Page 66 of Sinner's Secret

There was a beat of silence.

“Put cuffs on them,” the same voice said.

The sound of more than one person moving closer bounced off the walls, until two men came into view and got within a few feet of Baz and Yvgeny.

They had automatic rifles pointed at the two Slovenians but hadn’t seen her yet. Dressed in dark jeans and wearing body armor, they approached like they expected landmines to be hiding under the cement.

“You’re not cops,” Baz said. He let go of his cousin.

Yvgeny sprang at the closest man, knocking the weapon out of his hands, and sinking his teeth into the man’s neck.

Baz went for the other one, who shot Baz twice before he shoved the shooter into the tunnel wall so hard the man fell to the ground in a heap.

Heart so high in her throat it made breathing impossible, Nika expected Baz to collapse. He wasn’t wearing body armor this time and the shooter was only a few feet away when he fired his weapon.

But Baz didn’t crumble, didn’t stagger, didn’t even hesitate. He left his attacker on the cement and ploughed into two other men still on their feet—who were firing shot after shot into his body.

Baz’s momentum pushed them out of view.

Nika’s back hit the cement wall of the manhole niche, then she slid down onto her butt. A wave of cold, heavy confusion swept over her, threatening to pull her into a deep, dark place where all the normal rules of what a person could survive didn’t exist.

What she’d just seen was impossible.

And yet, Baz hadn’t died. He’d kept fighting like their attackers were firing water guns, not SWAT team grade rifles.

Maybe it was adrenaline, and when it ran out, he’d drop dead?

She scrambled to her feet. If that was the case, she wouldn’t leave him defenceless.

Nika edged her way toward the fight. Yells, screams, and gunshots filled the space, the sounds a raging torrent of flood water threatening to drag them all down into a cold underworld.

A shout cut off into a gurgle.

Bullets thudded as they hit concrete, ending in a crunch of plastic and metal.

Someone whimpered.

There was a heavy thud, as if something massive hit the floor of the storm drain, then Yvgeny’s voice said clearly, “I feel much better. Don’t you?”

“Shut up.” That was Baz’s voice, and he sounded even more irritated than before.

Nika took a cautious look around the corner. Yvgeny’s back was to her, but Baz was facing in her direction, and he had a dark, shiny stain all around his mouth.

There were two men on the ground over by Baz as well as the first two men. None of them were moving.

Four. Baz and Yvgeny had taken down four armed men, and they didn’t have a weapon between them.

Her headache returned with a vengeance.

She rubbed her temple. Maybe she was hallucinating the whole incident? She looked again.

Nope.

Good God, four more bodies. She wasn’t going to add them to the rest. Not right now. Not with her head pounding so hard she was afraid her skull was going to shatter.

Yvgeny stepped in front of her. “Hello,” he said with a smile that wasn’t as hungry as before, but just as lust filled. He opened his mouth and she’d suddenly had enough of him seeing her as prey, literally or sexually.

“If you give me a stupid pick-up line, I will kick you in the balls.” She shrugged. “I might kick you in the balls anyway.”

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