Page 92 of Reasons We Break

A silent scream builds in her chest, just as the kitchen door swings open.

“Crazy bitch,” her attacker wheezes. He cocks his gun. Simran backs away from Shane’s body and holds her breath.

Her attacker fires into the pastry display cases on either side of her. Glass explodes. She shields her face, so her forearms sting instead, but doesn’t make a sound. His footsteps echo closer. This is it.

Her hand falls to her hip, where her kirpan is strapped. A curved blade, small as a pocketknife, and as familiar as her own face. She’s had it since she was ten: a symbolic, smaller version of the weapon once used in war. She doesn’t want to use it. Doesn’t even know how. But it’s all she has.

Her attacker is almost around the display case. Simran’s hands tighten around her kirpan. Just two more steps...one...

Thunk.

Everything is quiet except for that calm, violent sound. She can’t see what’s happening, but the boots stop in their tracks.

And then her attacker pitches forward. He lands on his cheek, staring blankly at her. Out cold. She stares at his face as a different set of shoes crunch into the glass beside his head. Simran looks up. Although she cannot discern his features, she would recognize that silhouette anywhere.

Yet, she doesn’t really recognize Rajan in what he does next.

RAJAN GLANCES DOWNat Simran, crouching on the floor, only momentarily. Only to reassure himself she’s alive.

He’d thought the worst, when he leapt out of Nick’s vehicle behind the café. He’d ignored Nick telling him to wait for the reinforcements.

He nearly got shot in the service hallway—bullet went clean through his hoodie. Rajan’s fist, on the other hand, didn’t miss. After the Ace was out cold, Rajan broke into the kitchen and saw Simran’s ledgers scattered on the table, a pen rolling off, and...and...

Simran’s glasses. Wire frame, completely dated, but always so straight on her nose. Now, twisted on the floor. One arm snapped off. The lenses crushed to dust.

Rajan felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. A cool rage swept over him, pushing out all other thought. Although he had a gun courtesy of Nick, he paused to select a heavy marble rolling pin from the rack. Weighed it in his hands. And set out to make whoever was responsible pay.

Well, he found him. Now that he’s determined Simran’s alive, he hauls her attacker up by the jacket and leans him against one of the busted pastry display cases. His head lolls into it, resting against the metal trays. The flickering light from the display illuminates a small wound oozing in his throat. Clearly it hadn’t hit anything vital. Rajan can fix that.

He drops the rolling pin and takes out his gun. He raises it, and points it between the Ace’s eyes.

His finger is curling around the trigger when Simran’s voice cuts through the roaring in his head.

“Don’t.”

She sounds calm somehow. Rajan doesn’t fire, but he doesn’t lower the gun either. “He came foryou.”

She stands slowly. “That’s not a reason to kill somebody.”

“He saw your face.”

“You just knocked him into next week. He’s not going to remember his own face, let alone mine.” Her voice softens. “Rajan. You don’t want to kill somebody right in front of me, do you? Don’t kill him.”

He wishes she’d shut up. She doesn’t.

“Let’s go, Rajan. My truck isn’t far.” He doesn’t move. Until her hand touches his wrist.

Then he looks at her. Her braid’s coming undone. His own cold expression reflects back in her luminous eyes. Good.Look at me, he thinks.See what you’ve been ignoring.

But Simran doesn’t look afraid. “Don’t you hear the sirens?”

And then he does. Faintly, but getting louder by the second. Damn it.

He flicks the safety on and tucks the gun away, ignoring her relieved sigh. “Fine. Stay close.”

He leads them through the dark back to the kitchen, avoiding the glass. She shadows every step, only pausing to pick up her purse. They peer into the service hallway. It’s dark. Empty.

He beckons her to follow, stepping over the Ace he knocked out earlier. They’ve almost reached the exit when gunshots erupt outside again.