Page 33 of Savage Little War

I grab at the front of his shirt, pulling him close to me as my eyes sting out of fear. “He almost shot you. You almost died!”

Dmitri wraps his arms around me, keeping me as far away from the mouth of the entryway as he can as another bullet hits the ground just a few feet away from us.

We’re trapped in here with a sniper ready to blow our heads off the second that we try to leave.

“It’s okay. I’m okay,” Dmitri assures me. “The house isn’t safe, though. They know we’re here.”

“We have to warn the others,” I tell him as my eyes widen. Everyone else is headed here, and they’ll be walking right into a trap.

Dmitri pulls out his phone and calls my father, grimacing as another shot lands on the ground nearby. “That bastard really wants us dead.”

I replay the moment of Dmitri almost getting shot over and over again in my mind, my heart slamming against my ribs. He almost died. I almost lost him.

Just like that. It would’ve happened in a second. So fast that I wouldn’t be able to do anything to save him.

“Come on, Sean. Answer the damn phone,” Dmitri mutters before looking down at me. “You’re white as a sheet,” he mutters, eyes flicking over my face.

“I almost lost you,” I whisper, the reality of that possibility hitting me so hard that it knocks the breath out of my lungs.

Dmitri holds me against his chest, cradling the back of my head as he keeps his phone pressed against his ear. “I’m okay. It’s going to take more than a sniper that’s a shit shot to kill me.”

Even if this guy isn’t the best shot in the world, our chances of getting killed still aren’t zero. They could make a run for us.

“Finally. What the hell, Sean? Are you with Andrei?” Dmitri says into the phone, his voice urgent. He waits a few moments to listen before speaking again. “Don’t come to the safe house. There’s a sniper in the area that almost took my head off.”

What if the other groups were attacked? How did Ferro even find out that we’re here? Our one place of safety has already been compromised before we even stepped foot inside!

“Luca isn’t with us. He went off to track some guards that we came across.” Dmitri sighs. “Meet us by the cathedral. He won’t fire into a crowd. Hopefully.”

I tilt my head back to gaze up at Dmitri. How are we even going to get out of here without taking a bullet?

“Contact whoever else you can to meet us there. We need to outmaneuver this sniper,” Dmitri says before hanging up and tucking his phone into his pocket. “I have an idea.”

My stomach churns in nervousness. “What? If it puts your life at risk, no.”

“Whatever we do here is going to be risky, Cara. We can’t just sit here. He could’ve called in reinforcements by now,” Dmitri tells me as he grabs my arms, steadying me.

I breathe in deeply, preparing myself. “What’s the plan?”

“He missed twice. He’s nervous, or he’s not as good as he thinks,” Dmitri says. “I’m going to draw his next shot. He’ll be busy resetting his aim. That’s your window.”

My eyes widen. “You’re basically using yourself as bait!”

“I’m not worried,” Dmitri insists as he leans closer to me, his eyes locking with mine. “I need you to do this for me. We have to get out of here.”

I’m so nervous that my legs feel weak, but he’s right. I can’t mess this up, especially if he’s going to risk his life for me.

“I’m ready,” I tell him, squeezing my hands into fists to keep them from shaking.

Dmitri presses an encouraging kiss against my forehead. “Run. Don’t look back. Zigzag. I’ll be right behind you.”

“You better be,” I warn him.

Dmitri smiles a little before turning toward the opening of the entryway. He takes a deep breath before launching himself forward, keeping his head down as he steps out.

A shot echoes from far off, and a bullet zips right next to Dmitri’s right arm.

“Go, Cara!”