Page 74 of Heirs of Havoc

"Mia!"

The sound in the room whooshes back. The pings, pangs and pows of bullets. A scream escapes me as a bullet flies by my head, hitting the wall in front of me. Vlad lunges for me, the boys springing into action.

“Knew they were suspicious,” Vlad mutters. His muscular arm around me, he pulls me to the floor. “Do you know them?”

“I-I don’t know.” My fingers to my ears, I wish I was anywhere but here. Clementine isn’t supposed to have gun battles, especially not in the church. A line of men in suits stands near the door, aiming their guns into the room. One lands his eyes on me before storming towards Vlad. I try to warn him, "Vlad!"

“Climb.” It takes a second to register that he means the pole as his weight lifts off me. Reaching for the pole, it presses against my shin and as I climb, Vlad’s fist shatters the man’s face.

From this high up, I can see everything. Chaos and carnage. While my pastor holding a gun is hard to digest, that’s the least of my concerns right now.

Looking down, the guys hold their own, using whips and chains as weapons along with their fists. Observant of his surroundings, Dom picks up a coffee table with ease, slamming it over his attacker. Feliks lands every shot he takes with his gun, all with that chill look on his face. Vlad’s body is like a freight train, pummelling each of his attackers to the ground. As for Lev, his laughter rips through the room like he’s having way too much fun in what could be my demise.

“Mia!” Dom’s voice is louder than the bangs, clatter, and smashing glass. “Let go!” He glances at someone by the door and when I follow his gaze, one of their attackers aims their gun at me.

As much as I'd like, now’s not the time to defy Dom, so with my eyes closed, I let go.

And I fall.

POW!

The man takes the shot.

“Fuck!” Pain rips through me when my body hits the ground. My hands pat my body, waiting for blood before my shoulders fall. He missed.

“I got her!” The man storms to me but it’s hard to stand. When I put pressure on my hand, it makes me scream, another sharp pain rippling through me.

“No, you fucking don’t.” Vlad’s fist comes through the man’s wrinkly face, a crack coming with it. Something flies from his mouth. A tooth. It lands on the ground as I’m scooped off the floor. Right into the arms of Vlad. “I’m getting you out of here, Merlo.” He rushes for the brick wall, my eyes widening.

"Vlad!"

Is he insane?

He gets closer before I call again, gunshots ringing around us, "Vlad!"

When his shoulder hits the brick, I wince, but a door opens, receding into the wall. It leads further into darkness, my head whipping back into the room.

Dom's eyes land on me before it turns to Feliks, someone's gun in his face.

"Feliks," Dom growls, lunging for him.

It's the last thing I see before the door closes and darkness takes over.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Wait.” My arms around Vlad's neck, he carries me down a long stone corridor. “What about everyone else?”

“They’ll be alright, my job is to make sure that’s the same for you.” Vlad doesn’t stop until we get to another door at the far end. When he opens it up we’re at Murphy House, right in the foyer.

“How did you—”

“Are you alright?” Vlad places me on the foyer floor, standing me up. Those deep blues dart around my body. “Are you hurt, Mia?”

“Who was that?” My neck cranes behind me and you’d never know a door was there. “Were they for me?” I try to remember the faces in the room, trying to place them with my dad’s men. But it’s clear I don’t know who works for my dad anymore.

“Are. You. Hurt?” Vlad demands.

“N-No,” I stammer, gunshots still ringing in my head. “I don’t think so.”

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