Page 142 of Unexpected Redemption

Katia pulls out a small envelope from behind her. She must have had it tucked in her waistband, hidden under her clothes.

The deafening roar of the van’s engine echoes around the alley as it approaches us. It’s drivingfartoo fast. This isn’t your standard late-night delivery.

Everything happens at once.

Katia thrusts the envelope into Sawyer’s chest, catching him off guard and pushing him on the ground directly in the path of the oncoming vehicle. Leo dives after him.

“Bravo team has lost visual,” Shep announces.

“Viktor’s got a gun,” Klein yells.

The black metal enters my field of vision from my left, and I turn to see Viktor pointing his gun at Katia.

My trigger finger squeezes twice. Two shots ring out.

From my weapon.

The delivery van slows on my right, and I lose sight of Sawyer and Leo on the other side. Almost instantly, the engine rumbles to life again, and it tears out of the lot.

My haggard breathing drowns out the sounds of the night surrounding me. Spinning in a circle with my gun extended, I survey the scene, looking from one spot to the next.

Katia’s nowhere to be seen.

And Viktor lies dead on the ground, a satisfying puddle of blood pooling around his head.His gun rests on the concrete near his hand.

My two bullets lodged in his brain.

Chapter 32

He visits denial too

LETTIE

Now, I can’t be totally sure, but my eyes might be permanently stuck in this position. Wide as the potholes on Main Street in Climax after the Independence Day Parade incident of 2018.

Additionally, I’m as certain as the day is long that my jaw willneverrise from its resting place on my chest.

My entire sense of being is the epitome of the word dumbstruck.

He just killed Viktor right in front of my eyes. The same ones that’ll never blink again.

Tomer.

Killed a man.

Well, more of a monster than a man. But he had a heartbeat. And now he doesn’t.

Because of the father of my unborn child and love of my life.

He ended Viktor.For me.

Or was it . . . for Katia?

Maybe it was for us both. He saved her, avenging me at the same time.

That’s just good time management, to be honest. Good for him.

My mind tries to put everything into some semblance of order. Everything happened so fast.

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