Page 92 of Queen of Misfortune (Shadows of Redemption)

I grab another gun as well and follow him. I’m not a good Catholic, but I pray that when I see Lucy again, she’ll be alive.

31

LUCIA

Ican't afford to panic. We’ve run into a traffic light, but I think I’m okay. I whip my head around. “Are you okay?”

Elena, Aria, and Maria are rattled, but unharmed. Well, except for Elena, who seems to be having another cramp.

A movement outside the car snags my attention. Through the side rearview mirror, a man strides toward us with a gun in his hand.

"Shh," I command, my gaze never leaving the approaching threat. "Get down."

My fingers fumble beneath the seat as I give a silent prayer for Lou’s gun to be where I left it. My hand wraps around it just as the door flies open. Instinctively, I turn in my seat, the gun pointing at the man, and I fire.

His shoulder jerks back, a pained grunt escaping him as his gun clatters to the ground. I push the door open hard, hitting him and making him stumble back.

I exit the car and hold the gun on him. “Stay back.”

He growls at me as he holds his shoulder. “Bitch!”

“Why are you after us?”

He glances at the gun on the ground.

“Don’t think about it,” I warn.

Aria comes around the SUV and snatches his gun from the ground. She points it at the man. “He won’t fuck with us now.”

I’m beginning to think Aria and I make quite the team tonight.

"Who are you? Where's Donovan?"

He chuckles, a sick sound that makes me want to shoot it off his face. "I’m not afraid of a woman." He spits out the words in a Russian accent. I think back to Donovan saying they were aligning with the Bratva. Did something go wrong?

"That’s because you’re an idiot.” My finger itches against the trigger, but I don’t fire as I think he could be the key to finding out where Niko and Donovan are.

“Don’t need to be smart to know women are pussies.”

“Womenhavepussies. A real man would know the difference. Clearly, you’ve never had one or you’d know that.” I aim my gun lower to his groin. “Maybe I’ll make sure you never have one.”

Instinctively, his hand covers his dick, as if that would stop a bullet. “You don’t scare me.”

“I should. I killed my own mother just the other day. And your buddy Lou? Well, as you can see, he failed. He’s dead in the foyer.”

He glares at me, but I see a flash of reality hitting his brain.

“Where’s Don Leone?” Maybe using Niko’s status will instill the gravity of the situation into him.

He shrugs.

"Wrong answer." I step closer, raising the gun to head level.

Aria moves closer to me, holding the gun steady on our Russian attacker. “Lucy, Elena needs?—”

“Check this asshole’s car for something to tie him up.” I can’t waste any more time. Elena needs a hospital.

Aria nods and dashes away. She returns moments later, zip-ties in hand.