Perfect Ruin (Unyielding #2)(72)

“Kai. Now,” Deck growled.

“Give me a weapon, Kai.”

Vic yanked a gun from beneath his vest, handed it to her, ignored me, and then moved past Deck to the door into the living room.

“You know how to use it?” I asked her.

She looked at me and I wrapped both her hands around the gun. “Cock it here. Aim and pull the trigger.”

I didn’t think it was possible after what she’d been through, but the corners of her mouth curved upwards. “I didn’t think you knew how to handle a gun?”

Unbelievable. The last time I’d seen her, she looked defeated, her eyes dead and blank. But now, she was fighting. And from her attack on me, she’d planned on taking out whoever entered her cell next—Brice. “Baby, I can handle any—”

“Let’s do this,” Deck interrupted.

I nodded as I turned away from her and pulled out a knife. Vic gave an abrupt nod to Deck and me, then turned the door handle and kicked it open with his foot. Three men who had been approaching the door, stopped then aimed.

I grabbed London’s hand and dove left while Vic and Deck went right, shooting at the men. I threw a knife and it hit one guy in the chest. He went down hard. Deck ran back toward us and Vic took off toward the kitchen where Tyler was.

“Vic, incoming,” Deck said in the headset. “Five seconds. Front entrance is compromised. We’re headed your way.”

I couldn’t hear his reply, but Deck shook his head and pointed to the front door. “Josh counts five live. But they’re staying clear of the windows. Josh compromised.”

“Take her,” I said to Deck.

Even though I’d given them the layout, I knew this house blindfolded. I’d made sure I did. I had to take the lead and I didn’t want London near me.

“You good?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Okay, let’s get the f*ck out of here. Give me ten seconds.” Without waiting for a response, I dove across the hallway and bullets pierced through the air as Deck returned fire covering me.

I caught a glimpse of a guy with his attention on Deck, firing. I crept around the room, went up behind him and sliced my knife across his throat.

He crumpled to the floor.

I put my back to the wall then peered around the corner into the foyer. There was a guy standing at the front door blocking our escape route.

I heard more gunshots back toward the kitchen where Vic and Tyler were.

I stepped out into view and whipped my knife at the guy. He shouted, but it came out gurgled as my blade pierced his chest. His eyes widened and blood dribbled from his mouth before his eyes went dead and his body crashed to the floor.

I ran over, grabbed my weapon and made my way back to Deck and London. My head snapped to the right over my shoulder when something caught my eye through the east window.

I turned at the same time as a body flew through the glass and slammed into me.

The hard impact sent us both crashing onto the glass coffee table. I raised my knife to stab him in the back when I felt the agonizing pain in my shoulder as he jammed his fist into me so hard that I felt it dislocate.

I gritted my teeth and shoved at him as hard as I could. We rolled and struggled on the floor, the knife knocked from my grip with the arm useless.

I raised my left elbow and slammed it into his face. He fell to the side of me and I heard the crack of bone.

I reached for my knife in my boot at the same time as his kicked me backwards into the bookcase. It came crashing down and I was stunned for a second as hundreds of books toppled over me.

It was seconds I didn’t have with him hovered over me, a gun at my temple.

I shoved a few books off then raised my brows at him. “If it isn’t their little pet, Connor.”

The gun cocked.

“Connor. No,” Deck shouted.

There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes at the sound of Deck’s voice, but years of being drugged and conditioned in Vault’s hands wouldn’t stop him.

But Vic’s bullets did.

Connor went down as one hit his upper thigh and another in the shoulder. I shoved the rest of the books and shelf off me then grabbed my knife in my boot and went for Connor.

Deck was on me, his gun pressed into my neck. “No.”

“He’s not Connor anymore. You just saw that. End it.”

Connor groaned and moved to get up. Vic came up behind him and grabbed Connor’s arms, hauling him to his feet. Deck nodded to Vic, who put his hand on the back of Connor’s neck and then within seconds, he went limp and collapsed against Vic.

Deck turned to me, his eyes murderous. “You try to kill him once, just once, and our fragile truce is finished.”

I shook my head. “He’s not your friend anymore.”

“Yeah, well neither are you and yet, I’ve let you live.”

I snorted.

He took the unconscious Connor from Vic and threw him over his shoulder. “Josh. Coming out the front,” he said.

I grabbed London’s hand, bent to pick up my knife, and followed.

Tyler had the SUV pulled up to the porch. Deck placed Connor into the hatchback and I heard the click of handcuffs. At least he had the common sense to know his friend was dangerous and no longer his friend. The three of us piled into the backseat and we took off, stopping for a second so Josh could hop in the front.