Page 224 of Pretty Ruthless Monsters: Complete Series

QUINN

More bullets slam into the concrete behind us, leaving no doubt that we’re still only a few seconds ahead of the Dark Lotus Syndicate members’ guards.

I duck lower, sloshing through raw fucking sewage while Nico and Atlas drag me forward.

My chest is on fire and my shirt is soaked with my own blood, making it cling to my skin every time I try to breathe.

Behind us, Killian fires twice. “Keep fucking moving!”

His shout bounces off the walls, nearly drowned out by the gunshots and footsteps gaining on us.

I don’t know how we aren’t dead yet. We should be bleeding out on Malcolm’s floor right now. The fact that we made it this far is pure dumb fucking luck.

A bullet whizzes past my head and I instinctively jerk away. Atlas yanks me around a corner, making my side scream where Elliot stuck his knife in me. But fuck the pain. I’ve handled worse. Right now, I just need to stay on my feet.

“Left,” Nico says through gritted teeth, his fingers digging into my arm as we splash through the shallow water. “There’s gotta be a way out somewhere?—”

My boot slips on something, and my knee gives out. For a second, I’m sure I’m going down, but Atlas doesn’t let me fall. The sudden movement sends a spike of pain through my torso where Imogen and Elliot stabbed me, but I push that shit aside like I always do. I can deal with it later.

Right now, we run or we die.

The tunnels branch off in every direction, which is the only thing keeping us alive right now. At least we’ve got options, unlike that death trap of a hallway in the bowels of Noctura.

“Another right,” Nico whispers, pulling me toward a smaller tunnel. Every step sends pain shooting through my body, but the sound of shouting behind us is more than enough to keep me moving.

“Wait.” Killian’s voice drops low as he gestures to a dark offshoot tunnel ahead. “In there. Now.”

We duck into the tunnel just as voices seem to echo from all around us. My heart is pounding so hard I swear they’ll hear it, but I don’t dare say a word as we press ourselves tight against the slimy concrete walls.

“Don’t move,” Atlas breathes against my ear.

His arm is still around my waist helping hold me up, and I’m not even a little bit ashamed that I’m using his strength to my full advantage, leaning into him as much as I can.

The wound Imogen gave me isn’t serious—relatively speaking, anyway—but the one from Elliot has taken a lot out of me, and I’m losing more blood with each passing minute.

Still, I know I have to stay quiet in spite of the pain that’s making each breath feel like I’m being stabbed all over again.

“They couldn’t have gotten far,” a voice carries down the main tunnel. “Split up and find them.”

“Fuck that,” another voice answers. “You want to chase them through this shit? Let them bleed out down here.”

Nico’s hand finds mine in the darkness, squeezing once. A reminder to stay still. As if I need it. My only hope right now is that maybe if I hold perfectly still, the pain will stop trying to tear me apart.

Footsteps splash through the water, getting closer. I feel all three men tense around me, ready to fight if we’re found. The steps pause right at the junction of our tunnel, and my fingers dig into Nico’s hand.

“There’s nothing this way,” the guard calls out after what feels like forever. “Check the north tunnels.”

We wait in silence as the footsteps fade away, none of us willing to move until we’re sure they’re gone. Finally, Killian lets out a breath.

“Fucking amateur hour,” he mutters. “They should have checked every tunnel.”

“Don’t complain about their fuck-up,” Atlas snorts. “It’s the only reason we’re still breathing.”

The shakes hit me out of nowhere, making my whole body tremble like I’m coming down from the world’s worst high. My teeth start chattering so hard I have to clench my jaw to keep them quiet.

“Fuck,” Atlas mutters, pulling me tighter against his chest. “She’s going into shock.”

That’s probably right. Everything feels distant and fuzzy, like I’m watching this shit happen to someone else. The icy water around my feet isn’t helping, and neither is all the blood I’ve lost.

“Mia cara.” Nico’s face appears in front of mine, his mismatched eyes searching my face. “Tell us what you’re feeling. Now.”

I try to focus, but it’s like trying to think through mud. “Cold,” I manage. “Really fucking cold. And…” I swallow hard as my stomach rolls. “I think I’m gonna puke.”

“Your adrenaline is crashing,” Killian says from somewhere to my left. “Plus the blood loss and this fucking freezing water.”

“We need to get her out of here.” Atlas’s voice rumbles against my back. “She’s not gonna last much longer if we don’t get her somewhere dry and warm.”

“Not to mention we need to treat those stab wounds sooner rather than later,” Killian adds.

The edges of my vision are starting to go dark, and I can’t stop shaking, but I’m not ready to die in a fucking sewer. Not after everything we just survived.

“Killian is right,” Nico says, his voice tight. He’s still holding my hand, and I focus on that touch to stay conscious. “Those stab wounds aren’t fucking around. We need to get you somewhere that has medical supplies.”

“No hospitals,” I manage to get out. “Malcolm will have people watching.”

“No shit.” Atlas adjusts his grip on me, trying to keep me upright. “But we need to get you somewhere before you lose too much blood.”

Killian moves closer, his bulk blocking what little light filters in from the main tunnel. “I know someone. An old army medic. He keeps his mouth shut if you pay him enough.”

“How far?” Atlas asks.

“Other side of the city.”

“Fuck.” Nico’s grip tightens on my hand. “That’s not gonna work, it’s too far away. But we’re still gonna have to move through the sewers for a while. Malcolm will have eyes everywhere above ground near Noctura.”

They’re right. Going up too soon would be suicide, plain and simple. But the thought of staying down here makes my stomach turn again.

“The main tunnel has been quiet,” Atlas says. “Do you think they gave up searching this section?”

“For now.” Killian says. “But they’ll be back. Probably with more men.”

“We need to move.” Nico drops my hand, and I hear him checking his gun. “Killian, can you carry her? She’s not gonna make it far on her own.”

“Yeah. Hey, siren?” Killian’s breath is warm against my ear. “I’m gonna pick you up. Try not to pass out.”

“Fuck off,” I mutter, trying to push away from the wall. “I can walk.” But my legs are about as steady as a drunk freshman at last call, and I stumble on my first step.

Killian doesn’t say a word, just scoops me up like I weigh nothing. I try to protest again, but he cuts me off.

“Let me do this for you. You’ve lost enough blood to fill a fucking bathtub.”

He’s right, and we both know it. So I give in, letting my head rest against his broad, muscular chest as we move back into the main tunnel.

Atlas takes point, his gun ready, while Nico covers our rear. The sound of water splashing under their boots echoes off the concrete walls as we make our way deeper into the maze of tunnels.

“When we get out of here,” Killian murmurs, his voice so low only I can hear it, “I’m gonna clean those wounds properly. Then you’re getting the hottest bath you’ve ever had.”

I try to focus on his words instead of the burning pain. “That’s promising… a lot.”

“And I always deliver.” His arms tighten around me as he steps over something. “We’ll get a bottle of whiskey too. The good stuff, not that cheap shit you drink.”

“Fuck you,” I manage, but there’s no heat in it.

“You’re getting mouthy already? Good. That’s a good sign. Now stay awake and keep arguing with me.” His chest rumbles against my cheek as he talks. “I’m gonna wrap you up in the softest blankets I can find. We’ll let you rest while we take care of everything.”

Maybe that should sound patronizing, but it doesn’t. Maybe because I know he means every word, or maybe because I’m too tired to care. Either way, I let his voice anchor me as we make our way through the darkness.

Between the endless twisting, turning tunnels and the almost rhythmic splashing of boots through the water, I’ve lost track of how long we’ve been down here.

I’m grateful for Killian’s voice, since that’s the only thing keeping me from drifting off completely.

Finally, Atlas signals a stop and points up at a manhole cover.

“This should be far enough,” he says quietly.

Nico goes up first, his movements nearly silent in spite of his size. When the cover scrapes aside, dim light filters down. Killian sets me on my feet, and I grab the rusty ladder rungs.

“Are you good?” Atlas asks.

“Do I have any other choice?”

My first pull upward feels like someone is shoving Elliot’s knife back into my side.

My right arm is basically useless, and I’m trying not to freak out too much over the fact that my muscles are refusing to work right.

The only thing I can do right now is grit my teeth and force myself up anyway, one rung at a time.

“Easy,” Killian murmurs from below. He and Atlas bracket me on either side as I climb, ready to catch me if I slip.

Halfway up, my grip starts to fail. But Nico is already reaching down, his strong, steady hands wrapping around my wrists.

“I’ve got you, mia cara,” he says, helping me the rest of the way. “You’re almost there.”

When I finally crawl out onto the street, everything is spinning. Nico steadies me, his mismatched eyes searching my face as he helps me to my feet.

“You’re the toughest fucking woman I’ve ever met,” he says roughly. “You know that?”

I try to smirk, but it probably looks more like a grimace. “You’re just figuring that out now?”

“No.” His hand cups my face, and he brushes his thumb along my cheek. “I’ve known it since the first time I laid eyes on you. Even before that time in your basement when you threatened to shoot me with my own gun.”