SERPENTI (The Royals Book 2)

by Brooke Sivendra

  Abi stumbled, unable to keep up any longer. Despite her best attempts to block out the pain, she couldn’t. “Go! Get out of here!” she said to Rachel.

  Reed came to a halt and pushed them up against the wall of the tunnel. He turned and fired as two figures emerged behind them. The bodies fell, but not before they fired back.

  Abi would’ve sighed in relief, but she could hear more footsteps, and it didn’t sound like one or two people.

  It sounded like an army.

  James

  “Samuel, they’re not here!” James exclaimed as he came to a stop.

  His shoulder was bleeding from a knife wound and he’d narrowly avoided a bullet to the back of his head. One of his guys had pushed him aside a second before the trigger had been pulled.

  He pulled out his phone again, checking the GPS.

  “Fuck,” he swore under his breath. It had been a while since he’d been in a situation that had escalated so fast. In a matter of seconds, everything had shifted and their entire plan had blown up along with the front of the building. It had been a smart move by their enemies because it had created pandemonium and forced everyone to the back of the restaurant. It had also blocked more of James’s men from entering.

  “They should be there!” Samuel insisted.

  James turned in a circle, pivoting on his feet. His weapon raised, his finger on the trigger.

  “The GPS is off, maybe it’s the tunnels. They’re not here,” James said, knowing he’d have to do this blind—without Samuel’s help.

  “Let me try and amplify Reed’s tracker. Give me a second,” Samuel said, but as James heard stomping footsteps—those that could only belong to running men—he knew he didn’t have a second. James pressed his back flush against the tunnel wall. He held steady, poised. He knew from the sound of the footsteps they weren’t his men. His men didn’t run heavy like that, they were quieter—they’d been trained to run like ghosts. Men who ran with these heavy footsteps were soldiers, men who had been trained on battlefields.

  Three, two, one.

  James fired, taking down men as they ran around the curve of the tunnel. One by one they fell, but there were too many of them, and they fired back. Luckily for James, their aim was off—these guys weren’t used to shooting on the run—and James pulled a grenade from his back pocket and launched it. He ran backward, shielding his head with his arms as the explosion lit up the tunnel. He paused for a few seconds and then looked up. No one emerged from the blast. No one moved.

  “James. I can’t be sure, but if the signal is correct, Reed is farther down the tunnel. It doesn’t look like he’s moving.”

  James didn’t like the sound of that and his stomach churned. They should be running—they should be out of the tunnels by now.

  “Copy,” James said, sprinting forward.

  He kept his flashlight aimed at the ground and used the tunnel wall to guide him. He felt like he was running into a black abyss.

  “Reed!” James shouted.

  Reed responded, but his voice came through as a series of fragmented sentences broken up by static. James couldn’t make out a word he was saying. They’d tested the earpieces in the tunnel earlier and they’d worked, and the GPS signals had worked too. If James had known they were going to have these issues he’d never have chosen this location. Tunnels were great until you were trapped in one end of them with no way out. He could only assume the breakdown of communication had something to do with the explosion at the front of the building.

  More static followed. “Abi . . . Rachel . . .” were the only two words James could make out.

  He pushed his legs harder, sprinting forward. As long as he was heading in the right direction, and they were still in the tunnel, he’d have to run into them sooner or later.

  James hurdled almost a second too late, and just clipped the edge of the fallen body. He stumbled, barely catching himself. He swung around, weapon raised. He pointed his flashlight on the two bodies heaped against the tunnel wall. Bullets to the chest.

  A flicker of hope burned in his chest.

  These weren’t his men, and chances were Reed had taken them out.

  His new recruit was deadly—with his hands and his weapon—which was the only reason James had entrusted him with this mission. Normally, he’d never promote a new recruit so fast, but there was something about Reed that frightened even James a little. He had supernatural instincts, and he moved faster than anyone James had ever seen—and he’d trained and assessed a lot of men in his time.

  Lethal: that was the one word James used to describe him.

  “. . . Lamberi . . .” James’s heart skipped a beat. He missed the full sentence, but there was no mistaking that name.

  James surged ahead, his heart pounding in his chest.

  He would not let Lamberi take Abi.

  He would not allow it.

  Abi

  Abi recognized him before she heard Reed say his name.

  Their eyes met, and even in the darkness of the tunnel, Abi saw a gleam of arrogance in them. Lamberi thought he had them cornered, and he might be right, but Abi was not going without a fight.

  Abi grabbed Rachel and stepped in front of her, shielding her—but as she did, she had taken her eyes off Lamberi for a moment, and in that single moment, a team of men had appeared around him, protecting him.

  A cunning grin spread across his lips, but it faltered when Abi drew her weapon and started firing. She didn’t think about it, and she didn’t hesitate. Those years of training were paying off. And when you’re facing death—or worse—courage has a way of finding its way to the surface.

  She heard an awful crack behind her—the sound of something breaking, likely someone’s neck. The distraction caused her to lose focus for a second, and bullets started chipping the ground around her.

  “Rachel!” Abi screamed, reaching for her, making sure she was still shielded, because even amid the chaos Abi knew one thing—Lamberi wanted her alive.

  She heard Reed hiss, like he’d been shot. Determination rose like an overflowing dam in a storm, but her breath stuck in her throat when she realized her weapon was empty. She reached for the second pistol James had given her but it was gone. She must’ve dropped it. The walls of the tunnel seemed to shift and the blood in her veins went cold.

  No!

  She was not giving in.

  Rachel screamed behind her and her hand was ripped from Abi’s. Abi spun around, her need to protect her friend stronger than any other thought in her mind.

  But Reed lunged through the air and delivered a blow to the temple of the man dragging Rachel. He fell to the ground but Reed delivered a second blow—making sure he didn’t get up. Abi wondered why Reed didn’t just shoot him, and then a sickening realization settled in.

  Reed was out of ammunition too.

  Abi swung around as Lamberi’s men lunged for her. She had her pistol in her hand. It didn’t have any bullets, but her arm flung, mirroring Reed’s a moment ago and hit the temple of the man closest to her. He fell, but another was right behind him, pointing a pistol at Abi’s forehead.

  “Lower your weapons,” Lamberi growled.

  Abi couldn’t move. She was frozen in place.

  “Lower your weapons,” he repeated, less patient.

  Slowly, her arm lowered—and then she realized he’d said weapons.

  Abi didn’t need to look behind her to realize he was talking to Reed as well.

  Her heart stammered violently against her ribs.

  “Run,” Abi whispered to Rachel. “Run!” she urged in a hushed whisper.

  But Rachel didn’t move. Instead, Abi felt something slide into her back pocket. Something hard, something metal.

  Abi met the gaze of the man pointing his pistol to her head.

  She would play his game—for now. Besides, she thought darkly, she couldn’t reach the other weapon if she didn’t lower the empty one in her hand.

  She heard movement behind her and knew Reed h
ad lowered his weapon and put it on the ground. She prayed Rachel had passed him a second weapon.

  “Get out of here,” Abi whispered again when she didn’t hear Rachel move.

  “Can’t,” she said, and it was only then Abi realized there must be men behind them too. They were cornered in the tunnel.

  Where was James Thomas?

  The silence in the tunnel was deafening and unease clung to her skin like cobwebs.

  “You should never have run from me, Abigail,” Lamberi said, drawing her attention back to him. The sound of his voice gave her chills—it was as cold as his soul. The corner of his lips turned up. “I do like a fighter, though.”

  Abi’s stomach churned violently. “You chose the wrong fighter to come after.” She all but spat the words at him.

  He raised an eyebrow. “You did this to yourself the night you killed my brother.”

  Abi blinked, her mind refusing to communicate with her mouth. No quick reply came. Nothing came at all.

  His brother? She didn’t even know he’d had a brother.

  The night on the side of the highway to Santina, Abi realized.

  She felt cold to her bones. Maybe the colonel hadn’t been killed because he was close to Asher—maybe he’d been killed because he’d helped Abi.

  She wanted to be sick, but somehow she managed to keep it together.

  “I didn’t kill your brother,” Abi said shakily.

  “You did. I saw you do it,” he said, his voice menacing.

  He took a step forward. Abi didn’t move; she couldn’t. How could he have seen her? He wasn’t there.

  A cunning smile spread across his lips and he looked terrifying. There was something abnormal in his eyes. He didn’t look human in that moment. He looked possessed.

  “Don’t worry. I’m going to tell—”

  His voice was drowned out by an explosion behind him, and then the gunfire that followed was so deafening every bang seemed to echo in Abi’s head. She could barely see straight, let alone think straight.

  And Lamberi used that to his advantage.

  He lunged for her, and she didn’t move fast enough.

  He grabbed her arms and pulled her into his arms. Her back was flush against his chest and she was cold with fear.

  “You’re my queen now, beautiful,” he said, his lips on her neck.

  Abi looked to Reed, who was fighting off the group of men behind him. His eyes kept darting to her, never losing sight of her. But he couldn’t fight ten men and rescue her at the same time. Lamberi’s hand pressed flat against her stomach, just above her pelvic bone and his touch made her reel.

  She was not going without a fight.

  Never.

  She drew a deep breath, which seemed impossible to do while in Lamberi’s arms. He turned, ready to drag her away, and that’s when she saw the war going on behind her.

  There were bodies lining the ground and Lamberi’s men were using them as shields. There was an invisible line in the tunnel, and then she saw the Thomas Security men—dressed in full SWAT gear—moving fast and without pause. Abi couldn’t make out any strategy but they must’ve had one because there were far fewer of their men on the ground.

  Lamberi was inching backward, and Abi couldn’t see where Reed was. Was he still alive?

  Abi steeled herself, knowing she’d only have one chance.

  One chance to kill Lamberi.

  She pushed everything from her mind: the gunfire, the fear, the sick feeling swirling in her stomach.

  She focused on her anger—and only that.

  It lit a fire inside her and then she moved fast. Lamberi’s grip had loosened a little, not much, but enough to catch him by surprise.

  She jolted her arms, slamming her elbow into his stomach as her heel came up, slamming between his legs. It wasn’t enough to knock him to the floor, but his grip loosened again.

  She sprinted forward, needing to put enough distance between them that she could pull her pistol and shoot.

  But Lamberi wasn’t giving up. His hands caught the edge of her shirt and he reeled her back in.

  Abi delivered an elbow to his chin and he lost his grip once again. She couldn’t think straight—all she could think to do was run. Her legs burned as she ran past Reed. She didn’t see Rachel among the chaos but if Lamberi was chasing her, he couldn’t take Rachel.

  She heard footsteps behind her and knew they were Lamberi’s. She didn’t know how close he was, but she felt like he was going to reach out and grab her at any second.

  She saw an intersection in the tunnel and turned sharply. Lamberi skidded behind her, but his footsteps continued to hunt hers. She hadn’t thought this through, she realized, because this tunnel was like a black hole and she couldn’t see a thing. All she could sense was his breathing behind her.

  More footsteps seemed to be following, but she thought the darkness was playing tricks on her mind. A tiny light on the tunnel wall indicated another turn and she took it, then found herself immediately hating the decision. She was running farther into the maze with no idea how to get out.

  Her T-shirt tightened as she was pulled backward, and she knew it was over.

  “No!” she screamed as his hand wrapped around her waist, drawing her in. He slammed her against the tunnel wall and the back of her head bounced against the rock.

  “I’m going to have so much fun with you,” he whispered, his lips on her neck. She gagged, and it only seemed to please him. He pressed his body flat against hers, pinning her to the tunnel wall. Abi didn’t know if he was getting off on it, or using the maneuver simply as a method to restrain her.

  “Queen Abigail,” he said, breathless. “It has a nice ring to it. I can’t wait to see Asher’s face when I send him photos of us.”

  Acrid bile rose in her throat and, as he pressed his hips against hers, the gun in her back pocket dug into her hip.

  “Please don’t do this,” she said, changing the tone of her voice. He liked a fighter, and every time she fought, it only seemed to encourage him.

  He laughed against her neck. “That won’t work on me, sweetie,” he said, his lips moving up her soft skin. His face was in the curve of her neck and she mustered every ounce of energy she had to raise her knee into his groin and slam her shoulder into his face. Unprepared, he faltered, recoiling in pain.

  She twisted as she reached for her back pocket.

  Lamberi pulled her back in with a snarl, but he was a second too late.

  Her pistol was aimed at his stomach and she pulled the trigger.

  Blood sprayed over her chest and she froze. Her mind wasn’t working properly, but she knew there was too much blood.

  Lamberi gurgled and swayed on his feet. “You bitch!” he growled.

  Abi fired again, terrified he was going to somehow recover. In the faint flow of the small lights on the tunnel wall, he didn’t look human. He looked like a monster—like the devil.

  When he fell to his knees, an arm reached around, pulling her back. She screamed and fought, thrashing wildly.

  “It’s me, it’s James! I’ve got you,” he said and she surrendered, her legs giving way. James caught her, dragging her backward.

  James spoke again, his voice now impossibly calm. “You’re okay,” he whispered again.

  “I’m bleeding,” she whispered, noting her wet shirt. She couldn’t feel any pain, and that worried her more than anything.

  “What?” James asked, his calm voice replaced by a frantic, higher note. He grabbed his light, running it over her. “Where does it hurt?”

  Abi shook her head, beginning to feel lightheaded. “The blood, it’s everywhere.”

  “It’s not your blood, Abi,” he said quickly.

  Her vision blurred and the walls of darkness seemed to shift. She didn’t know if she was having a panic attack or bleeding to death.

  “Look at me! Look at me!” James said. “It’s not your blood.”

  A figure came hurdling over the bodies and James swung around,
raising the weapon he’d taken from Abi’s hand.

  He faltered, and Abi realized he’d seen him the moment she had.

  “I’m out of ammunition,” Reed said quickly, and James threw him two pistols.

  “Let’s go!” James said, keeping hold of Abi’s arm.

  “Where’s Rachel?” Abi asked in a panic. Why wasn’t she with Reed?

  “She’s out of the tunnels; she’s safe,” he said, and Abi breathed a sigh of relief. “I had a little trouble finding you,” he continued, and it sounded like an apology.

  James had Abi’s arm and they ran. She was through the next corner of the tunnel when she realized her ankle wasn’t aching. She could barely feel anything. She felt like she was floating. She remembered the blood, which no one except her seemed that worried about.

  “Move to exit six,” James commanded beside her as they ran.

  She had no idea what he was talking about but he didn’t seem to be talking to her anyway.

  They ran for what seemed like forever. Slowly the tunnel grew quiet and the only sounds were their footsteps.

  “Slow down,” James commanded, and Abi sighed with relief. Reed seemed to be completely unaffected by the run.

  They slowed to a walk, but James ran ahead. He opened a door that Abi was sure she would’ve missed if she’d been alone. Men filtered out and by the organization and lack of gunfire she knew they were Thomas Security men.

  They encircled Abi and helped her through the door and into the daylight. The sun had begun to set, but after being in the pitch-dark tunnels, it was like staring into a spotlight. Abi squinted, casting her eyes down. She’d lost all sense of time completely. It had seemed like the middle of the night in the tunnel and she wondered how long they’d been in there.

  They were ushered into cars and it was only once they were moving that James looked over her. His gaze dropped to her chest and she was scared to look.