“It’s the only way we’re getting out of here,” I remind her. “And Shadow needs a clear path. Do this for me, angel, and we’ll get ourselves out of here.”
“I think you mean devil,” she returns drily, but she doesn’t argue with me anymore as she moves toward where the door seems to sit. I hear her shoving at the cabinet in the way with a grunt, but I focus my attention on the door.
“You got two men outside,” Cryos announces. “Shadow is seconds away. Hulk, if you can take down one, Shadow should be able to handle the second one.”
“Got them in my sights,” Shadow acknowledges.
I don’t hesitate. I unlock the door, swing it open, and fire. I don’t bother aiming—especially with how bad my hands are shaking—but somehow my bullet lands square in the neck of the man closest to the door, sending him to the floor with a crash. Another shot rings out and the other man crashes to the ground, a stray bullet flying into the hallway as Shadow comes rushing forward.
“Good to see you, brother,” Shadow pants out as he stops in front of me.
I sway but give him a slight smile. “You too, brother,” I manage to get out. Fuck, is it good to see him.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Shadow says, and we both turn but I stop when I see Avery standing there, gun to the side of her head, a soldier holding it steady as he looks at us with a look of pure triumph. Like he’s managed to figure out whatever our plan was and stop us. As if Vlad or Nikolai will give him a fucking reward. Fear fills me as I stare at Avery, who looks like she’s fighting the urge to run, while also staying perfectly still. Her eyes hold mine, and I try to convey that she’s going to be alright, that we’ll get her out of here.
I want to lift my gun and fire, but with how unsteady I am, I risk hitting her. I can’t risk that. I know Shadow is thinking the same thing.
Neither Shadow nor I have time to react as Avery suddenly moves. It’s a blur, and one I can only assume is fueled by rage as she brings up both knives, one of them slamming into the side of the guy’s neck, while the other one slashes his face. I don’t know if it’s by design or pure luck, but the soldier’s shocked expression is the only thing I see before I’m diving forward, pure instinct taking over as we fall to the floor and his gun goes off.
The sound is deafening, between the ringing and pain shooting through my body, it takes another full minute for me to realize that Avery is leaning over me with Shadow, both looking worried. I groan, unable to form any words around the pain swimming through me. “Hulk. Hulk,” Shadow calls for me through the waves of pain. “Come on, brother. We need to get out of here. Let’s get Avery out of here.”
The mention of Avery’s name makes me look at her pale face, but her eyes are hard. “Come on, big guy,” she orders. “You said I’m your angel, and your angel is telling you to get your ass up and moving. You die and I’m not getting back into heaven.”
It’s such a ridiculous thing to say, even my feverish brain knows that, but it works. I can’t disappoint my angel. I force myself to move, my limbs heavy, and my entire body shaking with the effort. I snarl and groan as Shadow helps me to my feet. I look over where the soldier is lying on the floor, still, with a knife in his neck, and blood pooling around him and dripping down his face where Avery’s knife sliced his cheek. “Let’s…go,” I breathe. We need to get out of here before any more come.
I don’t know how long it takes for us to get through the door and the dark hallway. Clearly, this is an extra exit out, but not knowing where it’s going makes it a tense time. We eventually run into two soldiers as we make it toward the end of the hall,but Shadow takes care of them quickly as Avery continues to hold me up with her arm around me and my arm around her shoulder.
When we finally get outside, I see them. My brothers, waiting for us. Bullet moves forward with Viper, and both quickly take Avery’s position, practically lifting and dragging me forward toward the waiting truck. “We’ve got you, brother,” Viper tells me as they help me in the backseat.
“Avery,” I gasp out, my body finally giving up as I collapse. “Where is she? Where’s Avery?”
“I’m right here,” Avery answers, climbing in behind me and moving to sit next to me. She puts her fingers on my neck as I stare at her. “We need to get him to urgent care. His pulse is thready. He could already be going septic. We need to go.”
“Annnngeeellll,” I slur, staring at her as the darkness fills my head again. “You’re my angellllll. Don’t llleeeave me.”
“Go, go, go!” I hear someone yell before I finally let the darkness overtake me. And it’s so fucking good.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
VLAD
They have no idea the tricks I have up my sleeves. Or the leverage.
I stareat the bodies littering my home. Some just shot clean through, like that of a sniper, while others look to have at least put some of a fight. We had business to see to or this place would have been more heavily guarded, and it’s a mistake that has cost me far more than a prisoner.
Our location is compromised. “How the fuck did this happen?” I seethe, turning to stare at Nikolai, who stands across the room next to the head of the guards. Nikolai has his gun to the back of the man’s head, and the man looks like he’s accepted his fate. Fucking coward.
“They showed up out of nowhere,” the man says lifelessly. “Took out the guards from the treeline across the road, and then the others came in all stealthy and shit. Killed half the men before we realized they were here. They cut the cameras too, so we couldn’t track their movements.”
“How the fuck did they manage to get here in the first place?” I hiss, stepping forward. “Who led them right to us?”
“T-they showed up not long after the nurse,” he stammers out, the first trickles of fear starting to show.
“How long after?” I press.
“Within ten minutes,” he finally answers. “But it might have been sooner. I was on the perimeter in the south corner and it took me five minutes to get up to the main house. They?—”
I don’t wait to let him finish. I step to the side and Nikolai fires. The man drops like a stone, but I don’t need him anymore. “I want everything you can find,” I hiss at Nikolai. “Anyone that is still alive, kill them. They didn’t keep them from getting away, they don’t fucking deserve to live. Lock this place down and get ready to move. Then I want you to get a hold of the fucker who didn’t let us know this was happening.”
