Page 111 of Sinner's Sacrifice

“Yvgeny,” she moaned. “I’m sorry.”

The car rocked as if a giant had pushed it and more gunfire slapped at her already numb senses. She leaned over Yvgeny’s body to keep it in place, to keep it from being defiled by another bullet. Movement close to the car caught her attention and she glanced outside to see what was happening.

A body stumbled into the door closest to her with a weighty thunk. It was a uniformed cop. He slid down the side of the car, then a man in a dark suit yanked him out of the way and opened the door.

Magnus. Blood was flecked across the white collar of his shirt and suit jacket. He’d been shot in the shoulder.

“We don’t have much time,” he said to her in his deep baritone. “Go to the helicopter.”

“But, Yvgeny. The police—”

“Are going to be here with more men in a minute or less.”

“I won’t leave him.” She needed Magnus to understand. “Benson shot him.” She sucked in a breath and let it out slow as she confessed, “Then I killed Benson.”

Magnus smiled at her. “I knew there was a reason I liked you. We’re not leaving anyone behind. Go.”

“Your brother—”

Magnus’s jaw flexed. “I know. I’ll get him.” He nodded and held out his hand.

She took it, reluctant to leave Yvgeny, but Magnus had her out of the limo and wrapped a jacket around her shoulders. She looked down. Black with white block lettering. FBI.

Magnus put a hand against her back and pushed her past the empty police helicopter to another one she hadn’t even noticed arrive. This one was matte black all over, but it had an FBI emblem on its tail.

“Magnus,” she began. “What’s going on?”

“Rogue cops,” he replied as he shoved her into the aircraft. “Wait here,” he ordered. “I’ll bring Yvgeny.” He paused to examine her face. “Okay?”

The thought of leaving him behind made her nauseous. She nodded. “Yes.”

He shut the door and ran toward the limo. Other men in FBI gear were handcuffing police officers and bundling them into black SUVs. Several were concentrated on the limo, and when Magnus surfaced out of their roiling mass, he carried two occupied black body bags. One on each shoulder.

It hit her in the solar plexus and she lost the ability to breathe for several moments. The entire time it took Magnus to cross the space between the car and the helicopter.

She opened the door so he could shift Yvgeny and Mason’s bodies to the floor at her feet. She shifted aside so Magnus had room to climb in, then gripped one of the black bags in an effort to stop her hands from shaking.

He yelled something at the pilot and they took off.

The flight took them past Yvgeny’s hotel to another building a couple of blocks away where they landed on the roof.

She looked at Magnus in confusion. “What’s this place?”

“Private hospital,” he yelled back.

“The one with that stupid doctor?” she asked, her hands on the body bag clenching and unclenching.

Magnus grinned at her. “That’s the one.”

This was the second time he’d smiled at her, and it was weirding her out.

She hadn’t wanted to come here ever again, but she also wanted to give that doctor a piece of her mind and introduce him to the knife Yvgeny had given her.

The helicopter landed and a group of people dressed in scrubs rushed at the aircraft. Two of them helped her out and guided her toward a door, while the others carried the two bodies out.

She waited, making sure they were following her before allowing herself to be ushered into the building.

Another group of people waited a few feet inside the doors next to a wheelchair and a couple of gurneys. The woman on her left tried to move her toward the chair.

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