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We were both barefoot and dressed in short pajama sets. Hers were cotton and deep purple and mine were black silk. We didn’t have time to change.
When we had what we needed, we left the closet, and I went to the nightstand to get my phone. As I picked it up, I saw that there wasn’t any service.
“They have something jamming the signal. I already tried calling for help on my phone. The house line is dead, too,” Brenna said as she watched me.
“How’d you not get caught?”
“I was peeing when I heard you screaming, followed by the gunshots. So when someone came into my room, I was ready.”
At least I’d been able to warn her.
Where are Jamie and Louie?I wondered as Brenna and I headed for the door. We crept into the empty hall and, doing our best to avoid the cameras, we started heading for the stairs. I walked in front with my rifle aimed forward. Brenna walked backward, covering the rear.
I saw shadows on the carpet coming from the hall we had to turn down to get to the stairs. I stopped walking, making Brenna back into me. Before I could warn her, armed men who did not work for me flooded the hall.
I started firing, shooting one after the other. Brenna quickly joined me. The sound of gunfire filled the hall as we took out at least four of Dylan’s men before the rest retreated back down the hall they’d come from. Brenna and I also retreated back toward Jamie’s room, shooting off rounds as we did.
“Shit!” Brenna shouted and turned to fire at the other end of the hall. We walked with our backs to each other until we were able to dash back into Jamie’s room. We both dropped our nearly empty rifles to the ground and worked quickly to push Jamie’s dresser in front of the door. The moment we got it there, there was banging on the door.
“We can climb out the window down to the kitchen,” I whispered.
Brenna rushed to one of the large transom windows and got it open as I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and put it in my pocket. Using a lot of upper-arm strength, we each took turns climbing out of the window and lowering ourselves to the steep roof over the kitchen. The shingles were freezing under my feet and then my legs as we slid to the ledge.
Moving quickly but carefully, we lowered ourselves over the edge of the roof. As I did, my pistol that I’d stored in the back waistband of my sleep shorts slipped inside, slid past my butt cheek, and fell out the bottom of my shorts. It landed on the grass below with a little thud. I released the breath I had been holding and dropped the rest of the way down to the ground. My feet hit the ground first and my ass broke my fall. Brenna hit the ground just as gracefully as I had.
I scooped up my gun and we both crawled behind the bushes under the kitchen window that sort of hid us from the view of a camera. I looked out onto the property. It was dark, but I didn’t see anyone. Not even our grounds security.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and handed it to Brenna. “Cell-phone jammers only reach so far. I want you to run until you can get a signal and then call whoever you can for help.”
Brenna shook her head. “I can’t leave you, Maura.”
“You have to. We need help.”
“Then come with me,” she begged.
I shook my head. “You are less likely to be spotted if you go alone, and I can’t leave. Kieran is still inside.”
She looked like she wanted to argue.
“Go,” I ordered.
She did as I said and took off. She moved quickly as she kept to the shadows and stayed low to the ground. I watched from behind the bushes until I couldn’t see her anymore. Sighing, I debated what to do.
I wasn’t really given the time to think. The sound of footsteps came from the side of the house. I peeked into the kitchen through the window. Finding it empty, I crept over to the door and slipped inside. I got down on the floor and hid in front of the kitchen sink as Dylan’s goons walked by outside.
“Find them, damnit!” I heard Dylan roar from the hall outside the kitchen.
The sound of two men speaking in Italian to each other approached the kitchen. I crawled around the kitchen island and hid out of view as they entered the room. They were talking shit about Dylan, saying that he was pathetic and as soon as he handed Brenna over to Dominik, he was as good as dead.
Fucking Dylan had formed an alliance with the Romanos.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Iheld still as I listened to them gossip in the kitchen. The moment one of them said something about the cameras, my heart skipped a beat, and I looked up. Sure enough, there was a camera in the corner of the room pointed right at me. Then the Italian men went quiet and I knew I had no time to lose. I shot up to my feet, gun at the ready. I used their shock at seeing me to my advantage and aimed.
Pop! Pop!
I took them down with a bullet to each of their heads. Of course, the loud sound would alert anyone who was nearby. I rushed for the swinging door that led to the dining room. Just as I entered, three of Dylan’s goons walked in from the hall. I lunged behind the table, landing on my stomach as they fired at me.
