Page 112 of The Chaos She Brings

My eyes meet his again.

There’s no Russian lilt. He’s all American.

The relief is immediate.

But then.

A gunshot.

I jolt.

Body trembling with fear once more.

“Shit!” someone hisses. “Tessa, come one. We need to get out of here.”

“Where’s Enzo?” I ask, not moving towards them yet.

One of them makes an impatient noise in the back of theirthroat. “Just grab her. We need to go.”

Oh, no the fuck you don’t.

I take off running. Sprinting towards where I think I heard the shot come from.

I don’t know why, but something tells me to go that way.

Shouts of disapproval call out to me from behind, but I keep going.

“Where is she!?” The loud roar of Enzo is unmistakable as I throw the door to the mansion open.

No one sees me—everyone’s eyes locked on Enzo and Nikolai as they stand with their guns raised at each other.

Enzo is positioned by the large staircase, Nikolai by an open doorway to the left. Their focus is entirely on each other.

The body of one of Nikolai’s friends lies on the ground, a bullet between his eyes. Satisfaction courses through me.

My eyes dart around the room. Nate and Carina stand together, fingers twirling around their knives, twin expressions of sinister thrill.

Nikolai barks out a sinister laugh. “You brought knives to a gunfight. How cute.”

Carina flashes him a saccharine smile. “Don’t worry about us, we can handle ourselves.” To drive the point home, she flicks her wrist and hits one of the guards dead between the eyes before he has time to react.

All hell breaks loose as guns start firing and Carina and Nate start throwing knives like it’s their job.Guess it kind of is.The two of them move in perfect synchrony, as they dodge bullets.

More of Nikolai’s men fall, hit by bullets or knives.

A few of Enzo’s get struck down too.

My body stays locked, frozen in place as I watch the scene unfold.

Eventually only Nikolai remains.

His head swivels around the room, looking for an escape.

He spots me.

His grin is feral as he lifts the gun, his finger tightening on the trigger.

I don’t think.