Kissing the Killer(46)

I couldn’t let that happen.

I quickly moved toward the stairs and peered down. I couldn’t see any of the fighters, but the sound of gunfire was rattling up the stairwell. I slowly moved down, keeping myself low and light as I peered over the bannister.

I quickly took in the situation. The women were arrayed along the first floor, firing out the windows. The downstairs was riddled with bullet holes and destruction, and shrapnel and bits of wood and glass flew around the space.

The women looked like they knew what they were doing. They were competent and not panicking as they returned fire. There were other women moving around the space, handing out ammunition and dealing with any minor injuries that popped up.

I slipped down the steps and pressed myself against an inner wall as I moved toward the back of the fighters. Nobody bothered to look up as I made my way toward the back of the house. There were fewer women back there returning fire, since the brunt of the attack was coming from the front.

“Brooks.”

I looked over and saw Kasia sitting in an easy chair, a bandage on her head and shoulder. I made my way over to her, keeping low.

“Got hit?”

She nodded. “Just a shoulder wound. Can’t fight though.”

“Let me see.” I moved her bandage and took a look at the wound. It went straight through her, which was good, but she wasn’t going to be using that arm anytime soon. I pressed the bandage back down.

“You’re okay,” I said.

“I know.” She frowned at me. “I need you to do something for me, Brooks.”

“I’m not fighting,” I said. “I’m not showing my face to those guys out there. They know me.”

“Not that. I need you to get the girls out.”

I frowned. “Why me?”

“We can cover your retreat. You’re the only person here with the skills to pull this off.”

“Send one of your fighters. I’m getting Emma and we’re getting the fuck out of here.”

“Brooks.” She grabbed my arm, her face serious and intense. “We’re going to get overrun soon. Once that happens, I can’t protect everyone. I think the fighters can get away, but the girls upstairs? They’ll be killed or captured and put back into slavery. You can stop that.”

“How? If you haven’t noticed, you’re surrounded.”

“They’re weak in the back,” she said. “We’ll concentrate our fighters there, get you some space.”

“Then what? Run around the woods?”

“There’s a van hidden deep in the forest toward the road. There’s a path that’ll take you right to it.”

“How do you know they haven’t found that already?”

“If they have, we’re all dead. You have to try.”

“Fuck,” I said, looking around.

This was not what I wanted. I didn’t want to be responsible for these women. I was a fucking hit man, a killer. I wasn’t the type of person who saved the lives of innocents.

But then again, I was. I’d saved Emma and I was working to keep her alive. Maybe it would be easier to sneak through the lines with just the two of us and find that van, but would that be the right thing?

“Guns,” I said. “And a vest, if you can spare one.”

“No vests. But here, take mine.” She nudged a rifle toward me. I grabbed it, checked the clip, chambered a round, and then slung it over my shoulder. She handed me extra ammunition, which I shoved into my pockets.

“The key to their doors?” I asked her.

She made a face. “Their doors aren’t locked, Brooks. Only yours. We didn’t trust you.”

“Can’t say I blame you.”

“Please, Brooks, save the girls.”

I stared at her, torn. Maybe I could get Emma, sneak away with just her. We could probably make it in all this chaos.

“Okay,” I said. “Fuck, okay. I’ll try.”

“Good. I’ll give the orders. Go.”

I stood. “Don’t die, Kasia. You’re going to owe me big for this.”

She grinned at me. “I’m tough to kill. Now get moving, killer.”

I turned away and went back through the house, staying low. Kasia began to shout orders as I moved back up the stairs, dodging bullets and broken wood as I went.

What the fuck was I thinking? My only responsibility was for Emma. She was the only person I cared about, the only one I wanted to survive all this. Now, though, I’d decided to take on a bunch of strung-out junkie girls.

There was no way this would work. We were going to get mowed down. There were just too many of us.

When I got to the top of the stairs, I stopped, surprised by what I saw.