Page 110 of Wicked Vows (Suvorov Bratva 2)

“…kidnapped…” That sounds like Janine. “…I think he’s hurting her…”

Something clicks. The radio crackles with static.

The bitch sold us out.

When I back away from the door, my shoulder bumps Liya. Her hand rests on the back of my neck while her arm snakes around my waist. If our interlude hadn’t lasted so long, then maybe we would have been able to get out of here before the police showed up.

I glance toward the window. It’s too small to get through. And the alley is more than likely covered with enough men to take down an animal.

We’re trapped.

Again.

“What do we do?” Liya whispers so low that I almost don’t hear her. “How are we getting out?”

“Stay behind me.”

She squeezes my shoulder. I reach for the doorknob, hoping beyond all hope that it’s not too many to handle. I swing open the door and aim my gun into the hallway. Four policemen draw their weapons at once.

I aim for the cop on the right first.Bang. The next slides right into view.Bang. And the third ducks before I can shoot him.Bang.

That’s three for three. We’re out of ammo.

Which means we’re fucked.

I shoulder Liya toward the left to get her out of the line of fire. She lands on a ratty couch with a hiss and hugs her stomach. No time to check on her. I have to grab a weapon.

When I roll to the ground, I snatch one of the guns dropped by the two officers I shot. The remaining two officers have backed away from the door, trying to regain the high ground by ducking out around the corner.

“NYPD!” one of them shouts. “We have you surrounded! Surrender your weapon!”

I check the chamber, clap it shut, and point it at the doorway. “Like fuck I will.”

Gunfire smacks the doorframe. The wood explodes. Splinters shower the ground. I inch toward the left side of the doorframe and wait patiently for a lull. The right side of the hallway is dark. Two bodies pile one on top of the other halfway into the office.

The gunfire stops. I hop to the right side of the doorway and use it as cover. Two cops are reloading. Fucking idiots are not prepared. But then again, what else do you expect from pigs?

I take my chances and shoot. The one on the right groans and bows forward, clutching his gut. The one on the left lunges out of the way.

“Dammit!” the cop shouts. He’s still out of view, but he pitches his voice to me. “Last warning, asshole!”

My heart is racing as I lean out of the doorway and take another chance. The cop on the left isn’t using anything for cover. As soon as I unload into him, I hear the other cop shouting. He’s struggling to speak into his radio as he shimmies toward the right, trying to hide behind the mouth of the hallway.

I only have a few bullets left. I shouldn’t let my rage fly with this pig fucker, but I can’t help myself. This clusterfuck has gone on too long. I want it to end.

Now.

When I turn my ire to the cop on the right, I aim for his head. Two bullets crack his skull—one in the forehead and the other in his eye. His head snaps back, and he slumps to the ground like a marionette that had its strings cut.

The puppeteer made his move. Now it’s time to get moving.

A bloodcurdling scream shatters my concentration. My heart seizes in my chest as I flip around to check on Liya. IknowI shoved her to the left, but she somehow managed to get behind me, closer to the desk and more exposed than I would like. Her hands are on her face, and her eyes are wide.

“Rodnaya.”

The word slips right from my lips, and then I regret everything that I just said to her. The threat was far from empty, but it was too much. I can admit that. I can see that.

It’s too much because life is too precious and too delicate for this bullshit.

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