Page 159 of Sinner's Obsession

“Hayden said she was no one.”

“Then she wouldn’t be this guarded.”

“I didn’t believe him, anyway.”

Chiara’s eyes become bottomless with terror. She cries out, and when I turn around, madness erupts. Gunfire erupts in atrrrthat is deafening. The front door explodes, and cars storm inside with armed men shooting at everyone. Blood splatters around.

“We’re going to die.”

Panic freezes me until Chiara grabs my hand and pulls me out of it. A guard runs to us, pointing toward the heavily guarded building.

“Move, move.”

“Where are we going?” Chiara asks.

“To the safe house.”

Smoke rises when a bullet rips through his forehead. The guard drops to the floor next to us, blood spilling from his temple, eyes rolled back. She screams and I grab her hand and say, “We’re going to hide in the woods. They won’t find us there.” With a squeeze of her hand, I say, “Run!”

“What are you going to do?”

“I need the phone.”

“I am not leaving you.”

Giving in, we run toward the house, and I bend to pick up my phone when I am grabbed by my hair. My scalp aches from the assault on my hair, and I hiss.

“Got her,” someone says in an earpiece.

I thrash in his grip, hitting him repeatedly, but this bulk of a beast doesn’t even flinch. I am in full survival mode. No time to let fear distract me. There’s a pop, and he crashes on top of me.

Chiara appears in my line of sight, holding the gun. She helps get him off me as I wonder when she learned to use a gun. We take off, running to the exit. The safe house is surrounded and we take a sharp left toward the forest, ducking and scrambling on our knees and elbows. Bullets ripple in the air, a concerto of death while my blood pumps in my temples.

We’re surrounded and outnumbered.

“There are so many,” Chiara says, voice shaking.

I inhale through the fear that has my heart pounding in my chest.

“We’re going to die.”

“No, we won’t.”

“I wanted my freedom so bad, I guess I am getting it.”

“We’re going to make it.”

I infuse myself with sheer belief. I refuse to believe anything else.

With trembling fingers, I dial Hayden. I know they will find us sooner or later. The clock is ticking.

Hayden struts inside and jerks his chin in a greeting.

“I assume the time for bullshit is now over.”

I grit my teeth, tasting blood, as we each take a seat. He gestures for his man, who brings over a briefcase before he steps out.

“I have been in this game longer than you have. And I have the advantage of knowing you before you even had me on your radar. Don’t take this personally.”

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