Mara pov
He lunged over the seat, grabbing my hair and pulling me down into the footwell.
"Cemal, move!"
The car didn't crash. Cemal slammed his foot on the gas, and the engine roared with more bullets hit the body of the car; ping, ping, ping, but the bulletproof metal held.
I was crushed under Lorenzo's heavy body on the floor of the car. I could feel his heart beating against my shoulder.
"Are you hurt?" he barked. He was checking my arms and my face with rough hands.
"I'm fine! Get off me!" I gasped.
He didn't move. He kept me pinned down as the car swerved through the streets. He looked at the silver bracelet on my wrist, then back at my eyes.
"They missed," he whispered, his face inches from mine. "But if they try again, I'm going to make them taste their own blood."
"Nice performance but am not buying this." I flared, trying to open the car door.
"Seat down there and keep quiet." Lorenzo warned. But I didn't listen I pushed the door open and stepped outside.
"You all can come out now. The performance was amazing just like last time."
Lorenzo pov
The car was still rocking on its springs when Mara jumped out. I reached for her, but my hand hit the empty air of the seat. She was already five feet away, walking toward the men in gray like she was going to scold them for being late.
"Mara! Get back in this car right now!" I yelled, My chest felt like it was in a vice.
She didn't even break her stride. She tossed a look over her shoulder, her eyes full of fire.
"Nice try, Lorenzo! You think I'm stupid? Tell your actors the joke is over. I'm going to my meeting!"
"They aren't actors, Mara! Move!"
She didn't listen. She never did. She stepped right into the path of the lead gunman. I saw him adjust his grip on the rifle. Because she had left the armored door swinging wide open, I had no shield between me and the street. I lunged across the leather to pull her down, but the air suddenly split.
Pop.
It was a dry, sharp sound. For a second, nothing happened. Then, a massive weight slammed into my shoulder. It felt like I'd been hit by a swinging lead pipe. I fell back against the frame of the car, gasping for a breath that wouldn't come. I looked down and saw my white shirt turning red. The blood was thick, soaking through my shirt instantly.
"Lorenzo?" Mara's voice went thin. She stopped. The cocky look on her face washed away, leaving her pale. She looked at the blood, then at me. "Lorenzo, you're..."
"Run, Mara!" I choked out.
She didn't get the chance. The man in gray reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair. He yanked her back so hard her feet scrubbed the ground. She let out a scream, a raw, terrifying sound that made my stomach drop. They tossed her into the back of a black sedan like she was a sack of grain.
The door slammed shut. The tires screamed as they sped off.
"Bro! Bro, talk to me!" Cemal scrambled over the seat, his face white. He pressed his hands hard against my shoulder.
"Let go," I wheezed, pushing his hands away. My fingers were slick with my own blood.
"We have to get to a doctor. You're losing too much," Cemal panted, his eyes darting to the retreating car. "Should I go after them?"
"No," I said, leaning my head back. The world was starting to tilt. " Get the kit."
Cemal didn't argue. He didn't look surprised either. We had been in this life long enough that blood was just part of the uniform. He reached under the passenger seat and pulled out a heavy, black plastic box with "First Aid" scratched off the top. He hopped into the back seat beside me, kicking the door shut.
"She's gone, Lorenzo," Cemal said, his voice tight but steady as he popped the latches on the box. "They took the alley. We can't chase them in this SUV; the tire is clipped and the frame is bent."