Page 30 of Blood & Bond (The Bouchers #2)

Lucy

T here was fire everywhere. In every direction. Licking up my arms and legs. Pouring down my throat.

“Wake up now,” a firm voice ordered. “Lucille, wake up.”

I opened my eyes and choked, gasping for air.

“There you are,” Alice said grimly. “You with me?”

“Where’s Ambrose?” I rasped, rolling my head to the side to look around the room. My limbs felt heavy and hot. So hot.

Matilda was helping Reese out of the other bed.

“He’ll be here soon,” Alice said, helping me sit up.

I swayed in the bed. The room was spinning.

“Look at me,” Alice ordered, her face suddenly in mine. “Better?”

“What’s going on?” I asked groggily, rearing back.

“It’s time to wake up.”

“Where is Ambrose?” I asked again, looking over at the door.

“He’ll be back soon,” she said. She gripped my hand in hers and held it firmly as the top of it started to sting. A few moments later, the room seemed to sharpen around me.

“Better,” Alice said as she threw the quilt and blanket off my legs. “You need to get up.”

“What the hell is going on?” I asked, twisting in the bed to drop my legs off the side.

Ambrose had told me more than once that he’d be there when I woke up. There were no windows in the little makeshift hospital room, so I couldn’t even tell what time it was. How long had I been unconscious? It felt like it had been days, but I knew that couldn’t be right.

Matilda and Reese strode through the room without looking my way. They paused for a moment before they disappeared out the door.

“Let’s go,” Alice said, tugging me off the bed.

My feet tingled as I set them on the floor. I planted them stubbornly. “Where are we going?”

“Upstairs,” she said, glancing at the closed doorway across the room. “Right now.”

I fisted the quilt in my hand and dragged it with me as Alice pulled me toward the door. On the way, she lifted something from the foot of Reese’s bed. My stomach lurched when I realized it was a pistol.

“What the fuck is going on?” I asked, pulling my hand from hers so I could roll the quilt into a ball that was easier to carry. I didn’t want to drag Zeke’s blanket across the floor. It was in bad enough shape as it was, but for some reason, I couldn’t bear to leave it behind either.

“Something went wrong,” Alice replied grimly.

“Ambrose?” I asked, searching her face. “Charlie?”

“Everyone is fine,” she replied as she started to move. “They’re on their way back.”

“Then what do you mean, something went wrong?” I followed along behind her.

“We’re the target,” Alice spat as we hurried toward the stairs. “Finau was bullshit. It was all bullshit.”

Distant gunshots sounded outside, and I flinched.

“Al,” Sven called as he hurried toward us, his hands full.

“How many?” she asked as she paused to let him catch up. I wasn’t paying attention and almost ran right into her.

“Not sure,” he replied. “Matthias and Josiah are outside with the others, but neither of them is answering their comms.”

“How much time do we have?”

He paused for a moment, tilting his head a little. Then he spoke, and not to us. “She’s here, and I’m looking at her.”

He focused on us again. “An hour until help arrives. How long until Erik is up?”

“Longer than that,” she said with a sigh. She tipped her head back, and he leaned down to kiss her.

I looked over the weaponry in his hands. “May I?” I asked.

He nodded, his eyebrows raised.

Slinging the quilt over my shoulders like a scarf, I looked over the weapons. I pulled a pistol and a box of ammunition from the box he carried, then what looked like some kind of club. I tested the weight of it and put it back.

“Take your time,” Alice sniped sarcastically.

Sven huffed in amusement.

I lifted another, but it wasn’t right either, and I put it back. I looked up at Sven.

“You don’t have brass knuckles, by any chance?”

“Doubt they’d fit you if I did.”

“Who the hell do you think you’d be using brass knuckles on?” Alice asked.

“Whoever I needed to.” I looked up at Sven and lifted the ammunition, shaking the small box. “Thanks.”

He nodded, and I turned back toward Alice.

“I’ll see you soon, love,” she called to Sven as she strode toward the stairs that led to Ambrose’s room.

He replied in a language I didn’t understand.

“I really wish you’d tell me what’s happening,” I said nervously as I followed her up, and a fresh burst of gunfire went off outside.

“Can’t you hear it?” she asked dryly. “Finau lied. I don’t know if he was working with the humans by choice or by chance, but I suppose it doesn’t matter now.”

“Where are we going?” I asked as she turned in the wrong direction.

“Beau’s rooms.”

“Why Beau’s?”

She threw open the door. “It’s me.”

“You didn’t, by chance, bring more ammunition for this rifle, did you?” Reese asked as she did something with the long gun on the kitchen table.

“Didn’t know you needed it,” Alice replied.

“I guess this will have to do.”

“Why are we in here?” I asked as Matilda moved away from the window.

“Our window faces the front of the house,” Reese replied, barely glancing at me. “I can watch the front door.”

“I’m headed back downstairs,” Matilda announced.

“We’ll be fine up here.”

“Wait.” I glanced around, still trying to get my bearings. I was holding an unfamiliar pistol, Finau had lied, Ambrose and Charlie were okay, there were people shooting outside—I felt like my head was going to explode.

“They lured the boys out of the house,” Reese told me as Alice went to the left side of the window and peered out. “So they could come here, I guess.”

“How do you know?”

Reese smirked as distant gunfire answered for her. She shook her head. “They figured it out when Finau’s earpiece went offline and the men on the perimeter called in at almost the same time. I’m not sure how many there are, but we have to keep them out of the house until the boys get back.”

“We’ve got an hour,” Alice said flatly. “At least.”

“An hour’s not so long,” Reese whispered to herself. Her hands were shaking.

I looked at the window. “But who’s watching the back door?”

“Sven,” Alice replied.

“Okay, but what about the garage?”

“I can see that from here,” Reese said.

Information raced through my mind. “Where’s Erik?”

“Downstairs in the guest bedroom. Mattie’s with him.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Alice barked impatiently. She inhaled slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. When she spoke again, her voice was calm. “He’s unconscious.”

“Couldn’t you give him whatever you gave me?” I asked hesitantly. “You know, whatever woke me up.”

“No,” she said, her eyes on the window. “You were asleep to keep the heat bearable. There wasn’t anything physically wrong with you. Erik’s asleep while he heals.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was shot,” Reese answered for Alice. “But he’s going to be fine.”

“How do you know so much?” I asked Reese.

“I’m guessing Mattie was more forthcoming when I woke up,” Reese said, rolling her eyes and shooting a look at Alice.

“Reese,” Alice called, her voice low.

My heart pounded as Reese lifted the rifle and moved to the window.

“See him?” Alice asked. “At the tree line.”

“I see him.”

Slowly, they both reached for the window, gripping it on each side without moving into view. Inch by inch, it crept upward until it was halfway open, and a cool breeze flowed into the room.

“Can you make it?” Alice asked quietly.

“Only one way to find out,” Reese answered. Bracing the rifle against her shoulder, she changed position slightly.

I’d been around guns plenty of times, but for some reason, I jerked in shock when the sound crashed through the room the moment she fired.

“Good?” Alice asked.

“Lower mid-section,” Reese replied. “I didn’t account for the drop.”

“You will next time,” Alice ordered or consoled. I couldn’t tell. “He’s down?”

“Yes.” Reese’s hands began to shake as she lowered the rifle and stepped back from the window.

“It’s just adrenaline,” Alice told her, looking out again. “Oh shit.”

“Yeah,” Reese whispered.

“Well, get back here,” Alice ordered.

Once again, Reese raised the rifle and moved into position.

“What?” I asked.

Neither answered.

“What? What’s out there?”

“More,” Alice replied emotionlessly.

“How many more?” There was no way to look out the window without putting me in sight. Stumbling back, I flicked the light off.

“Thank you,” Alice said, her face barely illuminated by the moonlight. “Should’ve done that sooner.”

“How many more?” I asked again.

“Too many,” Reese gritted out, a tear rolling down her cheek.

“Not too many,” Alice corrected. “Find the closest one, or whichever you’re sure you can hit.”

Reese nodded. A few seconds later, she fired again.

“Why aren’t you shooting?” I asked Alice.

“Bad shoulder,” she replied darkly. “Can’t hold a rifle. Can you shoot?”

“A pistol,” I replied, my voice rising with hysteria.

What the fuck was even happening?

Reese fired again and then reeled backward.

“Someone saw me,” she hissed.

Alice nodded. “Let’s go. Chance’s room is on the opposite side. We’ll run.”

I was first out the door, but I didn’t head for Chance’s room. Instead, I threw the door open to Ambrose’s room, tossed Zeke’s quilt on the couch, and grabbed my bat from where I’d left it against the wall.

“What the hell are you doing?” Alice called.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I called back.

I took a deep breath, sucking in Ambrose’s sent for good luck or something and then turned and hurried down the stairs. Alice and Reese had already disappeared up the opposite stairs, but I paused in the living area and looked at the front door.

Alice and Reese were picking off the men who headed to the front, but there were too many. Sven was covering the back door, and I thought he probably had better odds. Somewhere in the bowels of the house, Matilda was with Erik and a shotgun.

If I was going to do anything to help, the front door was where I needed to be. I was no good with a pistol for the kind of shots Reese was taking, but if they came through the front door, I could help with that. Maybe.