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“A-a mess?” He takes a step closer to me, wrapping a hand around my neck and cocking his gun, aiming it at Michael.
The moment I see the black muzzle appear in the corner of my eye, I jump into action. Gripping the armrests with both my hands, I bend forward, lifting the chair up with me and snapping my head back. My skull crashes into Polsner’s face. I hear more than feel the crunch of his nose breaking. But I don’t have time to enjoy it, since he’s still holding the gun.
I feel the blood pumping inside my veins when I fist my still-bound hands and turn on my side—chair and everything. I slam against him, knocking him to the ground. I go down too, falling on top of him. I hear hisoomphand then the sound of wood cracking under me as I roll off him.
An acute pain hits my side, but I grit my teeth against it. I see the gun sliding on the floor, still too close to Polsner’s hand. A loud shot breaks the silence, and the window shatters as a bullet hits it. Another bullet hits the pistol on the floor, pushing it further away from Polsner. Uri is outside firing old Betsy.
The chair is broken; the armrest finally gave way, and my arms are free to do some damage. I shift till I’m completely untied and grab a long, jagged piece of wood. Pulling myself up, I push a knee hard on Polsner’s balls while pressing the wood across his throat.
He grumbles in pain, which only makes me increase the pressure with my knee. I punch his face over and over and again, until my knuckles hurt, and he looks almost unconscious.
Then I slide the small knife out of my boot and, with a flick of my wrist, I let the blade come out.
“You tried to take what’s mine. Now you’ll pay the consequences.” All my humanity leeches from my voice as I whisper to his bloody face. But I’m fucking tired of people wanting to take Michael from me.
“Wait,” Michael utters. He’s standing near me. I lower the hand holding the knife and straighten my upper body, just in time to see his fist hitting Polsner right in the jaw.
“Fuck!” my boyfriend swears, waving his aching hand in the air. I need to teach him how to defend himself. Because the sight of him landing a punch is so damn arousing.
I hear footsteps behind me, and then Rague’s voice. “This place is a fucking labyrinth.”
“Where the fuck are we?” I ask. I can see the rest of the wide room now, but still have no clue. The wall has more windows, but they’re all boarded up. Huge-ass pieces of machinery fill the rest of the space in the back.
“An old factory.”
“Raph, move away.” Michael’s sudden hard tone, one I’ve never heard before, makes me turn to look at him.
He must have picked up the gun from the floor, because he’s holding it with both hands, aiming it at Polsner. His arms are trembling, but his finger is steady on the trigger.
“What are you going to do, babe?” I ask Michael, sending a look Rague’s way, silently asking him to keep an eye on Polsner. Slowly, I lift myself up.
“He wanted to kill you, Raph. He didn’t care about…” He chokes on his words. “I’m not going to let that happen again,” Michael grits out, his voice bouncing off the walls.
“He can’t harm us anymore, piglet.” I point at the unconscious body on the floor.
“I’ll make certain of it.” Michael is still staring angrily at Polsner.
“And I’d let you do it, but a bullet in the head would be too easy on him. I have other plans, babe.”
He frowns and finally looks at me. “Other plans?”
“I’m going to show you what we do to people like him.” I take a step toward him, and then another.
“Are you criminals?” Michael asks, his face all adorably scrunched up. But he’s still here with me. Not running away. Like I’d ever let him do that, my non-conscience voice reminds me.
“Fuck no!” Rague replies. He’s securing Polsner’s hands together, using the ties the fucker had on me.
“Why is Rami saying it depends on how I look at it?” Michael lowers the gun, tapping on the earpiece tucked in his ear.
I cup his face, feeling relief engulf me at the contact with his smooth skin. I let myself get lost in his deep, blue eyes. “Why did you put yourself in danger, Michael?” I scold him.
He curls a hand around mine, and retorts with fire, “Do you really think I’d do nothing when you were about to lose your life?”
“I had everything under control.”
“Oh, sure. I could see that. Especially with your hands tied and a chain around your neck.” The sarcasm is thick in his voice.
“Don’t ever do it again. Ever! I told you I can’t lose you again,” I finish with a desperate growl.
