Page 22 of Claimed Gem

“He’s got others with him,” Chris yelled, taking aim at a row of fishing shacks to their left.

The sound of gunfire was all around Ries, adrenaline pumping through his veins, as he stood up to take aim. He didn’t even think about it: his men were in danger and he had to protect them.

The wood of the guard shack splintered as bullets made their way through the structure, whizzing past Chris and Ries.

“Take cover,” Chris yelled, ducking to his left and running for a nearby sand dune that would shield him from the bullets.

Ries could feel his heart pounding in his head as he attempted to run for the safety of the dune.

His legs ate up the distance even as his feet slipped and slid in the sand. He was almost to his destination when fresh gunfire broke out and he heard the unmistakable sound of a woman’s scream.

Stephanie.

“Ries! Duck!”

Ries turned his head toward her voice, searching for her. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her barreling toward him.

Out in the open. Between him and the people shooting at him.

“Get down!” Ries screamed at her, changing his direction to intercept her.

Stephanie’s heartwas in her throat when gunfire broke out. She was a dozen yards away from Chris and Ries. She was also in the perfect position to see a hidden shooter take aim at Ries and his security team.

When Chris ducked left and Ries stood up to go right, she held her breath willing him to make it to a point of safety. When the man she couldn’t see stepped out in the open and aimed for Ries, she acted instinctively.

He was running straight into the sight of an enemy shooter. A shooter Ries didn’t even know was there. She surged to her feet and raced toward him, screaming his name and hoping she could get to him before he stepped into the clearing that would surely mean his death.

When he turned toward her, she sped up, throwing herself at him and taking them both to the ground as gunfire rang above their heads.

Ries turned his body at the last minute, breaking their fall as they landed in a tangle of arms and legs.

“Stay down. There’s a shooter to my right,” she breathed against his ear.

Ries didn’t speak. She lifted herself up to look at his face and paled at the red circle on his shoulder.

“Oh, my God. You’ve been hit. Ries, talk to me.”

“Skata!” He growled through clenched teeth. “By the gods, getting shot hurts!”

Stephanie felt a sense of momentary relief upon hearing him speak, and the accompanying groan of pain as he attempted to shift their positions so that she was no longer lying on top of him.

Stephanie scooted off his chest, unable to take her eyes off his wound.

Shots continued to ring out around them. When dirt and debris close to their heads flew in the air, Stephanie quickly pushed and dragged Ries behind a large sand dune.

Salt grass provided them further cover but Stephanie was taking no chances. She stripped off her t-shirt and pressed it to his shoulder, hoping it was enough to slow down the bleeding.

When Ries laid his hand on hers, the stress and reality of the situation sunk in. She tried to hold herself together but promptly burst into tears.

“Please don’t die…”

Ries couldn’t standthe sight of Stephanie crying over him, especially as the shots rang out.

He hugged her close to his chest, murmuring words of comfort in her ear.

“Shush.Min klaíne.Stephanie, your tears are killing me. Please stop.”

“You’re shot,” she told him tearfully, her eyes not leaving the blood staining his shirt.