Page 9 of Hell to Pay

8

LILAH

I heardthe German woman’s voice, curt and guttural, before I heard her footsteps.

My heart raced as I positioned myself on the end of the bed facing the door. The increased speed of my heartbeat almost felt good after its sluggish beat of the past few hours, but I knew it was bad from the way my head buzzed, the way I had to put my hand on the bed to steady myself even though I was sitting.

My body was trying to pump blood faster in response to its fight-or-flight response, but my damaged valve was slowing it down, threatening me with unconsciousness.

Please… just a little longer.

I gripped the screw, minus the sock this time, between my index and middle fingers and listened as the key found the lock.

The door swung open.

My feet itched to move, but I forced myself to stay on the bed as the German woman approached carrying another tray. Behind her, one of the guards carried his weapon lazily, like he didn’t expect any trouble.

Good.

She was halfway to the bed when a muffled thump sounded from somewhere on the boat.

Time seemed to slow and stretch. The woman halted her steps, her brow furrowing as the guard turned his head toward the still-open door.

Shouting drifted from beyond the hall, followed by another thump.

Something was happening.

I leapt off the bed and charged the woman holding the tray. Her eyes widened in surprise right before I slammed into her, sending the tray flying from her hands as she went sprawling.

I rushed the guard, reaching him just as he was turning his head to the commotion inside the room instead of outside it.

I raised my hand and slammed my fist into his eye, felt the rush of hot blood spray onto my fingers as the screw found the soft tissue of his eyeball.

He screamed and dropped his weapon, slung around his neck with a strap, and covered his eye instinctively.

I didn’t bother assessing the damage before I pushed through him, racing for the hall.

9

JUDE

Five guards down,four more people to go, and there was no point being quiet.

I liked this part of a mission: the stealth was over and everyone knew what was happening. It was like the moment after you came downstairs for Christmas as a kid, the moment of post-restraint when you could finally let your impulses fly and tear into some packages with abandon.

Except we were tearing through theArtemis, mowing down the guards in our way, clearing the craft a few feet at a time as we made our way toward the room near the bow where we’d seen Lilah on the thermal camera.

The yacht had two levels. Rafe had taken the upper level, the one that seemed to be where the staff congregated. Nolan and I were taking the lower level, where they were keeping Lilah.

“Left,” Nolan barked.

I lifted my weapon and fired at a guard who’d appeared in the doorway of one of the rooms.

He fell fast, slumping to the floor in the doorframe.

Six down, three to go, including the one woman besides Lilah who seemed to be on board.

I heard the muffled thump of Rafe’s silencer through my earpiece and knew another man was down.

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