Suddenly, there is a break in the fire again. Before I even comprehend what is happening, I am being manhandled toward a pretty stained-glass window depicting some deity or another accepting a flower bouquet and a lamb.
“Jump”! Nikolas shouts, sprinting at the window at full speed and dragging me along the way.
Fuck this! He’s lost it!“Oh, no, no, no! We are not—”
I stop dead in my tracks, refusing to be sliced into a hundred pieces by glass. But it’s too late. We crash into the glass out of pure inertia. I squeeze my eyes and hold my breath and try to shield my head with my arms from the flying sharp pieces. My life flashes before me, riding out the ripple of fear that floods me as the first hint of glass comes into contact with my body.
“You are such a pain in the ass!” Nikolas grunts, pulling me into his hard chest.
Big, strong arms wrap around my body, while heat and a masculine scent engulf me in a protective cocoon. Air whooshes past us, chilly and fresh, and glass explodes into a million shards as bangs and shouts sound behind us. One heartbeat passes, a second one, then a third, and then we land on the wet grass outside. Nikolas cushions the fall, then rolls away from the falling glass while still holding me tightly in his arms.
Just as quickly as we flew through the window, Nikolas gets up and pulls me to my feet. He fires two warning shots as human shapes appear at the window and then throws the gun.
“Run! I’m out of ammo. My car is in the garage.”
His command comes before I’ve even caught my breath. My heart is hammering so hard in my chest, and my body feels like it’s being stung by bees all over at the same time. I can’t tell if it’s the shock of jumping out that window while bullets were being fired at us or if I am actually injured.
Either way, it doesn’t seem like figuring that out is a priority right now as Nikolas yanks my arm hard. “Stop spacing out! Go!”
In a mad dash, we race to reach the small building on the intact side of the church. My legs hurt and my lungs burn, the air I’m fighting for not quite enough. But somehow, I make it despite the blinding pain, plopping into the passenger’s seat as Nikolas steps on the gas before the door even shuts. The SUV’s tires screech and the engine roars as we take off, and I realize as I stare out the back window, that had I been just a second too late getting my ass in the car, I’d be coughing dirt and fumes right now.
Heaving, I work the belt into the buckle, holding for dear life as Nikolas keeps speeding past trees and brush like some Formula One racer. We veer off the road leading to the church, the whole vehicle shaking and screeching as it struggles to maintain its balance on the uneven terrain.
“Where are you going?” I cry out, bumping my head into the window frame after a particularly sharp turn.
“There’s a dirt road that leads to the neighboring town. I have a safehouse there. We’ll grab a few things and we’ll go south.”
“South?”
“Enough with the questions.” Nikolas throws a nasty glare my way, then bites on his lip and exhales deeply. “Now, start talking. Who the fuck are you, why are you looking for me, and what the hell did you drag me into?”
Oh, boy. Where do I even begin?
If I’m being honest, I don’t quite get it myself. It all just happened so quickly. My perfectly normal college life took a nosedive, and for what? Because I pissed off the wrong people? But how could I have known, and besides, I regularly piss people off. It’s something of a gift that I have.
Nikolas’ hand suddenly clasps my neck. “Speak, or I swear to god, I’m turning around and handing you over to whoever is after you!”
“Fine, fine!” I flail my arms, slipping away from his loose hold. “Okay. So… I went to this posh party. As staff,” I start, twiddling my thumbs as I contemplate which parts are the most relevant. I’m not about to share my life’s story with this complete, if sexy, stranger just yet. Maybe tomorrow. “Or well, my friend kind of dragged me there? I’m not really a party person, but he said they were paying very well. It was very impressive, the whole place. I’ve never been anywhere like that before. People wore suits and gowns. Everything was decorated in gold. There was alcohol, drugs, the usual. Once dinner was served, there wasn’t much to do, so I got a bit bored and went looking for the guy I’d gone with. Zac was his name. Couldn’t find him anywhere, but there was an off-limits corridor just off the kitchens… It led to this basement. Now, in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have ignored the ‘off-limits’ sign, but you know, I was only gonna have a quick look in case he was fucking around.”
I pause and hug myself. The hair on my arms stands and my breathing hitches, turning shallow. When I glance at Nikolas, he’s looking at me expectantly.
Okay, I can do this.The next part is horrible, and I’ve been doing my best not to think about it, but I need to behonest with him or he might lose patience and strangle me or something.
Anchoring myself to the fact that I’m not at that party anymore, I push forward. “At first, it all looked normal, just like somebody’s fancy basement. But then there was a blue door and this… smell coming from it. A reallyreallybad smell, like something rotting. When I peeked inside, I couldn’t see the source, so I went further. There were stairs and these weird chandeliers and candles, and at the end of the hall, this room… It was full of display cases with gems and jewelry and it was sort of cold like I’d walked into a fridge…”
“What did yousee?” Nikolas brings the car to a stop, his attention fully on me.
Oh, he catches on fast. Also, I like having his full attention on me. I suck in a breath as a pang of fear spears through me. I hate this next part. It’s the one I’ve been trying the hardest to forget, but it keeps coming back to haunt me at night when I ought to be sleeping.
“Zac was lying on a table, surrounded by gold ornaments. There were these five men in cloaks around it, smoking and talking. They all had the same tattoo on their forearms—a heart with a snake coming out of it. I didn’t think much of it back then, but I probably shouldn’t have just dismissed it either. Anyway, they didn’t see me enter, and then I hid behind an old couch. I don’t even know why, there was just something very off about them, you know? They gave me the creeps, so I decided to wait until they left and get my friend. But, uh…”
How do I explain the next part? Fuck, I don’t even want to remember it.
“But?” Nikolas presses, his voice betraying the little patience he has left.
“This sixth man came and… he stabbed Zac with this ornate dagger thing, hoisted him over one shoulder and went somewhere.” A bout of nausea turns my stomach upside down as I imagine myself lying on that table and getting stabbed, but I push it down so I can finish. “The rest of the men followed him out.”
Watching Zac die was horrible. At least he was out cold, I’m pretty sure. Drugged or drunk. He wasn’t really a friend friend, but he’d been nice enough to invite me along to such a fancy party, even though it seems it was more than a bunch of rich people having rich people fun.
