Page 94 of Lilies from Hell

“This way,” Sergei says once we reach the parking lot.

We move stealthily under the dim light that turns on automatically. I hear the sound of a gunshot coming from the opposite side.

“Watch out!” His warning brings me back to reality, but I don't have time to react before a sharp pain shoots through my right arm.

I quickly take cover behind a car. Within minutes the parking lot is filled with the sound of gunfire. I lower my head to my arm and find it covered in blood.

“Damn it!” Jason exclaims beside me, reloading his weapon with quick movements. Then he notices the wound on my arm. “Did they hit you? Are you okay?”

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” I reply with a grimace. He takes off his shirt and gives it to me. With great difficulty, I manage to tie a tourniquet that stops the bleeding.

I curse myself for not bringing anything to defend myself with. My head turns sharply when I hear footsteps coming from behind. I immediately recognize what the guy has in his hands: an Uzi, which he quickly puts to use, firing relentlessly at the three men in front of us. In a matter of seconds, they fall lifeless to the ground.

The parking lot is now enveloped in a deathly silence that the man breaks by exchanging a few words with Sergei in Russian. Then we both move when Sergei signals us.

“Slowly,” Jason murmurs as he helps me up.

“I can do it myself. It’s no big deal,” I say, swallowing my cries of pain. I’ve been through attacks and even a kidnapping attempt before, but it’s never gone beyond a scare, so whoever is behind this must be damn good.

We both start walking toward a black, armored SUV where Sergei is behind the wheel with the other guy in the passenger seat. I try my best not to look at the lifeless bodies on the ground, but my eyes are drawn to them, watching the blood flow from their wounds.

As soon as we get into the car, Sergei doesn’t hesitate to start the engine. Shortly after, we’re on the highway, and between the blood loss and the speed we’re going, I have a hard time not getting dizzy.

“I think…” I can’t finish my sentence as my stomach churns violently, throwing up everything I ate that morning. Behind me, I hear Jason’s sounds of disgust as he presses a button to open the car window. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, mortified.

“That’s fucking disgusting,” Sergei mutters with a grimace.

“Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” Jason asks exasperatedly beside me. “And I need a T-shirt, I don’t like showing off for free,” he continues, pointing to his toned abs with his finger and a sly look.

Sergei and the other boy’s eyes wander to that spot almost involuntarily, and Jason snorts before speaking.

“If you’re going to keep watching, you have to pay a fee. It’s the least you can do.”

“Great. Now I have to put up with the male version of you too. Fucking great,” mutters Sergei, glancing sideways at my brother with annoyance.

The man next to him suppresses a smile, looking straight ahead. He has medium-length hair with blond highlights, tied back in a small ponytail. Then he picks up the phone and starts talking to someone. The last thing I hear before closing my eyes is my brother’s voice calling me.

31

I open my eyes to find myself in a white room. The specks of intense light continue to interfere with my vision, and something soft keeps moving across my cheek.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

“I’m a little dizzy.” He locks his jaw, removing his fingers from my face. I move until I’m sitting on his lap, resting my head on his chest as I curl up under the sheets.

“It’ll pass soon,” he says, then caresses my back with his lips resting on my head. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. I…”

“Don’t apologize for that. It wasn’t your fault.”

“If something had happened to you, I would never have forgiven myself,” he murmurs with sorrow, pressing our foreheads together. I capture his lips, pulling him closer to me. “I have no intention of leaving you, not even for a minute,” he whispers over my lips.

“I don’t think it’s going to be that easy now,” I murmur with a grimace. I can’t keep using Grace all the time as an excuse to get out of the house.

“If it’s because of your parents, I’ll talk to them myself. I want us to live together. At least until I can get you to safety again. You’d be safer here, with me.”

“I still don’t understand what’s going on,” I say, avoiding the topic. I frown to give more validity to my not-so-feigned confusion. He looks at me with a dangerous glint in his eye, instantly seeing through my lies, but he lets it go.

“It’s Norman. He’s furious with me because he can’t have you.”