take him down again, and once she was spent to that degree, she would be of no use to anyone.
Her only other option was an equally large risk. Ordinarily she was a crack shot, reflex fast and sniper accurate, but she couldn’t count on either skill when it would take a great deal of her focus just to command her limbs and fingers to work. No matter what she did, right now it seemed pretty slim odds that Alexei might come out of this in one piece. Hell, the chances of her or anyone else walking away from this situation were looking nil.
This Breed male was holding all the cards, and the look in his eyes as he watched, waited for her to decide her fate, seemed to say that he was very comfortable in his power position. He had Renata, Lex, and the rest of them right where he wanted them.
But she’d be damned if she’d go down without a fight.
Renata inhaled to gather her resolve, then she brought her gun around and leveled it on him. Her arms screamed with the effort it took to hold them out and steady, but she sucked up the pain, pushed it aside.
She flipped off the gun’s safety. “Release him. Now.”
The muzzle of Lex’s weapon remained jammed up tight behind his ear. “You don’t actually think we’re negotiating here, do you? Drop. Your. Weapon.”
Renata had a clean shot, but so did he. And he had the added benefit of superhuman speed. He might be able to dodge her bullet since he’d easily see it coming. There was a fraction of a second delay between chambering rounds, even at her best time. That meant ample opportunity for him to open fire as well, whether he chose to shoot Lex first or after he took her out. In another second, they might all be eating lead. This man was Breed; with his accelerated metabolism and healing power, he
16
stood a decent chance of surviving getting shot, but her? She was staring at certain death.
“You got a problem with me specifically, or is it him you really want to see dead tonight? Maybe you just hate anything with a dick. That it?”
Although he kept his aim locked, his tone was light, as if he were only toying with her. Not taking her seriously at all. The arrogant prick. She didn’t answer, just cocked the pistol’s hammer back and rested her index finger lightly on the trigger.
“Let him go. We don’t want any trouble from you.”
“Too late for that, don’t you think? All you’re looking at is trouble now.”
Renata didn’t flinch. She didn’t dare so much as blink for fear that this man would sense it as weakness and decide to act.
Lex was shaking now, sweat pouring down his face. “Renata,” he gasped, but whether he wanted to tell her to stand down or make her best move, she wasn’t sure. “Renata…for fuck’s sake…”
She kept a steady aim on Alexei’s captor, her elbows locked, both hands gripped on her gun. A light summer breeze kicked up, and the soft gust of air raked over her hypersensitive skin like jagged shards of glass. In the distance she could hear the pop of fireworks from the finale of the weekend’s festival, the muted explosions vibrating like thunder in her aching bones. Traffic buzzed and braked on the street outside the alley, vehicle engines throwing off a sickening melange of exhaust fumes, heated rubber, and burning oil.
“How long do you want to drag this out, sweetheart? Because I gotta tell you, patience isn’t one of my virtues.” His tone was casual, but the threat couldn’t have been more dire. He brought the pistol’s hammer back, prepared to bring the night to its bloody end. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t fill this asshole’s brain with lead.”
“Because he is my son.” The low male voice came from halfway up the darkened alley. The words were devoid of emotion but ominous in their cadence and thickly accented with the cold rasp of Sergei Yakut’s Siberian homeland.
17
CHAPTER
Three
Nikolai swung his head around and watched Sergei Yakut approach in the
Her only other option was an equally large risk. Ordinarily she was a crack shot, reflex fast and sniper accurate, but she couldn’t count on either skill when it would take a great deal of her focus just to command her limbs and fingers to work. No matter what she did, right now it seemed pretty slim odds that Alexei might come out of this in one piece. Hell, the chances of her or anyone else walking away from this situation were looking nil.
This Breed male was holding all the cards, and the look in his eyes as he watched, waited for her to decide her fate, seemed to say that he was very comfortable in his power position. He had Renata, Lex, and the rest of them right where he wanted them.
But she’d be damned if she’d go down without a fight.
Renata inhaled to gather her resolve, then she brought her gun around and leveled it on him. Her arms screamed with the effort it took to hold them out and steady, but she sucked up the pain, pushed it aside.
She flipped off the gun’s safety. “Release him. Now.”
The muzzle of Lex’s weapon remained jammed up tight behind his ear. “You don’t actually think we’re negotiating here, do you? Drop. Your. Weapon.”
Renata had a clean shot, but so did he. And he had the added benefit of superhuman speed. He might be able to dodge her bullet since he’d easily see it coming. There was a fraction of a second delay between chambering rounds, even at her best time. That meant ample opportunity for him to open fire as well, whether he chose to shoot Lex first or after he took her out. In another second, they might all be eating lead. This man was Breed; with his accelerated metabolism and healing power, he
16
stood a decent chance of surviving getting shot, but her? She was staring at certain death.
“You got a problem with me specifically, or is it him you really want to see dead tonight? Maybe you just hate anything with a dick. That it?”
Although he kept his aim locked, his tone was light, as if he were only toying with her. Not taking her seriously at all. The arrogant prick. She didn’t answer, just cocked the pistol’s hammer back and rested her index finger lightly on the trigger.
“Let him go. We don’t want any trouble from you.”
“Too late for that, don’t you think? All you’re looking at is trouble now.”
Renata didn’t flinch. She didn’t dare so much as blink for fear that this man would sense it as weakness and decide to act.
Lex was shaking now, sweat pouring down his face. “Renata,” he gasped, but whether he wanted to tell her to stand down or make her best move, she wasn’t sure. “Renata…for fuck’s sake…”
She kept a steady aim on Alexei’s captor, her elbows locked, both hands gripped on her gun. A light summer breeze kicked up, and the soft gust of air raked over her hypersensitive skin like jagged shards of glass. In the distance she could hear the pop of fireworks from the finale of the weekend’s festival, the muted explosions vibrating like thunder in her aching bones. Traffic buzzed and braked on the street outside the alley, vehicle engines throwing off a sickening melange of exhaust fumes, heated rubber, and burning oil.
“How long do you want to drag this out, sweetheart? Because I gotta tell you, patience isn’t one of my virtues.” His tone was casual, but the threat couldn’t have been more dire. He brought the pistol’s hammer back, prepared to bring the night to its bloody end. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t fill this asshole’s brain with lead.”
“Because he is my son.” The low male voice came from halfway up the darkened alley. The words were devoid of emotion but ominous in their cadence and thickly accented with the cold rasp of Sergei Yakut’s Siberian homeland.
17
CHAPTER
Three
Nikolai swung his head around and watched Sergei Yakut approach in the
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