Page 50 of Luka

But Idon’thave time. And frankly, it doesn’t matter.

I find the dingy women’s restroom at the back and quickly lock the door, knowing it won’t hold up for long. I look around, searching for a weapon I can store beneath my dress but lock onto the small window just below the ceiling instead.

I have to hurry.

Flipping the trashcan over, I move it beneath the window, then climb on top, cringing at the way it warps, barely holding my weight. But it’ll have to do. The window opens with ease, but before I can attempt to climb out, a knock on the door makes me jump from my skin.

“Lucia? You all right?” Mario calls.

“Yes. I just need a minute, please.”

The doorknob rattles.

“Open the door,” Mario commands, seemingly growing impatient.

My hands find a good grip on the window frame, and with all my might, I pull myself halfway outside. The loud bangs that sound on the door spark panic. I hurry out the window, dropping onto the pavement below just as I hear the bathroom door bursting open. I sprint down the alleyway but barely make it around a corner when a new threat slams into me.

My eyes burst wide when I knock into Luka, and with the way his jaw drops, I’d say he’s equally surprised.

The back door to the bar flies open, making my heart pause. I have a millisecond to decide whether or not to run as their feet start this way.

They have guns, knowledge of the city, numbers, and they can easily have me cornered.

I’m trapped.

I take Luka by his collar and pull him against me, flattening my back against the brick wall while I crash my lips to his and use his body as a shield.

He’s startled by it, I can tell. His body tenses, but as the men round the corner, he must understand what I’m doing because he puts his palms on the wall beside my head and grinds his body passionately against mine.

His tongue prods my lips, demanding access, and I wish I could telepathically threaten him. Wish I could tell him how much our lives are in danger. That this is not the time for his fucked-up games.

But I can’t communicate telepathically, and I don’t dare provoke him to make a sound, so I open my mouth and do the thing I told him I would never do. I kiss him back.

“Mierda!” Mario screams, not ten yards from us. We aren’t the only ones out here. Beside us is a tent and a gentlemanlounging outside of it, observing this, I imagine. To our left, on the other side of the alley, a few people stand in a circle smoking. But Mario doesn’t seem to care about any of us when he yells.

“Get everybody on this,” one of the other guys says in Spanish. “Find her.”

He and Mario are the only two who stayed back. The others ran after where they thought I went.

One of Luka’s hands moves to my breast, and I hurry to move it back to shield my face, giving him a pleading look I hope he understands.

He studies me, but I don’t wait long before I close my eyes and kiss him again, allowing my tongue to be the first to pass his lips this time. Anything,anythingto help me evade these guys.

The guy must’ve been talking on his cellphone because somebody replies “understood” on speaker. I wonder if they think Spanish is code or something. Thatnobodycan understand it.

“How the fuck did you let her get awayagain?”

“Me?” Mario huffs. “You were right there too!”

“What is the boss going to say now, huh? What excuse can you possibly give this time?”

“I spent nearly two months winning that bitch’s trust. I got her to agree to leave her fucking fortress for me. It wasyourjob to find her. I did my part.”

“Yeah, well, it’s your job now.Go.”

Footsteps sound, Mario’s I assume. My lips slow listening to it. The other man makes another call but walks away to speak.

I’m too terrified to move. They’re out there right now looking for me, swarming the area. If I push off the wall, I feel like they’ll see me.

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