Page 152 of Blood in the Water

I grinned. “Looks like you’re wrong, Max.”

His narrowed his eyes as he realized what she wore around her neck. Even I had to admit the necklace was beautiful as it caught in the lights still circling above the now-quiet dance floor.

“You made an assumption earlier that I was here alone,” I stood, wiping a trail of blood from my nose. “But you’re wrong. I’ve made friends.”

“Grand to see ya, Leona,” the Irish woman said with a grin.

“Hey, Fallon. Thanks for coming.”

“Aye, of course. Thanks for the necklace.” Her fingers trailed down the heavy diamonds. “Oh, just so ya know, my whole crew are outside with the Russians, and we’ve got some lovely Italian hostages.”

Max’s breath hitched slightly as fear soaked through his entire body. He straightened and tried to maintain some semblance of control like I’d seen him do countless times sincewe were kids, but we both knew it was over. “Byrne. I thought a cockroach like you might show up. How?—”

“You’re not getting out of here alive, Max,” I interrupted before Fallon’s men went apeshit. “You made your choice, and now you have to deal with the consequences.”

“No, Leona,” he said as he stepped backward. “If you think I walked in here without contingencies in place, you’ve far underestimated me. And if I’m not leaving here alive, neither are you.”

Obi reacted first as Max pulled a little remote from his pocket. With arm outstretched to me, Obi shouted, but it was already too late.

An explosion ripped through the club, and a flash of heat immediately followed.

Wood and metal tore through the air. The world went sideways as I flew backward. My head smacked on something, and the metallic taste of blood filled the back of my mouth.

Screams and shouts echoed. I thought I heard my name, but nothing registered.

My vision went in and out of focus as time simultaneously crawled and skipped ahead. How long had I been lying here?

Where was Obi? Wynn? Ryuji?

I blinked, trying to get my bearings, but smoke choked me. Too much smoke.

Fire.

I had to get out of here.

“Leona!” Ryuji’s voice. Nearby. Fuck. I had to get to him. We had to get out of here before it was too late.

“Here,” I croaked, but everything hurt. My head. My throat. Something felt wrong with my leg, but I couldn’t understand what.

Ryuji’s beautiful face materialized in front of me. “Oh God, there you are. I found her!”

I groaned in pain as he looped my arm over his shoulders and pulled me to my feet.

“Fuck. We have to get outside. The others are looking for you,” he said, but my head swam. I couldn’t get my feet to walk.

A crack, so loud I thought the heavens themselves were splitting, tore through the devastated shell of the club. Ryuji and I both looked up, and I gaped.

“Is that?—”

The building came crashing down. Ryuji wrapped his arms around me, and the world tilted.

Everything went black.

To be continued…