“They’ve got nowhere to go,” Cassian says, and we break into a run chasing after them. “This whole thing’s a dead end, one way or another!”
With the dark closing in around us and only headlights from the SUVs to light the way, there’s a fleeting moment as we sprint where I fear we’ve lost them. Each movement causes flashes of hot pain across my body, and I can almost hear Valentina’s voice in my ear scolding me for pushing too hard, but just as we risklosing them to the trees and the shadows, the tree line abruptly ends. A small slope leads up an embankment, which vanishes into a steep drop and finally answers my query about whether we’re on the cliff or not.
Before us, the two people from the car stand on the edge with the Bauta mask aiming his handgun at the Arlecchino as she struggles to escape the thick arm around her shoulders and throat.
“Not one more step!” the Bauta mask yells, injuring everyone’s ears with how the tech in the mask struggles to cope with such a shout. “I’ll throw us both over!”
“Why should we care?” Cassian barks back. “You have no value to us.”
“You followed us!” he yells again. “The fuck you mean we have no value?”
“You fool,” I say quietly, moving past Cassian and Frank and approaching slowly. “You absolute fucking idiot.”
“Stay back!”
“Or what, you’ll have me shot again?”
Despite the mask covering his face, there’s a sudden drop in Bauta’s shoulders, and his grip slackens on the woman for half a second. It’s not enough for her to free herself, though, because as she surges forward, he drags her back with a growl.
“I know you,” he yells. “How the fuck are you alive?”
“Luck,” I reply. “You know, throwing yourself off the cliff might be the best thing for you because I can tell you right now thatwhat we’ll do to you will have you begging for a death as simple as gravity.”
“Who the fuck are you, huh?” His arm tightens around the woman and a rasp rises from behind her mask.
“You stole from the Mafia, genius. You’ve robbed and embarrassed the most dangerous men in the country, all for a handful of diamonds. Does it feel worth it?”
Bauta takes a stumbling step back toward the edge and points his gun at me. “Bullshit!”
“You think so? How do you think I’m alive? How did we find you? You and the rest of your little gang are on borrowed time, sunshine. There’s nothing you can do that will stop what’s coming. Giving back what you stole might grant you a swift death, but that’s the only mercy a cunt like you deserves.” As I talk, my hand slowly shifts behind my back and I grab my handgun from its holster. The darkness aids in masking my movements, but Bauta’s already panicking by the time I bring my weapon around to my hip.
“No,” Bauta snarls. “No, it’s not ending like this. I have the fucking power here, you hear me? I know where the rest of the shit is and if you come any closer, I’ll throw myself off and you won’t ever find it.”
“Oh…” I begin to laugh softly. “I’m sorry, you thought we were here for you? I don’t need you. I need her.”
The Arlecchino mask freezes in her struggles and Bauta looks down at her. Unable to see his expression, the way his hand tightens on her shoulder is enough to indicate his anger. In a roar of rage, he brings his waving gun back to her temple just as I raise my gun and fire twice.
Two bullets collide on target, the Bauta’s chest, at the same time as a gunshot cracks across the air from his own gun. Arlecchino screams, and I’m sprinting forward as fast as I can as Bauta’s toppling body sends him backward off the cliff, but his grip on the woman drags her right over with him.
I throw myself forward, reaching out for her, and as my hand closes around her flailing wrist, I land hard on my chest when I hit the ground. Pain blooms across my ribs as the added weight of the woman drags my arms down, but my grip is firm.
Her body jolts and the mask dislodges from her face, sliding down and giving me a glimpse of her wide, shining, terror-filled eyes as the body of the Bauta gets swallowed by the darkness below.
“I’ve got you,” I say, panting slightly. “I’ve got you.”
11
ZIRA
“Sit still.” Bradley’s deep, soft tones wash over me like a gust of warm air on a hot summer’s day.
How long has it been? I haven’t been able to keep track.
My heart continues to pound like I’m still dangling off that cliff staring up into the eyes of the man I shot, praying he doesn’t choose this moment to enact his revenge and let me go.
For some unknown reason, he saved me.
And Harris tried to kill me.
