Page 100 of Exacting Vengeance

Taking a deep breath, she gripped her right fist with her left hand, then twisted hard to the left, cranking her elbow up, then down and into his ribs.

Yuri grunted and pitched forward, his chin butting her head, but he still didn’t release her.

The words Kyle had said that day came back to her.

Inflict enough pain that he lets you go…react with overwhelming force…don’t stop until your assailant is on the ground, or releases you.

She twisted to the right, this time racking her elbow into the left side of his ribcage, harder this time.

Again, he grunted, tacking on a muffled curse but didn’t let go. His arm was still wrapped around her body.

But not as tightly as before.

Balling her hand again, she shouted her rage and slammed her fist backward into his groin with everything she had. The second his arm fell away, she ran for the car, racing around to the other side and taking cover behind the front passenger door.

“Put the gun down!” Kyle shouted, just as she peeked over the hood of the car. “Do it now, Yuri! Put it down!”

From her position behind him, she couldn’t see Yuri’s face. His chest heaved, and his posture was slightly hunched over as he held his groin with one hand, the gun against his thigh with the other.

Twenty feet away, Kyle aimed his gun at Yuri. Behind Kyle, Deke and Jack also aimed in, along with three uniformed officers.

Yuri straightened and tapped the gun against his thigh.

“Put the gun down,” Kyle repeated.

She caught the subtle shake of Yuri’s head as he tapped it harder against his leg. Victoria gasped, instantly understanding what Yuri was about to do. It wasn’t exactly sympathy she felt for him in that moment, but he didn’t have a chance of getting out of this without going back to prison or getting shot. He had to know that. The psychological implications of the moment weren’t lost on her.

He does know it.

Victoria couldn’t watch, couldn’t listen. She sat on the ground next to the car’s tire, then squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears. Gunshots rang out, too many to count. Then they stopped.

Yuri Petrov had just committed death by cop.

She’d learned about this form of suicide early on in her psych training, but never in a million years could she have dreamed it would play a role in her life.

There was no need to open her eyes and no need to look.

Yuri was gone.

Unexpected sadness swept through her, along with a guilty form of relief.

Deep in her heart, she’d never wanted him dead. Just out of her life for good. After all these years, she finally realized death was the only way that could ever happen.

When her heartbeat slowed, she heard yelling and shouting behind her in the distance. Numbness seeped in, leaving her feeling…nothing.

Someone grabbed her upper arms. She opened her eyes and fisted her hands, ready to strike.

Kyle’s eyes met hers, then traveled over her body. Worry lines etched deeply into his forehead. “Are you okay?” He asked softly but with a sense of urgency. “Did he…” His lips compressed.

Still unable to speak, she shook her head, understanding what he meant. For whatever the reason, Yuri hadn’t touched her, not in that way.

“I didn’t think you’d come for me.”

“Of course I’d come.” When he pulled her into his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck, letting his solid warmth and strength soak into her bones. She didn’t know which of them was trembling more. He let her cry it out, holding on tightly, stroking her back.

They remained that way for another minute before Kyle said, “He’ll never hurt you again. He’s gone.”

“I know.” She nodded against his shoulder. “I know,” she repeated, needing to say the words again to convince herself it was really over.