Mika

Fifty-Six Mika

To get rid of the smug smile on his face, I spit a wad of saliva into his eye, earning a cheap slap. Luka leaves me to be spiraling the keys on his finger. Gritting my teeth, I maneuver onto my back and push my body to the wall by using my legs. My hand is scraping against the floor, probably decorating it with my blood.

I huff a breath before using all my squat strength to hoist myself. Apparently, Luka cared more about Ander than I thought. I wonder what sparked their breakup, but that's a discussion for another time. What an unfair challenge. He handcuffed me because he knew he couldn't stand a chance with me free.

I'm flattered, but fuck, this is annoying.

My head snaps to the left as I hear the doors slam shut. They're here. Concern seeps into my skin like rain droplets as I try to break the handcuffs by forcing my hands back and forth, but I'm not superwoman. A scowl pulls at my eyebrows as my eyes narrow in on a small circular hoop spinning on his finger.

Is that what I think it is?

My eyes widen for a split second, and I scream, "Asiel! Watch out! He threw a grenade!"

Luka whirls around, his blazer swaying in the wind from the friction of his spin. Rage glimmers in his irises as he stomps over to me and connects his fist to my cheek. The impact causes me to lose my balance, and I slam my jaw against the floor.

"It's a little too late, sweetheart." A cunning smile tugs at his lips.

His feet leave the line of my vision as I stretch my jaw to ease the slight ache. Asiel burst through the hallway, his eyes wavering with concern as they search for me. We meet for a blazing moment before my vision floods with smokey fire.

One.

Two.

Three.

My eyes crack open, smoke polluting my lungs like the way cars do. Flying bullets come in all directions as familias attack each other. I cough, practically hacking my lungs out as I shift over to my knees to get up. My legs are wobbly, smoke invading my vision like clouds. The explosion has made my head dizzy, making walking almost impossible, along with the constant ringing in my ears.

A combination of Luka's and Asiel's men walks past me, ignoring me. To them, I'm harmless with my resistant hands and walking as if I took twenty shots this morning. My heart hammers. Where's Asiel? I need to find him. He needs to be okay. Or I will bury this town with so much blood.

I walk through half of the building and still no sight of Asiel. My chest constricts as panic floods my lungs instead of oxygen. Where are you, Muñeco? Mateo. Check. Julian. Check. Limon. Check. They're functioning as if a grenade didn't go off minutes earlier and firing bucket loads of ammo.

Warm wetness spills down my jaw from the bloody nose Luka gave me. I can taste the delicious metallic flavor in my mouth. A fort tall enough for a six-foot person of rubble stands in front of me. Using my high-knee boots, I kick the debris to the side and catch a glimpse of a familiar lip with a lip ring.

A sigh of relief escapes me as I kick another bucket load of debris to make room to walk through. I fall to my knees, taking in Asiel's state. My mouth seals shut as a string of curses rings out in my head. Fucking Christ. Dusty ash covers his cheeks. Blood spews out from his nose, ears, and knuckles.

I can't even check if he's breathing because of the handcuffs on my fucking wrist. My eyesight blurs as I lose focus on Asiel, staring at the wooden planks. All I do is hurt him. I should go away and never turn back. But it's so hard when he owns a piece of my heart and soul. How am I supposed to let go?

An unexpected cough startles me. "M-Mika?"

A tear slips out, but I swallow the rest like a sponge when I meet Asiel's gaze. "Muñeco? Oh, thank god! I thought I almost lost you."