Aleksei shoves open the back door of the store, and the moment we step into the alley, gunfire cracks through the air.
“What is happening, Alek?” I demand, trying not to scream. There were already people shouting around us, running away to take cover.
“Stop asking questions, Claire.” His tone is hard, cold. And he has this serious look on his face that I have never seen before. “Shut your f*****g mouth and follow me. Quietly.”
My chest tightens. I know better than to push. I bite my tongue and keep close as he scans left and right.
A gunshot explodes behind us. The bullet whizzes past my arm, shattering the windshield of the car ahead. Aleksei turns around and opens fire.
I scream, the sound swallowed by the ringing in my ears. I’m halfway to crouching, hands flying up to cover my ear
