I try to gasp but I can’t breathe. Pain like the worst ache floods my guts. I want to throw up. A hand grabs my hair and drags me,stumbling, back into the kitchen. I start sucking in air and want to scream but I’m hurting and can’t seem to make any noise.
I’m thrown violently to the floor. A man stomps a boot down on my hand. I yelp in agony, looking up in animal panic.
Several armed men are lurking around. They don’t look friendly.
Matteo crouches down and smiles at me, head tilted to the side.
“Hello, Kira. Sorry about all this. But the council decided it’s time for a change of leadership.”
I find my breath, teeth gritted. “The council… oryoudid?”
Matteo laughs, head thrown back. “Does it even matter? Now, are you alone here?”
“Yes,” I say, but much too quickly.
Matteo clucks his tongue and gestures at two of his men. “Go find the sister. Don’t hurt her. She’s a good kid.”
“Gem, run! Gem, run! They’re coming!” I scream as loud as I can, and I’d keep on screaming except Matteo’s shoe kicks me in the face, snapping my teeth into my tongue. My mouth fills with blood as someone drags me to my knees and puts me in a headlock. I can barely breathe. I spit blood and gag.
“Now that was a real pain in my ass,” Matteo murmurs grimly. “But don’t worry. I still won’t hold it against the girl. Well, not too much.”
I scream, struggling, kicking and fighting, but the man holding me is too strong and his grip is too solid, and the room begins to spin as he cuts off my air, and my legs get heavy and my arms are weights, and I try to scream for Gem to warn her, but Ihave nothing left, nothing at all, as darkness swarms and eats my vision like locusts.
STELLAN
Islam on the brakes half a block away from my house and kick the door open.
I nearly collapse when I step out onto the sidewalk. The pain in my knee is unbearable. I have burns on my arms from the fire in the hotel, and my chest throbs from getting shot. The slugs are still stuck in the bulletproof plates in my vest.
Kira’s in trouble. My guard didn’t get to her in time. Something went wrong, so terribly wrong, and I have to get to her. Forget the book, forget my injuries, forget Vural, the police, everything. I need her. I need Kira.
I push myself to my feet, snarling with the effort, and nearly fall again.
When a pair of hands grab me. “Stellan. Stellan! You’re here!”
I look up and find Gem staring at me, her face smeared from crying, fear shining from her pores.
“What are you doing out here?” I ask, managing to prop myself against the truck.
“They have Kira. I don’t know who they are, but they have her. She screamed, and I ran. I went into your room and climbed out the window, and they nearly got me, but I dropped and climbed the fence and just kept running until I saw you.”
I pull her against me, drawing my gun. “How many?”
“I don’t know. What’s going on? They’re hurting her, Stellan.”
“Stay with the truck. Get behind the wheel. If anyone comes looking for you, drive the fuck away. Keep driving and don’t look back. You hear me?”
“Stellan—”
“I’ll get your sister. I promise.” I stagger forward, teeth gritted with the effort, but I’m a man of my word.
The house looms quiet and calm. Except there are three SUVs parked out front. All of them have a guard waiting behind the wheel, and I’d bet there are more men inside.
Fuck, I’m outnumbered. There’s no way I can win this fight. I’m injured, burned, bleeding, and broken. Every part of me hurts. But if I stop, Kira’s dead. I’d rather cut my own throat than quit on her.
I stagger on, throwing myself at the first SUV. I tap on the glass with my gun. The driver looks over?—
I shoot him in the face.
