Page 138 of Guarded Knight

Feelings getherkilled.

Control the rage. Breathe through it.

Kill later.

I stalk my way into position, and that’s when a small movement flickers to my right. I swiftly move my Glock, but it’s Anton, positioned behind a laundry cart.

I glance over at him and point to my eye as a signal.

Does he have a shot on target?

He gives me a thumbs down.

Shit.

I steady my breath and crouch, lean… anything. The angle is wrong. Too many obstructions. If I miss, if my bullet ricochets… it’s her blood on the floor.

Trent presses her roughly against the wall. “Why did you do this? Now I have to punish you.”

My pulse quickens, pulse pounding in my ears.

I will murder him.

Her face is full of fear, tears leaving white trails through the dust on her cheeks. Her coughing fit is taking over, and worry kicks in. She needs to calm down or she’ll get worse.

I shift, hoping she’ll see me. If she knows I’m here… maybe she can calm… I shift again, subtle but in the open. And finally, her eyes meet mine for a mere moment.

Not long enough for him to notice. But long enough for her to see me press two fingers over my heart.

I got you.

She quickly averts her gaze, pinches her eyes shut, and breathes. I can hear the phlegm gurgling in her lungs even from this distance. I need her out of here now… she needs medical attention.

She opens her eyes again and pretends to look in the distance but captures my SEAL signal. One of many that Xander and I taught her growing up when we first became obsessed with enlisting.

A fist.

Hold.

We need to buy time.

Even now, even with that beast salivating from above her, she calibrates. The girl I left behind all those years ago became thewoman who can fight like this, and I want to fall to my knees for ever leaving that behind.

Is this my punishment for losing innocents?

War memories tug at my mind, like they do right before I lose it. I ground myself back to the moment.

If I go to Hell, I’m taking that bastard with me.

Her lashes flutter like she might cry, but she doesn’t. She makes a move.

“Trent,” she says, voice cracking, buying time exactly like I signaled. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Shut up,” he shouts with such force spit flies on her face.

Vengeance sears in my veins.

“See? You’re making me yell now?” He smooths her hair then kisses it. “That medicine I gave you… It’s making you confused. You’ll see soon. You don’t want to leave. You belong with me.”