The store’s front window shatters, and Misha yanks me so hard onto the sidewalk my bag skids into the road. He pulls his gun from behind his back, and my body leaves the ground for a second as he shoves me behind a parked car.
Wildly I glance around me, and seeing Abbie crouching next to Armani, I feel intense relief.
Then the shock hits hard – someone just tried to kill Abbie.
“We have to get out of here,” Misha shouts at the guys.
“Just stay covered,” Alek yells, then he breaks out into a sprint, and dropping to his side, he slides toward the SUV while firing his weapon.
A spray of bullets slams into the parked vehicles, making glass shatter everywhere.
People on the sidewalk scream, and it feels as if time slows down.
“Up!” Misha yanks me to my feet, and I run as fast as I can. Suddenly he jerks to a stop, and I’m tugged behind his body.
The sound of his gun firing is so loud, I cringe and cower against his back.
Armani takes shots as well, then Alek shouts, “Good one, brother.”
“Move,” Misha orders.
I run to the SUV and climb into the back, holding out my hand for Abbie. The moment our fingers touch, I yank her in, and she falls over me with a gasp.
“I’ve got you,” I say as I help her sit on the seat. I wrap my arms around her and cling to my friend, shocked that someone just tried to kill her.
The men pile into the SUV, and within seconds Armani speeds out of the parking spot with screeching tires.
Misha leans over Abbie, who’s stuck between us, and grabs hold of my shoulder. “Did you get hit?”
I quickly shake my head. “I’m fine.” I pull away from Abbie and check her for wounds, letting out a sigh of relief when I don’t find any.
“Are you okay?” I ask Misha, my eyes scanning over every visible inch of him.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“We’re fine too,” Armani says, turning the steering wheel hard to take a corner at high speed. The back of the SUV skids before we’re racing down the street again.
Only when we reach St. Monarch’s does Abbie ask, “What the hell just happened?”
“Someone tried to blow your brains out, sweetheart,” Alek mutters from the passenger seat.
Her features tighten as the shock hits again, and I quickly pull her into a hug. “You’re okay. It’s all that matters.”
When Armani stops the SUV in front of the St. Monarch’s castle, Alek shoves his door open, snapping, “Next time you want to spend your daddy’s money, think twice. You’re such an easy fucking target.”
We all get out of the SUV, and the guys have to stop to hand their weapons to the guards.
Instructor Nikolai comes walking toward us, looking like a thunderstorm waiting to happen. “What the fuck were you thinking leaving the grounds?”
My eyebrows fly up for what feels like the hundredth time today at his strong reaction.
Then my mouth drops open as he grabs hold of Abbie’s arm, checking to see if she’s okay.
Yeah, I’m fine too. Thanks for checking.
When he’s sure she hasn’t been shot, he explodes. “You know there’s a fucking hit out on your life! Are you fucking insane or just plain stupid?”
“Excuse me?” Abbie gasps as she yanks her arm free from his hold. “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?”