Page 99 of Nikolai (Kansas City Reapers)

A shot rang out from above, my eyes scanning the roof line for signs of the fucker — or worse yet, a sign that Quinn had been hit. But as I processed what I’d heard, Irealized it was definitely a pistol, which told me Quinn hadn’t been taken out.

Not yet anyway.

As the sound of the shot faded, I saw my opportunity.

The fucker crested the peak of the roof and ran down the side closest to me, moving frantically to get away from the new threat.

Giving me the perfect motherfucking shot.

“Got you now, fucker,” I whispered, taking aim. The man looked down at me right at the last moment, eyes widening with fear. I smiled grimly and squeezed the trigger.

Blood sprayed as the bullet hit him directly in the chest. He stumbled for a moment before his body toppled over and rag-dolled down the peaked roof, tumbling end over end until it landed with a sickening crunch directly on the hood of Quinn’s now completely useless squad car. Unfortunately, the man had dropped his rifle when I hit him, and the gun slid only a few feet down the shingles before coming to a stop. So much for utilizing that weapon.

Maddy’s scream from the other side of the windshield tore at my heart.

It called to me so badly that I almost couldn’t see straight.

This was why you didn’t mix business with pleasure. It made your judgment all fucked up when the rubber met the road.

Regardless of the choices I had made with Maddy, I wasn’t about to let anything — or anyone — hurt her again.

“Not on my motherfucking watch,” I hissed out, rolling over and peeking over the roof of my SUV.

The asshole with the goddamn AR-15 was still poised in the passenger doorway of the armored SUV. I could just barely make out the scope glinting in the sunlight. Just as I’d suspected.

This was not a scare tactic.

This was an execution. They meant to take us all out.

Well, they hadn’t thought their plan through. They weren’t prepared for us.

Scratch that.

They weren’t prepared forme.

Digging deep into my past trauma and the rage that once held me like a prisoner, I unleashed the beast within.

With a roar, I slid off the hood of my vehicle, landing on the crumbled and broken concrete with a thud as I spun around, weapon up, reloaded, and aimed to take deadly fire.

The problem was the distance. Even if I could get anywhere close to the target, a pistol would do minimal damage at this range.

I needed to level the playing field.

Suddenly, I remembered that Quinn was driving an unmarked police cruiser. They were almost always equipped with a shotgun or rifle in the center console. Knowing Quinn, he would have opted for a rifle. He’d been an expert marksman in the service. If I could only get back over there without getting hit. I would have to take the chance.

“Mercado, you better not let me down now,” Imuttered to myself. I scanned the yard, waiting to see if there were other assailants lurking nearby, or if our last remaining threat lay solely with that fucking SUV blocking the driveway.

There was no sound of Quinn from above, but I didn’t have time to worry about that right now. All my thoughts were focused on keeping that perfect, bratty little woman safe.

My woman.

I shook the thought from my head. I couldn’t lose focus. She wouldn’t survive if I did.

And I would go down in a blaze of glory defending her, if that’s what it took.

If we wanted to make it out of here alive, I had to get my fucking head on straight.

The shots coming towards the house slowed for a moment, and I took my chance to race towards Quinn’s car. If I could only get to that rifle, I might have a fighting chance of getting all three of us out of here alive.

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