None of their bullets could touch me since it was so hard to see past the smoke. I was shooting just as blindly until I remembered the thermal imaging camera I’d also pilfered from Ocean. Heart pounding in my ears, I ducked behind the car once again and freed it from the pouch on my waist as the shooting continued around me.
Moments later, I had their heat signatures showing on the small screen, so I swapped out my rifle for the handgun in my holster and weaved between the cars as I hunted down Ocean’s men within the smoke and shadows.
Time stretched endlessly, but in reality, it was only a couple of minutes before the white opaque smoke thinned out and the hunter became the hunted.
I was ducking behind a red car riddled with bullets and broken windows when I peered around and saw them. There were only three left now, but they had regrouped and were slowly stalking the street in a triangulated formation.
And I was out of bullets.
“Well, fuck…” I shook my head and swallowed my whimper. “The things I do for you, bestie,” I whispered as if she were here. I would need a massage, a pedicure, and a good ass nut after this. The likelihood of any of those happening was a firm zero. Pulling the stun grenade free, I tossed it over the trunk of the car without looking.
There was a flash, and then a chorus of shouts rang out before the bang.
Rushing from my hiding spot, I unsheathed my hunting knife as I sprinted for the one in the middle. As soon as I reached him, I didn’t hesitate before burying the blade deep in his gut and driving it up toward his sternum. Blood spilled from hismouth through clenched teeth and splattered my face (yuck), so I turned my head to the man gaping next to him and smiled.
“Ah, hell nah! Fuck this!”
Realizing that they were on the losing side, the remaining two retreated in desperation to the safety of the armored SUVs, but my bloodlust could not be sated.
One slit throat and a stab in the back later,Iwas the last man standing.
Well…almost.
Remembering the spare bullet I always kept in a special place, I wedged my fingers underneath my vest and dug into the space between my breasts until I was able to pinch the warm metal between my fingers.
I strutted toward the overturned Denali as I loaded the single bullet into the magazine and slid back the slide. It took some effort to wrench open the door, but when I did, I was immediately facing down the barrel of a gun.
“Ah, Hunter,” the underboss of the mafia casually greeted, as if I didn’t also have a gun pointed at him. “You really are a bloodthirsty beauty, aren’t you?”
A multitude of responses entered my mind as I looked around the SUV. I knew Coby wasn’t with him, but I still had to see for myself before I finished this.
Where’s Coby?
I should have barbecued you.
Where’s Coby?
Villains should not be allowed to look this good.
Where. Is. Coby?
In the end, it wasn’t meant to be because I didn’t get a chance to say a damn word before I caught movement in my peripheral vision.
“Oh fuck!” the man in the front seat shouted.
“No!” Ocean roared.
I threw myself out of the way in time to avoid the bullet his head of security had for me, and I weaved through the enflamed and bullet-riddled cars until I was standing out of sight but still within earshot.
Panting, I rested my head against the brick building and fought to catch my breath as I listened to Ocean and his bodyguard climb out of the Denali and then drag the driver out.
“What the fuck!” the bodyguard screamed moments later. “She fucking killed everybody!”
The last thing I expected to hear in response was Ocean laughing, as if the carnage delighted him. I guess his moniker as the Bloodthirsty Prince was well earned. Those were his men, and he didn’t even care. Peering around the corner, I saw him tipping his head back to the sky while lightning flashed.
“I think I’m in love!” he shouted.
Gasping, I ducked back into hiding and closed my eyes while my heart raced all over again and butterflies erupted in my stomach.
