“I want you to wear it.” I press another kiss to her mouth then nudge her toward the entrance. I follow her inside and make sure it’s safe before I say, “I’ll see you after work.”
Stepping outside again, I walk to the side and, taking out my phone, I dial Alexei’s number.
“Da,” he barks.
“They’re close.”
“I’ve just finished Viggo. It will take me an hour and a half to get to you.”
At least there’s one cousin less to worry about.
“Hailey’s wearing the tracker. Activate it. I’ll call you every thirty minutes. If you don’t hear from me, get to her.”
“Carson,” Alexei growls. “Take your fucking girl and get to the safe house.”
I walk back into the bar. “We’re leaving. Just activate the fucking tracker.”
This is the moment I’ve been dreading. I can’t put it off any longer. Hailey has to know so I can protect her better.
“Done. I have eyes on you,” Alexei says after he activated the device Hailey’s wearing.
“Thirty minutes,” I remind him.
“Got it. Be careful.”
We end the call, and I walk to the counter, telling Lars, “Get Hailey for me.”
“Hailey,” he calls into the storage room. “Carson’s looking for you.”
She comes out carrying a crate of glasses. “Forget something?”
Shaking my head, I walk to her, and I take the crate from her hands. I set it down on the counter. “We need to go.”
“Where? I’m working.”
I drag her out of the bar and tighten my hold on her hand.
“Carson, I have work to do.”
Fuck.
“Just trust me. I’ll tell you what’s going on as soon as we’re safe.”
Confusion laces her words as she asks, “Safe? What are you talking about?”
She pulls against my hold at the same time a man I haven’t seen before comes out of a side street to our left.
“Move behind me,” I say as I slow my pace a little.
“What? Why?” she asks, not noticing we’re in shit.
Another man comes from our right.
“Behind me, Hailey.” I yank her so she’ll move, and then I let go of her hand. Still holding the phone in my hand, I press dial on Alexei’s number.
The moment I lift the device to my ear, they come at us. I drop the phone, knowing Alexei will still be able to hear what happens.
More men start to crawl out of the fucking shadows.
“Carson,” Hailey whimpers.
“Stay behind me.”
When the first guy is within reaching distance, I move forward. I thwart the swing he takes at me and grab hold of his arm. Slamming down on his elbow, I break his arm, and then I lunge at the next guy.
Instinct takes over, and I just keep moving from man to man.
A palm to the nose, shoving the bone back into the brain.
A kick to the chest while I turn to elbow another in the throat.
Wrapping my arm around a neck and snapping it like a twig.
The dance of death.
This is who I am. My feet find a rhythm, my hands the deadly weapons they were always meant to be.
“Carson!” Hailey screams, fear staining her always bubbly voice.
My eyes snap to her, and I come to a sudden stop.
“Admir,” I call out, so Alexei will hear if he’s still on the line. “The fucker has a gun to Hailey’s head.”
“The fucking phone,” Admir shouts, and one of the men crushes the device under the heel of his boot.
I know what’s coming, and I can’t do shit because they will not hesitate to shoot Hailey. I have to let them take me. I have to play their game to give Alexei time to get to us.
All that matters is keeping Hailey alive for as long as I can.
Christ, they’re going to hurt her.
Hurry, Alexei.
She lets out a terrifying cry, and then there’s a blow to the back of my head.
HAILEY
I can’t process anything. Shock pricks at my skin like thorns, and it makes time warp.
One second, Carson’s dragging me out of the bar, and the next, we’re attacked by a group of men, and he turns into some badass ninja.
The barrel of the gun digs into my temple, and as a man comes up behind Carson, I let out a cry, unable to form any words to warn him.
The man slams a gun against Carson’s head, and he drops to his knees before slumping to the ground.
God. Oh, God.
What’s going on? Who are these men? Why are they attacking us?
My mind speeds up until my thoughts turn into a messy blur.
Headlights from a car fall over us, and fear sinks cold and desperate into my bones.
“Move,” the man Carson called Admir orders, and he shoves me hard.
My feet stumble toward Carson, but then I’m yanked away from his unconscious body and shoved toward the car.
No.
I swing around, but before I can try to punch Admir, he trains the gun right between my eyes. He nods his head toward Carson. “I will fucking kill him. Right now. You, I can still use.”