Page 20 of 10 Days to Surrender

Before Jasmine can answer, footsteps thunder up the stairs. I shove her behind me and turn, bloody knife clutched tight in my hand, to face the doorway.

It bursts open. Kosti charges through first, face stricken with something I can’t explain. His eyes find mine. “Sasha…”

More footsteps sound out behind him. My gaze flits from Kosti, to the black rectangle of the entryway.

It fills slowly. A white linen sundress stretched to its absolute maximum in the attempt to contain the belly beneath it.

Then bare feet. Female. Dainty.

Above that, the tip of a broken oar. I trace up the oar, to the hand holding it, to the tanned arm, the familiar shoulder curve, a collarbone I’ve spent hours nipping and kissing…

To a throat I once looped a belt around.

To lips I’ve kissed, lips that have whispered my name after the wordsI love you.

And last of all, to green eyes that stare back at me with a hate I put there myself.

No.

No.

No.

Ariel stops in the doorway. Shock melts to horror melts to rage. Her grip tightens on the oar.

“You,” she spits.

For six fucking months, I’ve done my best to bleed this woman out of my head. To cut memories of her out of me, stitch by painful stitch.

I should’ve known I’d meet her here, in this forgotten corner of the world, my hands dripping red for her again.

“Ptich—”

“Don’t.” She swings wild. The oar catches my shoulder. Agony explodes. My vision whites out. “Don’t youdaresay that to me!”

Jasmine grabs her arm to stop her from swinging the broken oar again “He’s here to help!”

“He’s here tolie!” Tears streak Ariel’s cheeks. She jabs the oar at my chest. “Another rescue? Anotherfavor? What’s your angle this time, Sasha?”

I don’t flinch. Let her project her hate onto me. I deserve it, every last drop.

Footfalls echo on the street. More Serbs. A lot fucking more.

“We need to get out of here first,” I snarl, ripping the Glock from my waistband. “We can bicker after.”

Ariel’s laugh is broken glass. “Fuck you.”

Bang.

A lamp disintegrates as a bullet clips it from the open window. Jasmine yelps. Ariel freezes.

Instinct kicks in. I tackle them both behind the couch and spread myself over them for cover as the rest of the window shatters. More bullets chew plaster.

“Back door!” Jasmine wheezes.

“Covered,” I snap.

“So we die here?!” Ariel’s eyes are bright green in the midnight gloom.

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