Bloodlust

On the Run

— VENICE —

As the gravity of our fate weighed on me, I squirmed in the man's grip. His hard shoulder felt like I was laying on a pointy boulder and a dull ache sprouted in my side.

He only tightened his hold on my legs in response.

Since I was dangling upside down, my face was hot and puffy from all the blood pouring in from my lower body. That itchy, faint feeling I got from giving blood began to creep in across my skin.

The other suited men were guiding Liam down the tarmac and we followed a few paces behind. I fought to stay coherent and keep my breathing steady.

I didn't know how to get us out of this situation, but I knew we couldn't get on a plane. A plane meant they were taking us far away, which significantly reduced our chances of escape.

A hissing noise reached my ears. I thought it was maybe a leaky hose or something nearby and didn't think anything of it.

But then the man carrying me cursed. I was thrown to the tarmac. The force of the fall knocked the wind from my lungs.

I gasped for air like a dying fish until I finally recovered. Forcing myself upright, I dazedly took in the situation unfolding around me.

Liam was currently sparring with the man who'd been carrying me. His movements were so swift that they appeared as a blur. He was very obviously much faster than the man he was fighting.

One of the other men lay spread-eagled across the ground as blood gushed from a crater in his neck. The other one was getting up and looked a bit shaken with blood smeared across his face.

Then I realized I was just sitting there watching him do all the work. Scrambling to my knees, I crawled over to the dead man to search for something to free my hands.

I realized quickly that frisking him was impossible with my hands tied behind my back. Gritting my teeth, I tested the strength of the twine again and felt more flexibility this time.

I worked my throbbing wrists, pulling and twisting over and over. The material became looser and then one hand popped free.

A shocked breath rushed out of me as I brought my freed hands forward. They were coated in blood.

The slickness must have allowed the material to slide over my skin more easily. Pitching to the side, I vomited all over the corpse.

The grunting and cursing of nearby voices rushed my jerky movements. I wiped my mouth and stole a glance back at Liam and saw he was now fighting off both men.

I needed to hurry or his valiant attempts to save our asses would go to waste.

My bloody fingers frantically groped at the corpse's pockets until they found purchase on something hard and cold.

A pistol.

I wrestled it off the dead guy and then fumbled to hold onto the heavy weapon with my slippery hands. I'd never shot a gun before but I knew the basic mechanics.

Just aim and pull the trigger, right?

I pivoted around on my knees to face the brawl and shrieked. One of the men was leaning down toward me. His eyes fell on the gun in my hand and he went pale.