on me. The last time I’d seen the brothers had been in the coffee shop after I’d lured Maddie and Lily out of their office. They have every reason to seek revenge, and with their rifles locked and loaded, their trigger fingers must be twitching.
Automatic gunfire blasts through the building and ricochets around the room. I cry out, and as I curl into a tight ball, there’s a metallic smell that’s overpowering. I’malready covered in Ilya’s blood, but is it now mingling with mine? I’m in too much shock to know if I’ve been hit or not.
“Shit.”
It’s Mace, I think. Although it’s hard to tell above the sound of my clamoring heart.
Reid pulls me back to him. “You’re safe,” he soothes. He pulls at my arms until I uncover my face and look at him. “It’s just the other guys celebrating. We’ve taken over the compound.” He strokes my cheek. “I’ve got you, Quinn. You’re going to be OK.”
“But your…” I try to block out our surroundings. His brothers have taken a step back to give us some space, but they’re still too damn close. “What about them? I swear, I didn’t set out to get pregnant, Reid. And I wasn’t sleeping around. I’m not a whore, if that’s what they think.”
Reid’s face pales. “No one would dare call you a whore, Quinn. No onethinksthat.”
“But Ilya…”
“Played mind games,” he reminds me.
“But theyshouldhate me.” I sink my face into his chest. “What I did to Maddie and Lily…”
“Quinn?” It’s Hunter this time, and he’s close. “Can you look at me, please?”
