Page 108 of Freeing Denver

Taking everything from me.

Not anymore.

“Fine,” I whisper. I pull back the hammer and point the gun at Sebastian.

Spider laughs, and the sound is wet and thick in his throat. “I heard you were cold, Deluxe, but this is almost impressive!”

I breathe fast, focusing on Sebastian. My friend doesn’t flinch. He simply looks at me, and despite the pain he must be in, he relaxes. Calm washes across his features, and I tense my finger on the trigger.

And jerk the gun up.

The bullet slams into Eli’s chest, and Spider lets out a roar of anger. Eli’s men shout as their boss is tossed back—not dead, but injured, by the looks of where the blood is seeping through his shirt. I use all my strength to push Spider’s arm higher as he fires the gun again, the second bullet thudding into the ceiling, plaster dust scattering across us. Wrenching myself from Spider’s hold, I seize the knife from the table.

Spider punches me so hard that lights burst behind my eyes. I drop the knife, the weapon skidding across the floor as my back hits the table.

“Cunt!” he screeches and lunges for my neck. I scratch and claw, knowing I’ve already gone too far to walk this back and protect either of us, and Spider tosses me onto the floor. The air leaves my lungs, and I part my lips, trying desperately to breathe.

I blink through the pain in my face and meet Sebastian’s eye. He’s trying to get to me, trying to stand.

The first mouthful air I pull into my lungs is followed by Kitrick seizing the knife I dropped. He cuts himself free in a swift, rapid movement, and, soaked in blood and sweat, he rises.

But he doesn’t go for Spider or the other men.

No, Kitrick goes for the side of the room and snatches up his phone.

He presses something and motors whirr, the shutters shooting up, light blasting into the room. I shield my eyes as the darkness is banished, particles of dust twisting in the air.

Glass smashes.

My eyes widen as bullets slam into Eli’s men.

I’ve never seen an impact so devastating, bodies flung back by the power of a single bullet. The windows give, glass collapsing into the room as more bullets are fired and men are tossed back like rag dolls, blood bursting across the dining room walls.

Eli shouts as he goes down, his shoulder torn out by whatever weapon is saving us.

Spider’s head collapses. Blood, bone, and brain erupt from where he was standing, spitting across the dining table. He slumps to his knees.

“Denver.” Sebastian is by me, sweat dripping down his face. Bullets are still flying, but now they’re beyond the windows and walls, orders being shouted across the property. “We need to go.” He looks up as Kitrick comes to our side, taking the gun out of Spider’s hand. His skin is raw, muscle visible where Spider dug deep.

“You both go,” Kitrick says.

I shake my head. “You’re coming with us. You can’t fight like that. And no one on Colt’s side knows who you are—they’ll shoot you.” Kitrick swears under his breath. “We’re staying together.”

Reluctantly, he nods. Sebastian is bleeding heavily from his shoulder too, but he grips my hand as we follow Kitrick out of the door that leads directly into the kitchen.

One of Eli’s men blanches when he sees us but raises his gun too late. Kitrick shoots him twice, and I snatch up the gun as we pass his body.

The weapon feels strange in my hand after so much time. Holding one with Spider hadn’t felt the same, but this … I feel safer. Stronger. I tighten my grip on Sebastian’s hand.

There are no other men in the kitchen, so we keep moving.

“You spoke to Colt?” I ask.

Kitrick nods. “He was trying to access the security system, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. I told him I’d raise the shutters, but before I could do it, Eli got to me.” We open the door into the foyer where two men whirl on us. Kitrick and I take them both out, the kickback from the gun tense against my palm.

The double doors into the home open, banging against the wall, and three men back into the room, guns drawn, firing at whoever is advancing on the property.

I kill two of them, blood pooling around their heads as they hit the ground. Kitrick takes out the third, and we go to the open doorway.