Devilish Game (Shadow Guild: The Rebel 4)

Well, shit.

I couldn’t kill him, though. It would put a target on my back. Worse, it would put a target on Carrow’s. It was one thing to wreak havoc on a rival’s turf . . . it was entirely another to kill the rival. The network didn’t stand for that.

“Come on.” I grabbed her hand and we ran for it. We just had to make it to the outside of the building. If we could get onto the main gaming floor, which was only ten meters away, Anton’s guards would be less likely to use magic against us. They wouldn't want to scare the humans who were spilling their money into Anton’s pockets.

Carrow and I raced out into the main part of the casino, joining the throng that milled around the tables. Guards moved away from the walls, converging on us.

I caught sight of Mac behind the bar at the same time Carrow did. Her face had returned to normal, and she gestured for us to head her way.

“Come on.” Carrow pulled me toward her, and we darted between the tables.

As we ran, Carrow yanked a cell phone from her bag and frantically dialed a number. She raised the phone to her ear and spoke quickly. “Eve, the kidnappers are going for someone else at the Witches’ Guild. You have to tell them.”

A guard neared us, and I let go of Carrow’s hand, putting myself between her and the bastard. His brow twisted with anger as he raised a fist, but I was faster, punching him hard in the face. He reeled backward, collapsing on a spinning Roulette table. The people standing around the thing shouted and jeered, but we kept moving.

Two more guards tried to intercept us, but we laid them out with punches.

Finally, we reached the bar.

“This way!” Mac led us through a door into a service hallway that was far more austere than the casino itself. “There’s an exit this way.”

She raced down the hall, and we sprinted after her. Guards spilled into the hall behind us, and Carrow turned around, taking off her Fae silver bracelet and hurling it at them. The jewelry clattered to the ground in front of them, exploding in a blast of silver smoke that slammed into my back.

I nearly stumbled, but the guards were thrown backward. Smoke filled the hall behind us, temporarily covering our retreat.

We reached the door a moment later, and Mac threw herself against it, pressing on the bar to open it.

The thing stayed shut.

“Shit!” She pushed harder. “It was open when I came.”

Damn it. “They’ve locked the place down.” I turned, searching the hall that stretched down to our left.

A figure appeared, tall and familiar.

That bastard Atticus. I recognized him from my network contacts. He advertised his work as a form of security. I knew who to go to if I ever wanted something ‘liberated’ from a vault.

His gaze moved to Carrow. “You really weren’t here for the poker.”

“No, do you know a way out of here?”

He raised a brow. “I do, but you’ve interrupted my job with this little alarm situation.”

His job? Clearly the bastard was up to something.

“A thousand apologies,” Carrow said. “We’re trying to save some people’s lives, so you’re going to need to get over it and help us.”

Atticus gave a wry grin. “This way.”

I didn’t want to trust the bastard, but Carrow grabbed my arm and yanked me forward. We sprinted after him, following him into an even smaller service hall and an empty office. A window was propped open with a magical charm that glowed bright green.

“Quick,” Atticus said. “The charm is about to give out. The casino’s security is weakening it.”

“Thank you.” Carrow hurried to the window and scrambled out.

Mac gave Atticus a quick up and down as she passed. “I’m Macbeth O’Connell. You’re ever in London, stop by the Haunted Hound.”

Atticus smiled. “I just might.”