“Do you hear me, Kai?” I inject as much sharpness and urgency into my voice as I can. “Shoot anyone who gets by me, understand? Don’t look back. Run.”
I shove him down the alley. “Run!” I snap and he takes off like a rocket with one gun and my cell phone.
I never got to hear what Reuben had to say. I didn’t wait for his order—or maybe I tuned him out.
Either way, I think he’s going to be really mad.
I ready myself. I have two guns and two daggers. Men filter into the alley, and I’m barely able to grab the metal dumpster from the nearest wall and pull it between us before they all start firing. I brace myself as the shots ricochet, gun at the ready. Some of their bullets hit off the metal and the walls to hit their own and one man screams at them all to stop.
I was hoping they’d be stupid enough to use up all their bullets, but I suppose I can’t be that lucky. I click my teeth, firing two shots from behind the dumpster, but because of the angle my bullets only clip a knee and a leg at most.
Still, it’s enough. It baits them into firing more shots. They empty more rounds of fire into the metal, and the impact on my back makes me wince. Someone screams again for them to stop, but I know by now most of them are out of bullets.
It brings my chances of survival down to a respectable level at least.
I step out from behind the dumpster when I’m—somewhat—certain they won’t fire anymore, and I kick the dumpster behind me, grateful for another obstacle between them and Kai. Even if they get past me, I’ll have enough time to put them down before they get out of the alley.
One man glares at me, and from the way the rest of them hang on his order, I assume he’s the leader. I ready my gun in one hand and my knife in the other—adrenaline pounding through my skin.
I have no choice but to sharpen my senses again, and with my next breathI’ve opened myself up to every motion of theirs. Every twitch of their fingers, every breath, every movement.
The alley is my only advantage when the leader sends one man to rush me. He’s hoping to catch one of my openings and shoot me from this distance while I’m distracted.
It’s a cute thought.
I sidestep the incoming punch to stab my opponent in the throat and pull his body between me and the leader. His bullet clips the dead man in the back and when I raise my gun, I’m able to take him out and two others before the snap of the empty magazine makes me hiss.
I drop them both before reaching for my last gun in my pants and changing the grip on my dagger. I’d counted eight bullets in the magazine when I picked it up.
I can’t say the math is working in my favour.
The moments that ensue thereafter are slaughter. They realize quickly they’re no match for me when they come one or two at a time.
So they come in threes.
I am a whirlwind of movement.
Of madness and willpower—pushing my body’s limits until the pounding in my head numbs my thoughts.
One of them manages to lock my arm and I have to grit my teeth because his friend is raising his gun to my head.
I have no choice but to break the bone quickly so I can get out.
The pain is excruciating and I roar as I bring my other arm up to shoot him, stabbing the other in his neck and putting his body between me and another bullet.
By the time I’m out of bullets, so are they.
They’ve managed to nick me with their knives so much, that with my sensations heightened, every cut and bruise feels like fire across my skin.
It feels like I’m burning alive.
Still, I must hold the invisible line, here, between them and Kai.
I am the only thing between him and a death like Evie’s.
And every inch of my being refuses to let it happen again.
‘Hold the line.’ I chant it over and over again as I fight. As they punch me in the face and bruise my skin. As they stab me with their knives, tearing through muscle and flesh, and more of my blood and theirs, coat my skin.
