Page 88 of Sinner's Sacrifice

“Holy shit,” Brian whispered. “He just killed two people.” Brian looked at Nika with wide eyes.

“They did attack him first,” she said way too calmly. “Besides, those two guys aren’t dead. Yet.”

“No one survives a point blank head shot,” Brian said as if he were arguing for the prosecution at Baz’s double homicide trial.

Things kept getting weirder and weirder.

Sam narrowed her eyes at Nika. “They look pretty dead to me.”

“Then you need to look again,” Nika said as she watched the screen with focused intent. “Because they’re still breathing.”

Sam and Brian both turned to stare at the monitor.

Damn, she was right. They were still breathing.

“What the hell?” Sam muttered.

“Guns?” one of the newcomers demanded of Baz. “That’s a dishonorable way to fight.”

“What the fuck does honor have anything to do with anything?” Baz asked, his gun pointed at the speaker.

“You came here to kill all of us with what you thought was enough people to accomplish the job,” his mother said. “You miscalculated.”

“We still have more people than you.”

“My son is correct,” she sneered. “You’re only whining because you’re losing despite having more combatants.”

“Your...” the speaker glanced from her to Baz and back again. “Son? Bazyli the Insane?”

Yvgeny snickered. “The Insane. Someone gave you a title, cousin.”

“I prefer asshole,” Baz said to Yvgeny, then he turned to the enemy speaker. “Tell me why I shouldn’t tear your head from your body right now?” he asked the newcomer. “You got a name?”

“Robert, from one of the English families,” Baz’s mother supplied. “There can be only one reason for his arrival. He’s here for Samantha.” She studied the Englishman. “Who told you?”

At her name, Sam’s gut twisted into a knot. “For me?” Sam asked softly. “How did I get so popular all of a sudden?”

Robert didn’t answer, but his gaze skipped between Yvgeny, Baz, and Yvgeny’s aunt.

“Here’s the thing, Bob,” Baz said, sounding unconcerned. “If you don’t give us a reason to keep you alive, we’re going to kill every fucking one of you.” Baz smiled, and it was the scariest expression Sam had ever seen on another human being.

Her body screamed at her to run, but there was nowhere to go.

“You sleep with him?” she asked Nika.

“When I sleep...” Nika gave her a half-grin. “I sleep very well, thank you.”

Oookay.

“Your boyfriend is no better,” Brian said to Sam. “He’s kind of crazy. I mean, he hired me, and I’m supposed to be looking for something to charge him with.”

“Supposed to be looking?” Sam asked.

Brian sighed. “I thought Yvgeny would be a hedonistic leech on society. A man with no morals. A criminal.” The young man shook his head. “So far, he’s the best boss I’ve ever worked for, and that includes the FBI.”

Several of the attackers suddenly moved again. And again, they were oddly fast, but there was an element of desperation in the fight now. It was the difference between watching a long-distance run and a sprint.

The attackers weren’t holding anything back. It was do or die.