Page 27 of Hush 3: Hidden Family

“Sim, are you there?”

“Yes, this is me, Symphony. Hello, Michael. How are you?”

“Hello, Sim. I am well. How are you liking Chicago? Are you getting settled in?”

“It is okay. It’s not like our home. I will make do.”

“I miss your playing already. The house feels so empty without you,” he says.

“I will be there in spirit. At least until I can come home and be there with you.”

Michael falls silent on the other end. A ball begins to form in my belly. I don’t like this feeling. Something tells me I’m not going back home.

“Michael?” I whisper.

“I will always do what’s best for you, Sim. I need you to understand and remember that. This is what’s best.”

“Okay. I will do my best. I will make you proud of me. I won’t forget my training and I will try to make new friends, I promise,” I say as my voice shakes and more tears fall.

“I know you will. You are my brave girl. I will talk to you soon,bella. Be good.”

“I will be waiting for your call. Be safe, Michael. I will miss you.”

“I will miss you too,cara.”

With that, he ends the call. I stand holding Adriano’s phone as I stare down at it. My heart is heavy, and I am a bit confused.

Handing Adriano back his phone, I follow him downstairs. However, as we get to the foot of the stairs, the lights all go out. I thread my brows and begin to look around.

“Stay close and keep behind me,” Adriano whispers.

No sooner than he says the words, gunshots begin to ring out. Adriano pulls his guns and tries to lead me to safety. However, we don’t make it across the foyer before Adriano is hit. He grunts as he stumbles back and grabs for me to cover me with his body.

“I need to get you upstairs,” he grinds out.

“No, you need to hand me your pistols. It’s the only way we are going to survive. My vests are upstairs. I am unarmed.”

“Michael and Uri will kill me.”

“No, these people will kill you and me. Now give me the guns so I can save our lives,” I hiss back.

He hands me one of his guns and I roll my eyes. I then dip and grab the one I know he keeps at his ankle and the extra clip with it. With the two guns in my hands, I spin and take aim.

The streetlights illuminate my vision enough for me to see my targets and begin to take them out. I take down two and stand to my full height. Adriano limps at my side, trying to help. We work together at first, but he is hit again and falls to the ground.

Anger rocks through me. I am here alone, and someone is trying to kill me. They will not succeed.

I run across the black and white checkered marble floors and slip behind one of the large pillars for cover. I have to leave Adriano behind for now.

I focus and home in on the men shooting at me. All my training over the last year kicks in and I keep aiming and shooting. As I zone in, I count five more men moving in on me.

I narrow my gaze on the guy leading them. He lifts his hand and signals for the others to wait. I aim right for his head and take him out before he can drop his hand back to his side.

Before the other four fan out and disappear from my reach, I step slightly from behind the pillar, then tuck and roll out of my hiding place. As I come up on my toes, I aim and shoot the first two.

Quickly, I run to the next pillar and take up a hiding place behind it. Shots are fired, but they spray the floor and hit the pillar and not me. I spin out from the other side of the pillar and run toward the two shooting. I drop and slide on my hip as I take out their legs.

They both drop to the ground. I come up and go to stand over them. Without blinking, I pump two into each of their chests.

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