Page 65 of Stalk

He waits for me. When I’m behind him, he says, “Good job, Ren.” I blush. I can’t help it. “Keep following my lead, but be sure you continue to watch your back.”

I glance behind me and don’t see anyone. “Got it.”

Mattia walks out from the shadows of the side of the house, and I follow. Immediately, I spot Marco, who whips around to us from where he is positioned from the SUV’s sunroof. He holds up two fingers, which at first I think is a peace sign, but then I realize he must mean that there are two more assassins.Duh.

I spot a pair of limp feet and a puddle of blood on the ground near the rear of the SUV, so I know he’s already killed one.Probably the person who shot at him first when Mattia and I were still inside the house.

Mattia runs up to the passenger side of the SUV and tosses the canvas bag inside. I glance behind me again, and see the same woman I injured earlier limping after us. I take the chance to shoot her again. This time, I aim for her head, but end up hitting the side of her neck. She falls to her knees.

“Ren! Get in!” Mattia yells.

I stare at the injured assassin for a second, then do as I’m told. Once seated, I keep my attention on Mattia outside, just in case he still needs backup. Adrenaline races through me, amping me up to the point that sitting still feels sickening. Something wet slides across my ankle, and it takes me a second to look down and realize it’s poor Cannella, cowering on the floorboard and licking me for comfort.

“It’s okay, girl,” I reassure her breathlessly. “We’ll be safe soon.” I’m not sure if we will be or not, but it seems like the right thing to say to the trembling Pomeranian.

All of a sudden, Marco slides back inside from the sunroof and fumbles into the driver’s seat. He closes the sunroof, cursing in Italian like his life depends on it. Outside the cracked window, I see Mattia take a few more shots at a large, male assassin who has made his way close to my front door. The shots hit him in the chest, the arm, and the stomach.

Mattia opens the passenger side door and slams it once he’s fully inside. “Go now!”

Marco wastes no time. He puts the car in drive and swerves out onto the road, the tires screeching as he speeds away. From an onlooker's perspective, I’m sure our car looks like something out of a movie. We’re speeding down each street way over the speed limit with the rear windshield shattered, and who knows how many bullet holes decorate the rental car at this point.

“Everyone okay?” I ask, my voice shaking as my adrenaline begins to taper off. Cannella hops up into my lap and burrows under my arms. I put the gun on safety so that no accidents happen.

“Yes,” Marco says with a huff. “Mattia?”

“I’m good. We left two injured, but I don’t think they’re capable of much right now.” He sighs, and I wish he was sitting beside me so I could hold his hand. “I’m sure more are on their way, or they’re already stationed at the airport, waiting.”

Marco grunts. “Good thing I went ahead and asked for backup at the airport before we made it to Ren’s house.”

Silence washes over us, then Mattia laughs and leans his head back. “You think of everything, Marco.”

CHAPTER 26

Mattia

Ihave a newfound respect for Ren after we were ambushed. Not only did theynotfreeze up, but they actually did a good job of covering my back. It makes me want to kiss them, but unfortunately, we simply don’t have time for romance right now. Getting out of this fucking country alive is our main priority, and I cannotwaitto get out of here.

The ride to the airport is mostly quiet, aside from Cannella jumping back and forth between the back and front seats from my lap to Ren’s every minute or so. The private airport where our jet has been housed is on the outskirts of the town, so the drive takes a good thirty minutes or so. The entire time we drive, my eyes are watching the few cars behind us and to the side of us, waiting for another attack.

When we make it to the airport without any issues, I can breathe again. Unfortunately, my relief is short-lived, because as soon as Marco puts the car in park, only a short distance in front of the jet, a bullet collides with the front windshield, directly in between us, splintering the glass into a jagged lightning bolt. Before the shot has even registered, Cannella jumps into the back seat with Ren.

“Oh, shit!” Ren squeaks from behind me. “Two cars on either side of us—maybe a third closer to the jet, too? It’s hard for me to tell in the dark.”

I see the two black vans Ren is talking about positioned on either side of us, and Ren must be right in assuming there’s a third vehicle closer to the jet. That’s the only way someone could have been able to hit us straight on.

“Is everyone armed?” I ask, my voice lower than normal.

“Yeah,” Ren says in their high-pitched voice that tells me they arenothandling the situation very well.

“Sì,”Marco grunts.

I’m back on edge. Normally, I’m only killing a single person in a one-on-one kind of situation. This is an entirely different kind of battle altogether. That, and normally I don’t have to worry about anyone besides myself. Now, I have Ren, Marco, and the damn dog to protect. I sigh and roll my shoulders. There’s no time for feelings right now.

I squint my eyes to look out toward the back end of the jet. It’s hard to see with the minimal lighting at this time of night alongside the cracked windshield, but I do spot a third vehicle—a black truck—parked close to the rudder. I roll down the window and stick out my rifle so I can use the scope to get a better look.There.I spot someone crouching down in the bed of the truck, but I can see their hand holding up the barrel of their automatic weapon.

Once I shoot, all bets are off. “Marco, are our people inside the jet already?” I ask.

“They are.”

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