Page 71 of Emerald Vices
The first few idiots are slaughtered where they stand, dumbfounded and gawking. Remi’s teeth are as blood-soaked as the bottoms of my shoes by the time we wade through the carnage. The dog leads me to a rickety door down a back hallway and barks as I join him there.
Another kick, and I send the door careening off its hinges.
The crash almost hides the high-pitched scream that emanates from within. When the debris clears, I find myself staring at Natalia.
She’s sitting in a chair, her hands trembling…
As the man standing next to her holds a gun to her head.
He’s wearing a sweat-stained suit and a smile that doesn’t quite cover the worry lines in his forehead. “Back off right fucking now or I blow her brains out.”
I step onto the fallen door, Remi at my heels. He’s growling menacingly. The suit isn’t sure who the bigger threat is: me or the dog.
“Keep that fuckin’ mutt away from me.”
As if he knows he’s just been mentioned, Remi snarls.
“Get that gun away from my woman.” Despite the fact that I barely raise my voice, it carries. “Right fucking now.”
The man must realize he’s in over his head, because he begins to barter. “Let me go or she dies.”
Fucking pathetic.
“If she dies, I’ll make you wish you did, too.”
His eyes dart frantically around the room until they land on a window in the corner. It’s just big enough for a grown man to squeeze through.
“Fine. I won’t hurt her,” the suit says. “But first, put down your gun.”
Natalia’s eyes go wide. I try to make eye contact with her, to reassure her with a look. But I’m not in total control of my face right now.
“Done.”
Bending down, I switch the safety on and set my gun on the floor. The moment I stand, the suit darts towards the window, intent on making a run for it.
In his rush to make a quick getaway, he’s made a grave oversight.
“Remi,” I growl. “Ataka!”
The dog bolts forward and sinks his teeth into the suit’s leg just as he’s trying to squeeze himself through the narrow window.
I barely hear the howl as I run to Natalia and pull her into my arms. She sinks into my chest, her hands over her ears to shield from the agonized screaming.
“It’s okay,” I assure her as I pull her from the room. “I’ve got you.”
Her eyes meet mine. “I knew you’d come.”
28
NATALIA
Remi’s head is resting on my knee, his nervous eyes scanning up to my face again and again. He’s so worried about me that I can almost forget the blood staining his fur and teeth… the sounds he made as he tore into that man…
If I was a little less grateful for the way he saved me back there, I might be more scared of him. As it is, I try to reach out and pet him. But I can’t move my arms thanks to my other, less hairy guard dog.
“Andrey?”
His entire body stiffens, his arms tightening around me like he’s trying to hold me together. “What do you need?”