Page 124 of Snow

“Good girl.”

That did it. Nova moved before she could think herself out of it.

Her first kick landed hard against the outside of Brett’s thigh, catching him completely off guard and forcing him sideways. Before he could reset his balance, she drove a punch toward his face and felt the impact against his jaw. Surprise flashed across his features, quickly replaced by fury as he swung the pipe toward her head.

Nova ducked, feeling the rush of air as it passed above her.

“What the fuck?”

“Like I said,” she breathed, backing away before he could grab her, “people underestimate me.”

This time Brett came at her prepared. He faked a move with the pipe, and when Nova moved to avoid it, his free hand caught her across the cheek. Pain exploded along the side of her face, and she staggered backward, leaving her just off balance enough that she failed to avoid his next swing. She twisted away, but the sharp edge of the pipe sliced across her upper arm.

Nova cried out. Heat immediately spread beneath her skin, followed by the wet slide of blood down her arm.

For half a second, she stared at it.

Then Brett smiled.

Something about that smile pissed her off more than the pain did.

She drove her foot into his stomach, using every bit of anger and fear she had behind it. Brett doubled forward, and Nova followed with her knee, catching him hard enough under the chin to snap his head back. He stumbled, recovered, and swung the pipe again, forcing her farther toward the stairwell.

Her arm throbbed, her cheek felt swollen already, and each breath burned from the smoke that continued building around them. She was tired, hurt, and scared enough that her hands were beginning to shake.

But Snow was still lying behind Brett.

Brett charged her again, apparently deciding brute force was going to finish what the pipe hadn’t. Nova waited until he was almost on top of her before pivoting out of his path and driving her heel hard into the center of his chest.

The kick landed better than she could have hoped.

Brett staggered backward, arms flailing as he tried to catch himself. His hand brushed the stair railing but failed to close around it, and Nova watched his expression change from anger to sudden alarm just before his foot missed the top step.

He went down hard. His body struck the stairs once, then again, the pipe clanging away from him as he tumbled to the landing below.

Nova didn’t wait to see if he stayed there. She ran to Snow and dropped beside him, her hands shaking as she touched his face.

“Gabe, come on. Open your eyes.”

Nothing.

She pressed her fingers to his neck and nearly collapsed with relief when she found a strong pulse. His breathing was steady too, but when she gently touched the blood at the side of his head, he didn’t so much as flinch.

“Oh, God.”

Another violent vibration moved through the platform, reminding Nova that Brett wasn’t the only thing trying to kill them.

They needed to leave, but there was no way she was getting Snow down those stairs by herself while he was unconscious. He outweighed her by far too much.

Then she remembered his gun.

“Sorry,” she whispered as she searched beneath his shirt. “I’m borrowing this.”

Her fingers closed around the pistol, and she pulled it free. She had fired guns before, enough to know how to handle one without accidentally shooting herself or someone standing beside her, but she was hardly what anyone would call a marksman. The weapon felt heavier now than it ever had at a range because this time there wasn’t a paper target waiting at the other end.

She found the safety and switched it off.

A metallic scrape came from the stairs, and Nova’s head snapped up.