Page 34

Kayla’s chestcratered as she watched Ash dash toward the pile of tires. Arms extended, his pistol followed his upper body as it rotated side to side, searching for threats.

The gas swelled in the room behind her. She coughed again, even though she had her face pressed close to the slider’s opening. Every second that slogged by, she prayed it wouldn’t be her last.

The moment Ash reached his destination, he motioned for her to join him. Gathering the frayed ends of her courage together, she shot out of the house.

She hated running. Hated every bone-jarring, brain-bruising, sweat-inducing slap of the feet. It made her wonder what mind-altering drug runners took in order to put their bodies through such torture, every day.

Today’s torment took less than five seconds, but her breaths heaved and her muscles quivered as if she’d run a marathon. Once she reached Ash’s side, he cupped the back of her neck as if he could stop the rush of adrenaline sweeping through her body.

She hadn’t heard any gunfire, but her blood was like a thunderclap in her ears. “Anything?”

Ash shook his head, though he continued to surveil the surrounding tree line. She knew with absolute certainty that if she hadn’t been present, he would have gone after the shooter.

The realization made her equal parts thankful she’d insisted on coming and regretful. Just thinking about him hunting a predator capable of blowing off a man’s head made her stomach revolt. On the other hand, allowing a murderer to escape set her brain on fire.

Kayla’s muscles became heavy with her relief. She leaned back against the nearest tire, closed her eyes, and exhaled a long breath. Seconds ticked by, and her mind switched off, like a tunnel of lights blacking out, section by section.

Until a low vicious growl snapped her back to consciousness. She stared into the brown eyes of a large dog of indeterminate breed. Long nose, narrow face, wiry black and white hair, stocky build, matted tail.

The BEWARE DOG sign wasn’t an empty threat to keep strangers away. It had been there to protect idiots like her from dismemberment. Beside her, still facing toward the opposite direction, Ash tensed, then slowly turned his head. His gun syncing with his movements.

Despite everything she’d witnessed since arriving, she couldn’t watch Ash shoot down a dog who’d been trained to protect the property and its occupants. It was a brutal image she didn’t want joined with the others she had accumulated.

The dog’s growls deepened at Ash’s movement. The canine’s gaze banked to the right, then back to their position, as it prowled toward them at an unrelenting pace. Power bunched in the dog’s massive muscles, and Kayla knew it was seconds away from lunging.

BeforeAsh could twist around to take down the mutt.

So she did the only thing she could. Kayla lifted her gun and let bullets fly.