Page 157

Story: Climbing Everest

“You shot my husband?” I grit through clenched teeth.

It’s not my father who answers, but my mom. “Husband,” she spits out as though the word tastes bad on her tongue. “More like your pimp. What kind of man lets his wife whore around with his guards?”

There’s this moment where Mikhail tenses and his eyes flick to my mom, but it happens so fast I very well could have imagined it.

Of the three most trusted men on my father’s payroll, Mikhail has probably been there the longest. I’m not sure how long, just that I remember him being around when I was a little girl.

Explains why he’s standing directly beside my parents, why he was one of the men who’d nearly beat me to death, why he’s the asshole who shot my fucking husband.

That same question that had bounced around in my head in the bedroom is back again – why the hell didn’t we stash firearms everywhere in this house? When we get out of here, I’m going to make sure every single room in our house has at least one firearm within arm’s reach.

And wewillget out of this.

I just have to make sure Kato doesn’t bleed out first.

Chapter 46

Kato

Fuck, that burns. The fucker obviously hadn’t shot me to kill me. He was too close to miss. He could have easily put a bullet in my brain.

No. He didn’t want me dead yet. This is all about Everest. I’m sure they plan to kill all four of us, but her pieces of shit parents want to make sure their daughter suffers as much as possible before they take her life.

Not fucking happening.

What’s pissing me off is that no one has come through the front door yet. No Brix. No Madd. No hired guards.

Maybe I shouldn’t be pissed off but instead fucking terrified. Could they all be dead? Had these assholes gotten to my brothers before kicking in the door?

I should have opened fire the second I heard footsteps on the decking, but part of me was worried I would end up shooting my brothers or guards by accident.

One of those ask forgiveness deals. I’m sure Madd or Brix would have forgiven me if I’d hit them.

Now?

Now there’s a chance my hesitation could cost us our lives.

I’d had to ditch my gun the moment Everest came running from the bedroom. The threat of her taking a bullet was more than I could handle.

We really thought we had this whole thing planned out to the finest detail. There are so many weapons in the bedroom, but there’s also a fucker thundering from the room, yanking his mask over his head to reveal an obvious broken nose and a bloody chin.

My girl got in a hit. At least that’s something.

I recognize him and the other fucker, but don’t know their names. Never cared to know.

What I want to know, though, is whether either of these cocksuckers were there the night our child died, and Everest almost lost her life, as well.

There will be time for those questions after I figure out how the hell to get Everest out of this fucking cabana without being filled with holes.

She now carries my name, and I made sure my legal people had her added to every single thing I own. If I die here today, she’ll be okay.

I can’t help but send up a prayer to anyone listening that Maddox and Brixton make it out alive to keep her safe once I’m gone. She’s already lost entirely too much – she can’t lose all three of us in one swoop.

“I get to kill the bitch,” Bloody Face says.

A muscle clenches in my jaw as I glare at him. I might lose my life, but I’ll use my own body as a shield as long as needed untilsomeonegets their fucking ass in here to get her out.

My pistol is at my feet. Right fucking there. What is the chance I can grab it and get off a shot before someone blows out my brains?