Page 77 of Blood, Bones, and the Bratva Bogeyman

Another car rammed us broadside.

Their doors finally fling open and black-masked figures spill out, their weapons flashing.

“Ambush,” I rasp.

My chest buzzes with panic and rage that isn’t mine.

Konstantin’s flooding through the bond in a tidal wave. He knows. Hefeelsme.

“Cress, move!” Lucetta yanks me out the damaged door and into the rain.

When did it start raining?

My boots skid on the wet pavement, and Sunniva staggers out behind us, blood streaking her temple even as she mouths curses while dazed.

Gunfire cracks around us as our guards try to hold them back, but her men aren’t falling.

Why aren’t they falling?

One of our guards go down with a wet choke and another fires wildly into the dark before a bat catches his skull and drops him like trash.

“Back!” Lucetta snarls, shoving Sunni and me toward the alley.

Her knife flashes, catching one of the attackers across the throat. He gurgles as blood sprays and he falls, but three more move in and take his place.

We don’t even make it ten steps before a van screeches into the mouth of the alley, blocking our escape. Its door slides open and more masked men pour out, armed and damn efficient at wiping out our security detail.

“Shit,” Sunni mutters, swaying. “This is bad.”

No bloody kidding.

Hands grab my arms, and I snarl, twisting away from them, but there are too many. They shove me hard against the van, their knee grinding into my spine. Another set grabs Sunniva. She fights like a fucking wildcat, nails raking, teeth snapping, but she’s woozy with blood dripping down her cheek.

“Let her go,” I scream.

“Stay down,” Lucetta roars at me, but she’s drowning in bodies.

Six men pile onto her, trying to pin her arms. She slashes and guts two of them before one clubs her across the head. She drops to her knees, shaking her head as blood slicks her hair.

Her eyes latch onto mine, fear unlike anything I’ve ever seen from her filling them. “Baby,” she mouths at me.

I go still as her word registers.

Oh, goddess.

The baby.

How the hell did I forget?

Terror tightens my windpipe until I can barely pull a breath in.

Panic tears through me and the bond shrieks as Konstantin’s fury hits so hard it steals my breath.

Lisichka.

His voice shoves into my head, broken and savage.

He’s coming and I know it.