Page 75 of Malevolent Secrets

"We don't have a choice," I reply, my voice firm despite the fear coursing through me. "We need to get help."

We move cautiously, opening the door a crack to peer out. The hallway is eerily quiet, but the tension in the air is palpable. We slip out of the room, moving as quietly as possible toward the main hall.

As we turn a corner, a man steps into our path, a sinister smile on his face. He raises a gun, aiming it directly at us. My heart stops, I gasp instinctively and step in front of Maria.

"Looks like I found a couple of strays," he sneers, his finger tightening on the trigger.

“Please, we don’t want any trouble,” I say, taking a step back.

“You’re Lorenzo’s girl, aren’t you? I’ve seen you around a bunch.”

He licks his lips as he stares down at me.

“Pretty little thing too. Bet you’ll look even better riding my dick.”

Maria gasps behind me and I grab her hand.

“In your dreams, motherfucker.”

This seems to be the wrong thing to say because his leering smile transforms into an ugly frown.

“Bitches like you need a bullet in them to act right.”

He raises the gun to my head and…this is it. This must be the end. I refuse to close my eyes though. If the asshole is going to kill me, then he has to look me in the eye while he does.

The gunshot rings out, but I feel no pain, and then I realize that there’s a gaping hole in his forehead that wasn’t there before. I gasp as blood oozes out, and he crumples to the ground.

Standing behind him, gun in hand, is Renee.

I stare at her, shock and confusion warring in my mind. "Renee?" The gun in her hand is still smoking from the shot fired. She is not smiling.

Her being here right now, her holding this gun with which she just saved my life makes no sense.

“What is happening right now?”

"There's no time to explain," she says, her voice steady and authoritative. She motions for us to follow her. "Come on."

Maria steps out from behind me, and to my surprise, she bows slightly to Renee. This only adds to my confusion, but there’s no time to process it.

"We need to get you both back to the saferoom," Renee says, leading us through the chaos. "Stay low and stay quiet."

We navigate through the club, ducking behind furniture and slipping through shadows. The sound of gunfire and shouting fills the air. Renee moves with a calm precision that’s both reassuring and unsettling.

Finally, we reach the room we had been hiding in. But I grab her hand before she can disappear.

“What are you doing here, who…”

“Dani, honey, I would love to stay and chat, but there’s people out there who want you and I dead. I have to go kill them first. We can get drinks after.”

She says all of this like it’s a joke, but there’s a somber look in her eyes. Renee ushers us inside and locks the door.

"I’ll explain everything later," she says through the door, her voice urgent. "Stay here, and don’t come out until I get you."

With that, she leaves. I turn to Maria, my mind reeling.

"What the hell just happened?" I whisper, my voice trembling.

"I don’t know," Maria replies, equally shaken. "But it seems like Lorenzo’s sister just saved both our lives."

---