Page 38 of Warlord’s Empire

He turned his back on her.

Something struck him in the spine and a jolt went through him, sending him to his knees. Dizziness engulfed him, but he didn’t pass out.

With a growl, he spun around on his knees to face Shola, aiming his Berretta at her. “You betrayed me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, fear in her eyes as she continued to hold her weapon on him.

“You will be.” He aimed at her head, but before he could pull the trigger, he was struck again, this time from a different direction. The impact sent him to the ground where he landed on his side, then rolled to his back. He couldn’t move; he was helpless.

Nuani stood over him, gun in hand. “Sorry, Boss.”

It was the last thing he heard before he passed out.

Chapter Eighteen

Saskia woke to the sound of thumping in the room next to hers. She wasn’t as alarmed as the last time it happened. Radik was probably having another nightmare. She knew better than to sneak up on him this time though. No more going in through his patio doors.

Dragging herself out of her warm bed, she padded barefoot to the door separating their rooms, pressing her ear to the wood panel. She heard another thump and some mumbling. Yeah, sounded like a bad dream.

She knocked on the door, tapping softly with her knuckles. When there was no response, she fisted her hand and banged harder. “Muhammed!” she called, trying to wake him.

The door was jerked away from her and she stumbled through, Radik catching her before she could hit the floor.

“Were you having a nightm–?” She was cut off when he dragged her into his arms, smashing her face into his chest.

“I’ve got you,” he said, holding her so tight she could barely breathe.

He abruptly let go of her and strode to the bed, dragging a blanket off it. He flung it around her shoulders, smothering her in his warmth. Her head swam for a second as she breathed him in, but she wasn’t given the chance to bask in the glory of his scent for long. He took her hand and dragged her toward the door, jerking it open.

She gasped as he lifted his arm, training a gun on the hallway. She hadn’t seen the weapon before now. He must’ve been holding it when he hugged her. A shiver went down her spine.

“Where are we going?” she demanded as he dragged her down the second-floor hallway.

“Come,” he said, ignoring her question.

Frustration and fear rose within her. “What’s happening?”

“We’re under attack,” he answered, concentrating his gun on every shadow.

Her heart leapt into her throat. “Who’s attacking us?” What defenses did the compound have? She should have paid more attention when he was showing her around. “I need a gun.” Though she hated carrying, having grown up in a crime family, she recognized the necessity of having weapons nearby.

Radik shuffled her even further behind his body, covering her as they went down the stairs to the first floor.

Saskia listened for sounds of fighting beyond the walls of the house, but the only thing she could hear were their rapid footsteps striking the floor and the harsh sound of her own breathing as she tried not to panic.

“I don’t see or hear anything.” She squinted at the front door as they rushed past it and down another set of stairs. Though she’d been living with him for two weeks, she’d never gone to the basement. “Where are they?”

“They’re out there,” Radik said, his gun moving back and forth, covering them as he hurried her into the basement. “Saw them on the cameras.”

Saskia blinked rapidly, trying to see in the dark basement.

Radik seemed to know where he was going. They didn’t stumble once as he rushed them through what felt like a labyrinth of hallways.

Finally, he stopped.

Squinting, she could barely see the outline of a door visible in the dim glow coming from a security light.

Radik punched a code into the panel beside it and the door unlocked. He pulled it open.