The look grounded me, and I smiled.
“Okay, then.” Cas leaned over the counter, glancing around at all the bodies between us. “Glad that’s over.”
As soon as he said it, lights glared through the front windows. I flinched at the brightness, one hand covering my eyes only to see four cars drive straight through the fence.
“Get down!” I shouted, grabbing Wynn’s arm and diving behind the pleather couch. His arms wrapped around me, his back toward the couch, when bullets shattered the glass all around us. The gunshots slammed into the back of the couch, and I waited for one to tear through my body, but nothing happened. More bullets flew into the shop, and it took every fiber of strength in my body not to scream, not to run after my men. I just had to trust they’d made it to safety somehow.
Finally, the onslaught paused.
“Wynn,” I whispered. My hands searched his chest for blood. “Are you okay? Did you get shot?”
His palm tightened around the back of my neck. “I’m fine, I’m fine, darling. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
I swallowed, shaking my head.
“Status!” Obi shouted from somewhere to our right.
“Leona and I are clear,” Wynn answered.
“Clear,” Ciel said from behind us.
“Clear!” shouted Ryu from deeper inside the shop, now on the other side of the counter. “Cas is with me.”
I shuddered, releasing a heavy breath as I pressed my forehead to Wynn’s chest.Holy shit.
“Where is Orik?” Wynn called.
“I grabbed him and yanked him back here,” Ryu said back, voice getting closer. I craned my head behind us to see Ryuji with his assault rifle, leaning over the countertop and aiming at the now-shattered windows and whatever enemies waited beyond. On this other side, Cas did the same. “I’ve got you. Cas and I have cover fire prepared.”
Wynn hopped up, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me tomy feet. He kept a palm on my head while we both crouched. Obi and Ciel moved beside us, and the four of us kept beneath the window line as we retreated farther into the shop.
“Wait,” Cas said, squinting into the lights. “I hear Italian.”
He was right; I heard it too. I frowned. If it wasn’t Albanian reinforcements, then who the fuck was it?
“Hey!” Cas shouted. “We’re not Albanian!”
Everyone seemed to pause on both sides.
“Goddamn it,” Ryuji hissed.
“It’s Max,” added Cas. “Max! Stop fucking shooting at us!”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” my arch-enemy said from just outside the front door.
I was closest to him, judging by how close his voice sounded. I pushed off Wynn’s arm and stood, training my gun on Max’s chest.
Blood covered his right temple and dripped down his torn shirt. His assault rifle pointed at the ground. At the same time my eyes locked on him, his locked on me.
“What the hell happened to you?” I asked.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Max asked.
“None of your fucking business,” Ryu hissed, palming a knife. Shit. All my guys were tensing. “Can I kill him now? I think it’s time to kill him.”
The click of a gun drew my attention over my shoulder, where Cas faced down Daniele’s assault rifle. He must have crept it on us through the bays. My heart leapt into my throat.
“Wait—” I said, keeping my gun on Max.
