AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Vitucci’s compound spanned for miles, but at least there were only a few major points of entry the mercs were using. Blood was splattered all over my face and clothes, dead bodies falling all around me. Samara was taking out just as many as I was as she sniped from the roof of the mansion.
“No, I totally meant gray. I am neither on the light side nor completely dark. I like to stay solely in the morally gray zone.” I nearly snorted at the lie. Gray didn’t touch her. Her “dark” was crimson from the blood of her victims. “On your right!”
Without hesitating, I turned and fired when she yelled in my ear, killing a man who had nearly dropped onto me. A bullet had the guy right beside him dropping to his knees. I didn’t need my sister to confirm it was from her.
Motherfucker. More of them were coming, and the Vitucci soldiers were running out of bullets.
“Boss.” Walter’s voice reached me for the first time. “Five cars are coming from the east.”
Samara sucked in a sharp breath. “No, no, no!”
“What?” I shouted, jerking my gaze back to the mansion, dreading what I would see. But too much smoke and debris were flying around to make out anything clearly behind me.
“Mom’s here. And Elias is with her!”
That didn’t sound like a bad thing to me, but of course it would to Samara. She was having fun, killing people, and tearing shit up. But the moment Elias got there, her insanity would hold no bounds. Understandable. I was already close to the edge with Abi locked in the panic room without my eyes or cameras on her. She was the only thing tethering me to this side of humanity.
Losing her wasn’t an option.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
vaughn
Powerful engines revving were the only warnings before five tank-like vehicles broke through the gate, taking out over twenty mercs as they were gaining on me. Pain-filled screams rent the air, bodies twisting from impact, some of them dragged for several yards.
I dropped back into a group of trees, the Vitucci soldiers already having spread out on either side of me.
Anya had arrived, which could only mean one thing.
Daria was there somewhere.
Keeping vigilant, I steadied my breathing. Each inhale was like breathing in fire, letting me know that the shot I’d taken to the vest had broken at least one rib, which had punctured my lung. Blocking out the pain, I focused on each shadow in the rubble of dust and smoke. Daria wasn’t scared to get her hands dirty, but her endgame was to take out Anya. She would be hiding with the remaining mercs who hadn’t already retreated with the arrival of Anya, Ryan, and whatever soldiers she’d taken with her to Creswell Springs. Gunfire was still ringing around me, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been thirty minutes ago.
“Daria,” a familiar voice called faintly.
Turning my gaze back toward the cars, I saw movement from my spot in the trees. A window was powered down, so I heard when the voice shouted. “Daria!” More of the gunfire ceased.
“Daria!” Polina screamed in pain. “Please, I need you.”
A door opened, and half of a broken, bleeding body was shoved out, followed by Anya. She carefully stepped out behind her prisoner. “Daria darling,” she called in a melodious voice. “Time for a little reunion with our dear Polina.”
Elias Reid’s large body followed Anya’s. Holding Polina by the hair, she spoke to the man at her side, then grinned down at my surrogate mother.
“So sweet,” Polina jeered at whatever Anya said to Elias. “And pathetic.”
Anya jerked Polina’s head back harder. “Don’t be jealous, Polina. Just because you’ll never know the joys of having your own child doesn’t mean you should shit all over my happiness.”
Polina snorted. “I may not have birthed Vaughn, but I raised him. He’s mine. Daria gave him to me.” She turned her head despite the hard grip Anya had on her. “Like you took my legs from me, we took your son from you.”
“I must have broken something important in your brain. You aren’t making sense.” Anya pressed the barrel of her gun to the back of Polina’s head. “Oh well, you’ll be dead soon, so it won’t matter for much longer.”
“Anya, pet.”
Finally.
Daria stepped into view. Her short, salt-and-pepper hair was smooth against her skull. Dressed in all black, she stood over six feet tall in her boots. But she wasn’t alone. Ryan must have split off from Anya because Daria had her arm around his neck, pulling him back to keep him in a tight headlock while pressing a Glock to his temple with her other hand.
I silently shifted, using the shadows of the trees to hide my presence, my gun lifted, aiming right for her head. But Ryan was in my way. If it came down to it, I would sacrifice my brother to end Daria, but if I could avoid it, I would. For Wrenley’s sake.
