Page 112 of Sweet Deception

For the first time in a very long time, the icy claws of fear freeze my mind.

As if he can hear my thoughts, Troy’s eyes shift to her. “And you’re the nosy little bitch who was searching for Lucy. Should’ve known you’d be behind this mess.”

Troy’s cruel smile burns like fire in my chest, but I’m conflicted. If I shoot him, his men’s guns will start spitting bullets. It’ll be a shoot-out with mass casualties. No way around it. Been there. And the whole point is to save the lives of these innocent women and girls.

“At least now I get to kill you myself.”

Times seems to slow while my heart cranks into overdrive.

One moment, I see Nika shield Lucy with her body. The next, Troy’s finger tightens on the trigger. When his gun shifts off me toward her, I burst into action, pure instinct pushing my body forward.

The fiery impact of his bullet tears clean through my body.

I jerk sideways, warmth spreading across my side.

As I fall, another shot rings out. I turn.

It’s Finn.

Always reliable Finn.

Troy shot first. Finn’s bullet was justified. Even as I’m falling, this truth registers. I can’t shut off my chaos agent brain. I’ve been programmed for this life, and that mindset persists in the face of death.

Through my darkening vision, I witness Troy exploding back against his stupid SUV and sliding to the ground, a clean hole between his eyes.

Finn and my tactical team make quick work of Troy’s men, and the last thing I see before I close my eyes is Veronika Kotova’s beautiful face.

Like a silent movie, I watch her kneel over me, face contorted by distress, tears falling, mouth open. Though I feel as if I’m underwater, I sense her hands pressing against the wound in my side.

“Stay. Please stay with me, Darren. Don’t… Please.”

I try to focus on her face, her words. Just in case this is it, I want to take in every detail.

The world fades.

Eons later, I peel my heavy eyelids open to a view of speckled ceiling tiles.

A symphony of beeps drags me back into consciousness, each one annoying yet beautiful for announcing that I’m alive.

I’m…still alive.

I blink until my vision clears. As my hearing stops warping, I notice tiny little paws climbing over my legs and walking up toward my chest.

“Hey, hey, hey.”

Nika.

“Piro, come on. I told you he’s hurt. Behave, sweetheart.”

Joy pulses through my stiff, achy body.

When I turn my head, I see her sitting at my bedside.

She nearly jumps out of her seat when she glances over to find me staring.

Before she can recover, I open my dry mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” She draws closer, a hand reaching up to touch my face.