Chapter 187: You want to test my skills?

The needles had been hidden beneath the waistband of her silk pajama pants since before she’d gone to sleep. Small. Easy to conceal. And ready.

Simon reached for her shoulder. Sienna moved. Fast. Her hand snapped up. The needle disappeared into the exposed skin just below his jaw. Simon’s eyes widened.

"What..." Sienna pulled it free and immediately turned.

The guard on her right barely had time to react before she struck him in the side of the neck. He froze.

His grip loosened. Sienna twisted free. The second guard lunged for her. She ducked. His hand closed around nothing.

Sienna drove her elbow into his ribs and shoved backward, putting distance between herself and the men.

Simon staggered. His hand went to his neck.

"What did you..." His legs suddenly gave way. He dropped to one knee. The guard beside him collapsed almost at the same time. The other guard stared at them in confusion.

"What the hell is happening?" Sienna didn’t wait for him to figure it out.

She stepped back. Her knees still hurt. Her cheek still burned. But she was standing now. Aliya’s smile disappeared. "What did you do?" Sienna looked at her.

For the first time that night, Aliya looked uncertain. Sienna wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Funny enough, I know how the body works. You want to test my skills?"

The remaining guard charged. Sienna stepped aside.

He grabbed for her arm, but she caught his wrist and drove the heel of her palm into his throat. He stumbled back, choking. That gave her exactly what she needed.

Space.

Aliya took a step toward her. She looked confused now.

The men around her were no longer moving the way they had before. Simon was down on one knee, one guard was struggling to breathe, and Sienna was standing where she had been held only moments ago.

"What did you do?" Aliya asked. Sienna didn’t answer. She was already moving. Aliya was close enough.

Sienna reached for her before the woman could step back, catching her wrist and twisting hard. Aliya cried out. Sienna drove her shoulder into Aliya’s chest and forced her backward.

"Get off me!" Aliya tried to fight her.

Sienna caught the small opening and pressed one of the needles against the side of Aliya’s neck.

"Stay still." Aliya froze. Not because of some magical pressure point. Because she could feel the sharp point against her skin. Sienna pulled her backward, putting Aliya between herself and the guards.

"Nobody move." The remaining guards stopped. One still had his gun raised. Sienna’s eyes went straight to it.

"Lower it." The man hesitated.

"Now." He didn’t lower the weapon. Instead, his eyes flicked toward Aliya.

"Boss?" Aliya’s breathing was fast.

"Don’t..." Her voice shook. "Don’t shoot." Sienna tightened her hold on her.

"Good." Behind them, Simon tried to push himself upright. Sienna glanced over.

That was enough. He lunged. Sienna shoved Aliya sideways and stepped out of the way. Simon missed her completely and crashed into one of the guards.

"Get her!" Elena screamed. Everything happened at once. The guard raised his gun. Another reached for Sienna.

Don Capri shouted something she couldn’t make out. Then the first shot rang out.

Bang! Sienna dropped immediately. The bullet struck the stone behind her.

She crawled behind the nearest parked vehicle as another shot tore through the night.

"She’s behind the car!" Sienna pressed herself against the cold metal. Her breath came fast. She looked toward the house. Too far. The driveway was exposed.

There was nowhere to run without crossing open ground. Another shot cracked through the air. Sienna flinched as the sound echoed against the walls.

She looked around desperately.

The car was her only cover, but it wouldn’t protect her for long if they moved around either side. Footsteps approached. Slowly. Carefully. Someone was coming toward her.

Sienna reached beneath the waistband of her pajamas. Her fingers closed around the last needle. She tightened her grip. If they came close enough, she would have one chance.

Then she heard another sound. An engine. Fast. Getting closer. Everyone in the courtyard seemed to notice it at the same time.

The approaching footsteps stopped. Sienna lifted her head slightly above the edge of the car. Headlights appeared beyond the gate.

Aliya turned toward them. Don Capri went completely still. And for the first time since they’d dragged Sienna out of the house, nobody seemed interested in shooting her anymore.

They were all staring at the approaching vehicle.

Viktor burst through the chaos, blood streaked across his shirt, his jaw, his knuckles, some of it his, some of it clearly not. Marcus stumbled in just behind him, equally battered, both of them looking like they’d walked straight out of a war zone and into this one.

"How dare you point a gun at my wife?" Viktor’s voice was low. Too low. Sienna looked up.

He stood near the entrance to the courtyard, a machine gun gripped tightly in both hands. His chest rose and fell heavily, his eyes moving from one armed guard to the next.

The four guards hesitated, and they slowly turned his weapon toward Viktor.

That was all it took. Viktor fired. The burst tore through the night. The guard dropped before he could pull the trigger. The second guard swung his weapon toward Viktor.

Another burst. He fell beside the first. Silence crashed down over the courtyard. Sienna stared at Viktor. For a moment, she couldn’t move. She searched his face. His shoulders. His arms. His chest.

Looking for blood. Looking for anything that might tell her he had been hurt. There was a small cut near his temple and dirt across one side of his shirt, but he was standing.

He was alive. Relief hit her so suddenly that her throat tightened. She had been holding herself together all this time through the fear.

The pain. The threats. The uncertainty. She had told herself she could handle it. But seeing Viktor standing there changed everything.

Her eyes burned. Viktor saw the marks on her face. His expression changed. He took a step toward her. "Who touched you?"

Sienna opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Viktor looked around the courtyard again. "Who touched my wife?" His voice rose.