His lips curl up in a cruel grin, then he waves across the crates. “I can’t remember.”
Before I can think things through, my fist slams into his face.
He fucking shoved Aurora into a crate. She’s claustrophobic!
As Kazuo staggers back, I tighten my hold on his shirt, yank him to me and let my fist crash against his jaw.
The blow is so hard it knocks him unconscious. I let go of the fucker, then call out, “Aurora!”
I try to rip a crate open, but it’s impossible without a crowbar.
Blyad'!
“What the fuck?” Armani says as he comes around a crate with Seijo and Takaharu right behind him. He spots Kazuo knocked out on the floor, then mutters, “Christ. Not again.”
Armani spins around just as Seijo and Takaharu jump into action. He kicks Seijo back and slams the flat of his hand against Takaharu’s chest, forcing him to stagger back until he falls on his ass.
“Alek!” I shout. “I need a crowbar.”
Darting forward, I take Takaharu while Armani focuses on Seijo.
“What the hell is going on here?” Instructor Yelena snaps.
All four of us freeze, and Kazuo lets out a groan as he rolls his head from left to right.
“They shoved Aurora into a crate,” I explain.
“So?” Instructor Yelena glares at me. “Let the woman figure things out by herself.”
“She’s fucking claustrophobic.”
“Still. She has to do this on her own,” Instructor Yelena argues.
Alek comes running around a stack of crates with a crowbar. I grab it from him and start to pry open the crate Kazuo was leaning against.
A harrowing scream from Aurora has me working faster, and when I flip the front panel off, it’s to see her collapse against the side.
“Khristos!” Crouching, I push my arms beneath her body and lift her out of the fucking box. My heart is beating a mile a minute as I lay her on the floor, then I check if she’s breathing.
Her breaths are way too shallow and fast.
“Come on,moy malen'kiy olen', open your eyes,” I bite the words out.
Her face is ghostly pale, and when her eyelashes flutter, I snap, “Wake up, Aurora.”
As she comes to, her breaths are incredibly fast, and when her eyes open, they’re dark with panic and fear.
Just like that night.
“Breathe,moy malen'kiy olen'.”
Her whole body shudders, and she starts to sob uncontrollably as she struggles into a sitting position. Her hand claws at her chest, and she shakes her head wildly.
I pull her to me, and once we’re face to face, I let my breath fan over her quivering lips. It worked once, and I’m praying it will work again.
Our eyes lock, hers filled with terror and mine with determination. “Breathe,” I growl the order, willing her to listen.
She sucks in a painful-sounding breath, and it makes me want to kill every single member of the yakuza.