He licks his bottom lip, the grin fading into something more intense. “What if I want to play with you instead?”
My breath catches in my throat. My heart is hammering so hard I’m sure he can see it through my shirt. I open my mouth to respond, but before I can say anything, a loud boom shakes the entire house so hard the windows rattle in their frames.
5
Vin
The front door detonates inward.
I spin, one hand shoving Sophie—Sophia?fuck, what is her name?—behind me as the world erupts into chaos. Men bellowing. Gunshots flying around us. I grab her arm, yanking her from the kitchen toward Siena, Matti, Tommy, and Giovanna .
Matti’s already got his piece drawn, barrel trained on the entrance. I signal him with two fingers to follow me as I haul Sophie down the hallway, passing each door until I get to the last door and yank it open.
The stairwell is steep and long leading down into more darkness.
“Stay behind me.” The words come out clipped as I start down, gun raised, finger resting against the trigger guard. At the bottom, I flip the light switch and drop into a crouch, sweeping left then right.
Nothing.
“Clear,” I whisper.
Behind me, Sophie stands frozen at the top of the stairs. Siena taps her shoulder, pointing down at me, and the spell breaks. Sophie moves, her feet quick and quiet on the steps, positioning herself exactly where I told her to.
Good girl.
I press against the wall, edge toward the window, and peel back the curtain’s corner. The safe house clings to the hillside, the upper floor at street level, lower floor opening onto the pool and unfenced landscaped yard. Two cop cars sit at the top of the hill, lights flashing red and blue across the pavement. Two uniforms stand by the vehicles, weapons drawn, eyes locked on the front entrance above us.
They haven’t spotted the lower level yet.
“Cops.” I glance at Matti.
He shakes his head, keeps his gun aimed at our six, Siena huddled behind him. “Cops don’t usually knock with a battering ram.”
“And they sure as hell don’t roll up without backup when they do.” I let the curtain fall, cross to the opposite window, away from the flashing lights.
Tommy grimaces, one hand splayed protectively over Giovanna’s swollen belly. “What’s our situation?”
“Two cars. Four to eight hostiles, probably. Two posted outside. Rest are upstairs.”
“Recognize anyone?”
“Too dark.” I squint through the glass.
Above us, screams filter down through floorboards like smoke. Gunshots explode in rapid bursts, and I wave Matti and Tommy over to me.
They cross the room instantly, their women right behind them.
I shove the window open, swing one leg over the sill. The drop’s manageable but not ideal with the concrete below and women who need to make the landing. I land with a grunt, shove the gun into my pants at the small of my back, and reach up.
“Siena first.”
Matti maneuvers her carefully through the frame, hands gentle on her pregnant belly as he lowers her down. I catch her waist and steady her on the ground before helping Giovanna and then Sophie.
My hands span her waist and her fingertips dig into my shoulders. She’s clutching her shoes in one hand. As she slides down my body, I feel every curve, every soft inch of her pressed against me for a half second. When her feet touch the ground, she tilts her face up, those enormous brown eyes finding mine.
Seconds tick by, my hands on her waist, her hands still gripping my shoulders.
“Move!” Matti hisses from above.
