Page 142 of Restitution
The knuckles on both his hands are burst open, his ear and eyebrow are bleeding, and there’s a gash on his head – also bleeding.
“They deserved it.” My chin wobbles. “The dogs?”
“They’re outside with two of my guys. We found them at the bottom of the staircase. They aren’t hurt, just spooked.”
He doesn’t take his eyes off me as Base speaks. “We’ll need to jump into the bushes or try climbing down – the stairs are crawling, and this wing is about to collapse. We’re out of fucking bullets.”
Base is holding Luciella to him, shaking his head and muttering in Russian and English as he kisses all over her face. Then he adds, “Tylar is with Dez. She’s safe.”
Good. That’s good.
“Where’s my mum and Ewan?” Luciella asks. “And Nikita?”
“With her bodyguard. Ewan got Aria out too.”
Kade lowers his forehead to my shoulder again. “I nearly lost you.”
“You’ll never lose me, Kade.” I brush my fingers through his hair. “Get us out of here,” I say, my lungs on fire, my eyes droopy. “I’m getting dizzy.”
I stare down at my bloodied legs as Kade stands and slips a gun into the back of his waistband. He helps me to my feet, but the pressure on my knees has me buckling. The dizziness from being knocked out is starting to settle, replaced with panic and pain, making my heart race uncontrollably.
Kade holds me up. “Can you walk?”
I nod.
More gunshots go off as Kade pulls my arm over his shoulder for support, slouching down to my height. We only get halfwaydown the corridor before he’s coughing and I’m falling. We get back to our feet, Kade pressing his hand to the wall for extra support.
“This room here,” Base says, kicking the door open, and we follow him in. He jogs to the window and slides it open, looking down. “We can jump.”
I glance at the steep drop and blanch.
Kade shakes his head. “Stacey’s legs will snap. And there’s not a chance in hell I’m letting my pregnant sister jump from that height.”
Base pauses. “What?”
Everything goes silent. Luciella closes her eyes. Base doesn’t blink, his brows furrowing. I internally cringe at the quietness. Kade crosses his arms and stares at them both like he didn’t just drop a bomb.
“She’s pregnant,” Kade says, making it worse. “Congratulations, you’re going to be a father – if we get out of this. Now, what’s plan B?”
“Wait. Hold the fuck on. What?” He stands in front of Lu and tips her chin up, so she looks at him. “You’re pregnant?”
“Can we talk about this later please?” she asks. “We’re in the middle of a near-death experience, and this can be discussed later.”
“They’ll try to kill you. If Nikita’s family finds out, they’ll send orders for you to be killed.” He looks at Kade. “Can you hide her?”
“I’m not hiding,” she snaps before her twin can respond. “We don’t need to say it’s yours.”
“It’s definitely mine, right?”
Oh, he did not. I step forward with a tight jaw, but Kade beats me to it, grabbing Base by the scruff of his collar. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
“Calm the fuck down!” Base snaps, shoving Kade away. “I know the kid is mine. Nikita’s family will too! Do you understandhow dangerous this is?”
“I can easily say it isn’t yours! They won’t find out.”
“You think I’m going to go back there knowing you’re carrying my kid?”
“We don’t have time for this,” Kade says, glaring at them both. “The smoke is coming through every goddamn crack. We need to get out of here.”
