“It’s all about perspective, love. Now, you bring me back my daughter and my son-in-law, you hear me?”
I barely rasp out a “Yes, ma’am” when she’s already peeling off in the direction of the Winters’ estate, for sure to watch the massacre unfold behind the screen. I shake my head and look up at the sky for just a second, knowing time ain't on my side. I look down at my watch. Twenty-two minutes. Twenty-two minutes is all I get before the Cosa Nostra comes to get their Capo dei Capi and the Bratva comes to get their Pakhan.
Me? I’m getting my girl.
Fuck.
I start running, keeping to the wooded area as much as I can. Even with the snow and the bitter cool air, sweat begins to coat my brow. I pull up the mouth portion of my jacket, so the cold air doesn’t freeze the little sacs in my lungs and kill me before I even get to Sabrina. I look down at my watch and shake my head; I’m only a mile away. I continue on my path, remembering the only portion of the back fence that didn’t have glass on it was towards the corner. I crouch down when I spot a few guards standing around and look down at my watch again.
Fourteen minutes. A mile in eight minutes after having been shot ain’t so bad. Except I am a little lightheaded. I pause tocatch my breath.
I glance around and grab a nice-sized rock, throwing it against a tree in the opposite direction that I’m going. One guard hits the other and makes a motion with his hands. The second guard shakes his head but then reaches for his gun. They each hold it out in front of them, the black glocks dark against the white of the snow. I look up at the cement wall where there’s a pillar with a lamp above it and tilt my head. I have only one shot here, and I can’t waste it. Can’t be afraid. I take a deep breath in, let it out, and dash out of the forest. My thighs burn when my right leg splits up; I use the grip of my boots to drive down, and my left leg catches the pillar, giving me one extra push.
I groan when I catch my torso on the edge of the fence, knocking the wind out of me. I take a gulp of air and push myself up. Fuck me. This is definitely not as easy as it looks in the movies. I pull my leg up and roll, just enough, grateful there are fucking vines crawling up the inside of the wall. It must be an area they don’t check often.
“Alexi,” I whisper.
“I’m here.”
I turn over and try to find the thickest vine, shoving the toe of my boot into it. It breaks and I land on my back. “Hollyyy Joseph, fucking Mary and Jesus… Harold…Christ.” I cough.
“Parker?”
“Gimme a sec,” I grunt and take a few deep breaths, making sure I’m not seeing stars. “Fuck me. I fell. But I’m in.” I turn over on my side and then up on all fours with a groan. “I’m getting too fucking old for this shit.” I can hear Aleksi trying to stifle his laughter, but his chuckles ring through the earpiece. I rise to my full height and shake my head. “What’s your ETA?”
“Seven minutes.”
“Alright. I’m sticking to the wall. Going in through the shed. Grab the duchess.”
“We would. But there’s just one problem with that.”
My stomach falls through my ass. “What did she do?”
“He’s taking her down there. She’s currently using Kane as a human shield.”
“Fuck!” Damn my aching body. “Aleksi—”
“Don’t. She hasn’t passed any guards yet. But she has him by the collar of his jacket. We have no audio, but we have visuals. Stay on track. Five minutes now.”
“Well, can you hurry it up?”
“No. We're in a tank.”
“A TANK?!” I whisper-scream. “How did you get a fucking tank?”
“High friends in low places.”
“Aleksi—” I stop, hearing the familiar low purr of a tank going as fast as it fucking can. “Is that you?”
“Yup. Stay away from the left wall!” I can hear the absolute glee in his voice.
“Oh, fuck me, Aleks.”
He laughs like a fucking madman. “Ahhh… I’m not feeling very gay today, Savage, but maybe tomorrow.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head and dart into the tree line, away from the wall, and wait for quite possibly, the worst distraction ever.
“Savage?” I hear Mav’s voice in my ear.
