Gracie’s eyes slid to the lock. She smiled when she saw him hit the button that read ‘clear’ and start over again.
“He’s going to kill you all. You know that, don’t you?”
Yavuz paid her no attention, but fear sparked in Achim’s eyes. He tried to cover it, but it was too late. She’d already seen it.
Playing on that, Gracie continued to taunt him. “You’re going to die today, Achim. And for what? Money? Who gets it all when you’re gone, hmm? Do you have a family? Someone who will miss you?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Surely, you have no children. Not with your kind of work. A mother, perhaps?”
Rage filled his features then, the vein on his forehead bulging as he put the barrel of his pistol to her head and yelled, “I said. Shut. Up.”
Bingo. She’d definitely touched a nerve with that one. It was probably sad she felt so much enjoyment from that, but at this point, it was all she had.
That and the possibility that Nate hadn’t been killed after all.
Please, God. Let him still be alive.
“Both of you shut up!” Yavuz turned, his face as red as Achim’s. Pulling his own weapon, he shocked the hell out of Gracie when he pointed it at Achim’s head, and not hers.
“Whoa, Edric. Easy with that, man.” Walker spoke calmly from behind her. “Let’s just all take a deep breath and calm down.”
“There’s no time to calm down. I keep messing up because this imbecile can’t handle one weak female who is clearly trying to upset him and distract me.”
“Let me shoot her, Yavuz,” Achim spoke through clenched teeth. “You don’t need her anymore. She’s useless to you now and will only slow us down.”
“She’s my insurance, you idiot. She’s the only thing standing between me and those men’s bullets if they catch up to us. You, on the other hand, have outlived your usefulness.”
Gracie watched with horror as the man’s eyes grew wide with the realization of what was about to happen. Achim slid the barrel of his gun away from her head in an attempt to shoot Yavuz first, but he was too late.
“Edric, no!”
They were the last two words Achim Akmar would ever speak.
The sound of Yavuz’ gun blast was deafening as it bounced off the concrete walls. Blood splattered those same walls as the bullet ripped through the center of the Achim’s forehead, his lifeless body dropping to the ground where he stood.
“Oh, my God!” Gracie exclaimed, unable to hide the utter terror and disgust vibrating throughout her entire system.
She’d just watched a man die. Witnessed him being murdered in cold blood less than a foot away from her.
Later, when the shock of it all wore off, she’d probably feel bad for Achim. For now, though, all she could think was that was one less threat she and the others had to worry about.
What sounded like someone yelling reached her ears then, and she knew deep down inside, it was Nate.
“Nate!” she screamed back as loudly as she could. “Nathan, I’m here! I’m here!”
Yavuz pointed his gun toward her, then. “I know what I said to him, but I will put a bullet through your brain next if you do not shut your mouth and stay quiet. Then, I will wait here for your boyfriend and his friends. Trust me when I say, he will not survive a second time.”
Shit, shit, shit.
When she only had to worry about her own life, Gracie had felt bold and brave. Now, she was scared to death she would inadvertently do something to bring more harm to Nate.
The man had already been shot once because of her. She refused to do anything that may put him in even more danger.
Never again, Nate. I promise you. Never again.
Gracie pressed her lips together and remained quiet while Yavuz finally got the code entered correctly and the door began to open.
