Page 80 of A Murder of Crows

They have a few minutes’ head start. That’s all.

As long as we follow the right trail.

Chapter forty-two Caterina

Awareness returns in a blinding, ripping bolt of pain.

I surge upright, the scream locked in my throat as the agony in my shoulder twists violently.

“That’s better.”

My head swivels to the side as I retch, rolling over. The stink of egg and sulfur lingers in my nose.

Smoke. So much smoke.

And I couldn’t get out.

Except the floor beneath me is not marble but cool, packed mud, my fingers digging into it, leaving marks embedded in the ground. Gasping, I lay my cheek against the earth.

The kick hits me somewhere around the left side of my ribcage. My scream is raw as somethingcracks, my body flipping over and rolling to a slumped stop.

Panting, I try to pull myself upright, try to reach for my knives—

“Looking for these?”

I blink, staring upwards as my daggers dangle in front of me. “I was.”

Thanks to the smoke, on top of the still healing marks from my recent strangulation attempts, not much comes out.

The man crouches down, and fingers grip my chin. “Hello, Corvo bitch.”

Grimacing, I try to pull away, but he holds me easily. “Leo.”

Giovanni’s enforcer smiles, a twisted, triumphant smirk, eyes glittering with jubilation. And something… darker. “Surprise.”

“Not really,” I force out. “A little obvious, to be honest.”

The blow rocks my head to the side, my ears ringing as pain rips through my cheek, drawing a choked groan from my throat. I reach up, my fingers smearing in wet liquid that drips down my face.

Leo holds up his hand, wiggling his fingers. “I brought it especially for you.”

The brass knuckle duster gleams in the light from the stars ahead as he stands. Pushing myself up onto my knees, I bite back the moan at the pain in my ribs.

A circle of Fuscos surrounds me. Every face is staring down at me with revulsion.

There will be no mercy here.

Gathering up the bloody phlegm in my mouth, I spit it onto the ground at Leo’s feet. “Stealing ideas from the Crows, Leo? Awfully unimaginative. The circle isourthing.”

His face twists into fury. “You dare. Dare to make fuckingjokes, while Rosa’s body isn’t even cold yet. Where is she?”

When I stay silent, he grabs my head, twisting it. “See that? That’s where you’re going, Crow. Tell us where she is, and I’ll shoot you before I put you in.”

My pulse begins to race, my heart jumping in painful leaps as I look at the site of my execution.

The wooden box is small. Enough that I know I won’t fit properly. They’ll have to force my legs up, twist them. Break them, maybe. The hole next to it is obvious enough.

Sweat beads up along my hairline, sliding down to mix with the blood on my face. “Probably not my preferred option, truth be told.”