Écarté (Lost Birds Book 4)

Part 35 Facility.

"Eyes open sweetness." Tao warned making me force my eyes to peel apart. With each passing car the headlights of on coming traffic stabbed straight at my brain with pain but I knew he was right. I had to keep my eyes open so I wouldn't fall asleep. If I fell asleep they were going to turn right around and head to the hospital instead of the facility. 

"This is it." Tao said slowing enough to pull onto a deserted street.

We went down the street and through a gate that lead to rows and rows of bright orange garage looking buildings. Tao drove slowly. Searching each one for a number and any signs of activity.

"No security." Sab muttered.

"I don't know if that's smart or just overly cocky." Tao agreed.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"If you have something worth a lot then it's usually protected by something or someone. That can draw a lot of unwanted attention. But none of that is happening here. To the point that it's very sketchy and concerning. Either the girls aren't here or your parents have become so confident in this place and what they do that it doesn't matter if they lose a shipment here or there." Aydan explained.

Tao reached over to me and brushed his fingers across the ones holding my arm against me. I gave him what I hoped to be a soft smile in return.

"She's really fucking pale." Tao said for the third time since we'd started our drive.

"I'm fine." I muttered.

"Fine my ass you're one bump away from going into shock if you're not already." Tao ground out.

"It's there." Aydan interrupted pointing to one of the larger looking buildings.

Tao eased the car into park and hopped out of the front seat. Aydan immediately followed. I shifted to do the same but Sab's hand pressed gently at my good arm, halting me.

"Stay." He said.

I slumped back into the seat without protest. I wasn't even sure I could get up to go out there let alone run around to look for people. Sab was just giving me another reason not to try and gratefully accepted it.

"I didn't go home." I said quietly. I needed him to know that I hadn't broken my promise. I didn't willingly go back to my parents.

"I know. Theo was on the line when you crashed." Sab replied. His fingers shifted, rubbing up and down my arm gently as we waited.

After a couple minutes a small slender figure darted out toward the car. It ducked in and plopped down next to Sab in the back seat.

"What the hell were you doing with that boy, alone?" Sab demanded.

"None of your damn business." A small sweet voice shot back. "Besides I thought you liked Asher?"

Sab snorted.

"He's not dead. You're welcome." Sab said. He sounded angry but his fingers continued to softly trace over my arm and I had the nagging suspicion this was some form of friendly banter meant to distract her.

"Yeah well I'm not dead either, so you're double welcome." She shot back, folded her arms, and glared up at Sab.

"Kotenok, mysh. Mysh, kotenok." Sab grumbled.

This time there was a dainty snort.

"You don't introduce a mouse to a cat." She grumbled and then a head popped up next to me.

"Tori right?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Damn girl, you look like shit." She said glancing down at my arm.

I gave her a wary thumbs up. She laughed and sank back behind the seats again.

"I like her. She's funny." She said to Sab.

"Not like you." Sab said.

"I am too funny." She hissed.

Sab snorted in disagreement.

"You are such an ass." She said. I could hear the eye roll and it made me smile despite the pain. Maybe she was kind of funny too.

"Seriously..." She muttered leaning to look out the drivers door. "If they don't hurry up this girls gonna pass out. Her arm looks broke as fuck."

"Again. You're welcome." Sab said.

"Sabbatian motherfucking Petrov if you had something to do with her arm..." She jerked around to yell at him and I jolted as well.

I hissed at the pain my jolt caused and Sab's fingers went back to their gentle stroking against my good arm.

"You'll what?" He pressed.

"I'll cut off your junk." She said of factly. "Nicky is studying medicine. He'll help me if I ask, that way you don't die. You'll just be stuck walk around without your-" She cut herself off abruptly as two large figures jogged toward the car.

"What happened?" She asked sensing the urgency and tension as Aydan and Tao jumped into the car.

"We've got company and the police are too far behind." Tao said.

We had just made it to the road when another car appeared. It was driving toward us. I expected it to keep moving past us like the cars before had but instead it swerved into our lane and sped up even more.

"Bitch please." Tao laughed softly and I could feel the car kick into a higher gear as well.

I closed my eyes. Not because I doubted Tao's skills but because I couldn't stand the light burning through my head.

There was a loud pop, the car jerked, and Tao swore something in Spanish. We were flying for a moment. I couldn't feel anything but my seat belt and then we were slammed sideways. My world flickered to black again and I barely managed to pull myself out of it.

"Tao?!" Aydan demanded.

"Fucking shot..." Tao whispered.

I blinked hard to clear my vision. Tao was slumped over in his seat. Blood coated his shirt but I couldn't see form where and I couldn't move to help him. My eyes shifted to the back seat begging for someone to help Tao. Amanda and Sabbatian were both slumped over and out cold. Sabbatians head was bleeding but I couldn't see any blood on Amanda. Aydan was awake but his focus was on his own wound. It looked slightly smaller than Tao's. There was less blood until he pulled his hand away from his stomach and I could see the dampness of his black shirt shirt.

"Aydan..." I whispered horrified. They'd both been shot.

Aydan looked up at me. His eyes widened just a fraction before the car jerked and I was ripped out of my seat.

"No!" Aydan bellowed and lunged after me.

I was thrown to the ground but managed to flip over just in time to see Stephan level my gun at Aydan and fire twice. One hit Aydan in the leg and the other in the shoulder. Before he could fire a third I struck out with my foot catching Stephan right between the legs. He dropped the gun to cover himself. Without thinking I scooped it up, pointed and fired again and again until there was nothing left in the clip. Stephan slumped and the gun clicked instead of firing but my finger squeezed hoping for more.

Even when the sound of sirens and the horribly painful flashing lights started I didn't dare lower the gun or take my eyes off of Stephan.