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Maravic had turned to look at it, pointing out something to his men, and they were all facing away from me. I started to crouch-walk out from behind the SUV.
A hand grabbed my shoulder. I turned to see Colton viciously shaking his head at me.
I nodded insistently and threw off his hand. We had to get some hard facts: a name, a location, something. I hurried across the room and pressed myself against the wall beneath the window. Then I slowly straightened up until just my eyes peeked over the windowsill. Maravic’s body was blocking the screen. I’d have to shuffle sideways a little. I started to move and then some instinct made me stop and look down.
A wrench was lying on the floor right beside my left foot. If I’d shuffled into it, it would have scraped on the concrete and alerted Maravic, like I was some idiot heroine in a movie. I let out a silent sigh of relief. Then I very carefully stepped over the wrench and lifted my gaze to the window—
Maravic had turned around and was staring right at me.
I turned and bolted, racing back around the SUV and ducking behind it. I’d barely got my head down when a bullet hit the fender. I could hear Maravic and his men pouring out of the office and grabbing their guns.
Colton and I shrank down behind the car but then the whole room went blindingly bright as someone switched the lights on. Bullets shattered the windows of the SUV and I felt scratchy pebbles of safety glass going down my neck. Colton fired his shotgun over the hood but then shook his head at me, worried. We were outnumbered seven to two and pinned down. It was only a matter of time.
After the next burst of gunfire, Maravic’s ugly, barbed-wire accent filled the air. Each word seemed designed to puncture my defenses and taint me with poison. “I remember you now, Tanya Yeshevskaya. I remember sticking a knife into your thigh. I planned to throw you down and fuck you in the snow while the life drained out of you. Perhaps I’ll still have that pleasure.”
I felt Colton’s muscles go hard with rage. Before I could stop him, he’d popped up above the car’s hood and fired another shot at Maravic. I grabbed him by his t-shirt and barely got him down again before a burst of gunfire cut through the air.
“I remember the man you were with, as well,” called Maravic.
I froze, squeezing my eyes shut. I wanted to press my hands over my ears like a child. Shut up! Shut up! You’re not worthy of speaking of him!
“Were you in love?” asked Maravic. “I think you were. I remember the look on your face when I pushed the knife into his heart. Did you watch him die? Do you remember the sound as he drowned in his own blood?”
I screamed, half-stood and fired, trying to see through a film of tears. Now it was Colton who had to wrestle me back down. He pushed me to the floor beneath him as bullets hammered the SUV, his body covering mine.
“Is this one in love with you, too?” Maravic asked. Then, for Colton’s benefit, “I hope you got your cock wet, before she gets you killed.”
Colton shoved his shotgun under the car and fired at foot level and I fired too, but Maravic just laughed. And then both of our guns clicked empty.
The gunfire from Maravic’s men stopped. There was silence and then the sound of a single pair of boots walking towards the SUV, patient and unhurried.
I knew what would happen now. Maravic would kill me, up close and personal, pushing his knife into my heart. But first, he’d kill Colton and make me watch. Colton was already getting to his feet and dropping into a fighting stance, riled up and protective. Exactly how Maravic wanted him.
I grabbed Colton around the waist. “No!” I begged. “No, please! Please, Colton!” But he didn’t move.
I heard Maravic laugh.
I pressed my lips to Colton’s ear and squeezed his waist, molding myself to him. “Please! I don’t want to lose you!”
Maravic stepped into view.
There was no more time. If I wanted to save him, we had to go, now. I grabbed his hand and bolted towards the shed. My arm went taut and I prayed.
For an instant, Colton stood his ground. Then he let me tow him. I staggered on, slumping in relief.
But I’d only bought us a few seconds. The shed was just one room, with the car in the middle. The only door out was chained and padlocked and there were no windows.
I pulled Colton behind the old Honda. I could already see Maravic casually strolling towards us, and his men following behind him.
A siren wailed in the distance. “Cops,” muttered one of the mercenaries. Someone must have reported the gunfire.
