Page 158 of Stolen Empire

We reach the main room, where two of his men are crouched behind overturned furniture, firing through the broken windows.

One of them turns, his face streaked with sweat and blood.

"They're coming from the south side too," he shouts.

"At least four more."

Dimitri curses, pulling me toward the back of the house.

"Stay behind me. Don't move unless I tell you to."

He shoves me into the corner behind a heavy bookshelf, then positions himself in front of me.

I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hand grips the gun.

He's ready to kill anyone who gets close and I'm trembling from the fear and adrenaline.

I'm not even wearing shoes.

The gunfire intensifies.

I hear shouting from outside, men coordinating their attack, then a crash.

The side door splinters open, and a man bursts through, gun raised.

He scans the room, his eyes locking on me.

Dimitri's attention is on the men shooting at us from the backyard.

The man raises his weapon, and I know I have seconds before he pulls the trigger.

I reach for the pistol in Dimitri's waistband without thinking.

My hands are shaking, but I grip it the way he taught me without thinking and raise it, lining up the sights, and squeeze the trigger.

The shot rings out.

The man staggers backward a few steps, and blood blooms across his chest.

He drops to the floor in convulsions.

I stare at him, the gun still raised and in total shock.

My body is shaking worse than the dead man who had a fit of seizure as he died while the sickening realization that I've shot someone and killed them sinks into me.

Dimitri turns, eyes wide in shock, and pushes me back against the wall.

"Stay down!" he shouts at me, but he doesn't take the gun, and I'm not sure what to do with it.

I killed someone.

I shot him in the fucking chest and he's bleeding out right in front of me and I can't take my eyes off of him.

I drop behind the bookshelf, pressing myself against the wall.

My knees have given out the same way my consciousness has just shrunk.

I can't stop the shaking.