Scar crosses the room in three strides. His hand fists in my hair and yanks me up from the chair. Pain explodes across my scalp as he drags me to my feet.
"Let me go!" I scream.
His palm connects with my cheek. The slap sends my head snapping to the side. Stars burst across my vision. Blood fills my mouth where my teeth cut into the inside of my cheek.
But I'm not the same woman who walked into this building.
I'm Bruno Sartori's wife.
And I'm carrying his child.
My knee comes up hard between Scar's legs.
The impact is solid. Perfect. His grip on my hair loosens as he doubles over, a strangled sound escaping his throat.
I run.
My bare feet slap against the cold concrete. The door is ahead. Freedom is ahead. Bruno is ahead.
Three steps. Four. Five.
My foot catches on something. A pipe. A crack in the floor. I don't know. I don't care.
I fall.
The concrete rushes up to meet me. I hit the ground hard, my shoulder taking most of the impact. Pain shoots down my arm.
I try to scramble up.
Too slow.
Scar's shadow falls over me.
I roll onto my back and see him standing above me. His face is red. Veins bulge in his neck. His leg is already drawing back.
He's aiming for my stomach.
For my baby.
"NO!"
The scream tears from my throat as I twist my body. I curl around my belly, protecting the life inside me with everything I have.
The kick lands on my back.
The force of it drives the air from my lungs. I can't breathe. Can't think. Can't do anything except lie there, gasping like a fish pulled from water.
Above me, I hear gunfire. Distant. Getting closer.
I hear the sound of metal sliding against leather. A knife being drawn.
I try to move. Try to crawl away. But my body won't cooperate. The kick to my back has done something. Damaged something. Every movement sends lightning bolts of agony through my spine.
Scar grabs my shoulder.
I feel the cold bite of steel against my back.
Then fire.