[Dawn]
And then, just as quickly, Andre and the man scramble off me, rolling away in a blur of limbs and panic.
I gasp for air, my lungs burning, my heart hammering in my chest. I can finally breathe.
The air around us crackles with the aftermath of the explosion. The sound is deafening, but it doesn’t matter. I’m still alive.
The two men pause, wide-eyed, their gaze flickering between the chaos and the uncertainty. Then, in unison, they lurch for the table.
The stars blur in my vision as I try to push myself onto my side, the sharp taste of blood rising in my mouth.
There’s a flurry of movement, grunts, slaps, desperate struggling. Finally, the man falls back, toppling over me, his body crashing down like dead weight. His legs land across me, pinning me in place.
I hear him choki
