the door handle and swung it open. He smiled at the startled looks on their guests’ faces. “Won’t you both come in?”
“What are you doing here?” Oksana demanded.
Susan didn’t figure it was any good trying to hide anything at this point. “He’s pretty much always here. Are the two of you coming in or leaving? It’s late and I’m tired.”
“Coming in, of course,” Oksana said with a sniff as she boldly shoved Kirill out of her way.
KIRILL JUST MANAGED to avoid having his feet stomped to shreds by his sister’s stiletto heels. He heaved a long suffering sigh and wondered what this lovely visit was all about. After the insanity of Orlov’s club and Jacob’s demise—he would not think about that right now—he wasn’t sure Oksana would find a him very receptive audience for her drama.
So perhaps it was fortunate for Oksana that just when she sucked in a breath to give him a piece of her mind, the front window shattered as a bullet ripped through the house. It pinged against the brick of the fireplace facade before embedding itself in the wall. Glass rained down on the carpet near the window. Oksana was screaming at the top of her lungs, but the only thing Kirill could think about was Susan’s safety.
Kirill dove across the room just as the second shot buried itself in the armchair just behind the place where he’d been standing. He caught Susan about the waist and pulled her out of the front room and into the kitchen. The walls here were not exterior, nor were there any windows that faced the front of the house.
“We can’t leave Oksana and Vlad in there alone!” Susan said.
Yet another shot pierced the house. This time Kirill heard the familiar sound of a bullet tearing through live tissue as the shooter hit a target.
“Vlad!” Oksana screamed. “Oh my God, he’s hit! I have to call 911!”
There was moaning, although it could barely be heard beneath Oksana’s frantic shouting. She was on her phone, apparently having forgotten that there was a shooter on the other side of the wall.
“Oksana,” Kirill hissed. “Get down!”
Another shot rent the air and thudded against the floor. What sort of idiot hung around long enough to empty an entire clip at such a leisurely pace? Kirill gave Susan a tight squeeze and placed a hard kiss upon her head.
“Don’t go.” She grabbed his arm. “Please don’t go out there.”
He pulled out his weapon and chambered a round. “If I go out there, I should be able to find the shooter. This could be the only chance I have to avenge Jacob’s death and end this before anyone else gets hurt.”
Susan bit her lower lip. “Please be careful.”
“I will.”
Fortunately for Kirill, Oksana was presenting a fine distraction for the shooter. It became obvious that the individual was toying with her on purpose. She was still screaming into her phone, but now the shots were aimed in a way that made her either fling herself at the floor, or duck behind some random piece of furniture.
Kirill slipped out the back kitchen door and around the side of the house. The narrow space between Susan and her neighbor’s was peppered with garbage cans and stacks of newspapers waiting for recycling. He carefully navigated the virtual obstacle course while keeping his eye on the area where the shots seemed to be coming from.
Squinting from his place under cover at the corner of the building, Kirill tried to decipher where the shooter’s exact position was. The only light illuminating the buildings came from two tall streetlamps. Their dim orange glow didn’t give him much to go on. In the distance, he heard the wail of sirens. Oksana’s call had definitely made an impression. In a short time, the shooter would be forced to retreat, and Kirill would be no closer to getting rid of this problem than before.
Then he saw the flash of light off the muzzle of a long barreled weapon.
Kirill sprang into action immediately. The target was dead ahead on a second
“What are you doing here?” Oksana demanded.
Susan didn’t figure it was any good trying to hide anything at this point. “He’s pretty much always here. Are the two of you coming in or leaving? It’s late and I’m tired.”
“Coming in, of course,” Oksana said with a sniff as she boldly shoved Kirill out of her way.
KIRILL JUST MANAGED to avoid having his feet stomped to shreds by his sister’s stiletto heels. He heaved a long suffering sigh and wondered what this lovely visit was all about. After the insanity of Orlov’s club and Jacob’s demise—he would not think about that right now—he wasn’t sure Oksana would find a him very receptive audience for her drama.
So perhaps it was fortunate for Oksana that just when she sucked in a breath to give him a piece of her mind, the front window shattered as a bullet ripped through the house. It pinged against the brick of the fireplace facade before embedding itself in the wall. Glass rained down on the carpet near the window. Oksana was screaming at the top of her lungs, but the only thing Kirill could think about was Susan’s safety.
Kirill dove across the room just as the second shot buried itself in the armchair just behind the place where he’d been standing. He caught Susan about the waist and pulled her out of the front room and into the kitchen. The walls here were not exterior, nor were there any windows that faced the front of the house.
“We can’t leave Oksana and Vlad in there alone!” Susan said.
Yet another shot pierced the house. This time Kirill heard the familiar sound of a bullet tearing through live tissue as the shooter hit a target.
“Vlad!” Oksana screamed. “Oh my God, he’s hit! I have to call 911!”
There was moaning, although it could barely be heard beneath Oksana’s frantic shouting. She was on her phone, apparently having forgotten that there was a shooter on the other side of the wall.
“Oksana,” Kirill hissed. “Get down!”
Another shot rent the air and thudded against the floor. What sort of idiot hung around long enough to empty an entire clip at such a leisurely pace? Kirill gave Susan a tight squeeze and placed a hard kiss upon her head.
“Don’t go.” She grabbed his arm. “Please don’t go out there.”
He pulled out his weapon and chambered a round. “If I go out there, I should be able to find the shooter. This could be the only chance I have to avenge Jacob’s death and end this before anyone else gets hurt.”
Susan bit her lower lip. “Please be careful.”
“I will.”
Fortunately for Kirill, Oksana was presenting a fine distraction for the shooter. It became obvious that the individual was toying with her on purpose. She was still screaming into her phone, but now the shots were aimed in a way that made her either fling herself at the floor, or duck behind some random piece of furniture.
Kirill slipped out the back kitchen door and around the side of the house. The narrow space between Susan and her neighbor’s was peppered with garbage cans and stacks of newspapers waiting for recycling. He carefully navigated the virtual obstacle course while keeping his eye on the area where the shots seemed to be coming from.
Squinting from his place under cover at the corner of the building, Kirill tried to decipher where the shooter’s exact position was. The only light illuminating the buildings came from two tall streetlamps. Their dim orange glow didn’t give him much to go on. In the distance, he heard the wail of sirens. Oksana’s call had definitely made an impression. In a short time, the shooter would be forced to retreat, and Kirill would be no closer to getting rid of this problem than before.
Then he saw the flash of light off the muzzle of a long barreled weapon.
Kirill sprang into action immediately. The target was dead ahead on a second
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