Page 47

Forcing myself to remain in position took everything I had. Another minute passed. Tank continued growling, although the sound was much deeper. When I glanced at the sweet boy, I noticed he’d finally bared his teeth.

A lump formed in my throat and I continued scanning the area. There it was again, movement behind the trees. Squinting, I tried not to blink as I watched for anything appearing out of the norm.

Barely twenty seconds later, I was certain I caught sight of a dark shadow. More movement. Was I crazy?

A shift from the opposite side. Another dark form.

Oh, my God. I pulled back, easing against the wall.

Every breath was difficult, pain forming in my chest. There were two men outside.

I was positive that’s what I’d seen. What the hell was I supposed to do?

I wasn’t na?ve enough to believe the house was impenetrable.

If I was right, whoever was outside would simply kick down the wooden door.

I looked again, a sudden bright reflection temporarily blinding me. Blinking, when I was able to focus again, I realized what I’d seen.

A weapon.

The sun had reflected off a gun.

Now I backed away from the window, my mind racing. I had seconds before the house was breached.

“Come on, Tank. We need to get the hell out of here.” Still taking careful movements, I headed to the back door, shifting the blinds and peering outside.

What were the odds the assailants were only coming from the front?

At this point, I wasn’t certain what it mattered.

Kage wasn’t here. There was no way I could protect myself.

I had a single option that didn’t involve pretending I could shoot a gun.

Try to find help.

I unlocked the back door, cracking it open as quietly as possible.

“Stay quiet,” I told Tank, looking down at him as my heart hammered in my chest.

Just peering outside gave me heart palpitations, but there was no other choice but to run.

As soon as I stepped outside, the gravity of the situation hit me hard.

The only sound was a light rustle as wind tickled the trees, yet the oppressive weight from knowing the enemy was close sent a rush of adrenaline into my system.

I took off running toward the trees, Tank following closely behind. I willed his silence, constantly darting looks over my shoulder. The moment I reached the trees, a figure appeared.

“She’s here!”

The shout spurred me on, the ache in my knee forgotten as I sprinted into the woods. Tank’s single bark was a cry for help.

But as I looked back, the horrible sight of a man dressed in black drove me into a state of fear I’d experienced twice before.

He was pointing his weapon at me.

Pop! Pop!

Kage

“Goddamn it!” I snarled and slammed my fist against the steering wheel as I veered around a group of vehicles. “Get the fuck out of my way.”

“We’ll get there,” Jarvis threw out from his seat beside me.

“Not soon enough. How could I be so fucking stupid?” Jarvis couldn’t answer, the ringing sound of my phone interrupting my outburst. There was no need to look at the screen. I knew who was calling.

Too little. Too late.

“You fucked us both,” I hissed.

“I just confirmed my suspicions were correct. My system was hacked,” Gray insisted. “Remove the target. Now.”

“The aggressors are already here.”

“Fuck. I’m on my way. Do what you can to keep her safe.”

Safe? I wasn’t certain I could keep her alive. The mission had been compromised days ago. As I tossed my phone, I swung around the last corner heading to the house. “Get ready, Jarvis. My guess is we won’t have much time.”

He lifted the assault rifle so I could see. “I got your back, soldier. Let’s make certain nothing happens to that woman of yours.”

I wasn’t going to correct him that she didn’t belong to me because at that moment, my heart and my gut told me she did. With my foot on the accelerator, I rolled onto the gravel driveway, spinning tires as I made my way toward the house.

The gear barely in park, I jumped from the cab, my fingers firmly wrapped around my Glock.

Jarvis was right beside me as we raced toward the house. We’d yet to reach the front porch when we both heard gunfire.

“Head down!” Jarvis yelled and I dropped and rolled on instinct, catching a shadow to my right.

Without hesitation, I fired off. At this point, there was no sense of right or wrong, law or lawlessness. Juliette’s life was in danger and I’d be damned if I’d allow anything to happen to her.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Both Jarvis and I fired. In my periphery of vision, I caught a figure falling face first to the ground. More shots were fired, two more enemies advancing from the dense forest. I fired indiscriminately. The rush of adrenaline fueled not only my muscles, but the intense anger.

“To your left!” Jarvis yelled just before we were ambushed.

Kicking out, I caught the motherfucker in the stomach, pummeling him back by several feet.

Immediately on my feet, I hadn’t anticipated the fucker recovering so quickly.

He pitched himself toward me, but I reacted instantly, slamming my gun against the side of his head.

Before he had time to react a second time, I fired off three shots, every bullet hitting him right between the eyes.

“Fuck!” Jarvis hissed from behind me.

I spun and dropped down, catching another assailant in the stomach. Without hesitation, I rushed forward, finishing the job. An instant ache rushed into my system. Where the hell was she? What had the fuckers done with her?

A loud growl permeated the air and it took a few seconds to realize I was the one making the godawful sound.

Jarvis spun around to face me, shaking his head. While his chest was heaving from undue exertion, a smile remained on his well-worn face.

My body remained tense as I spun in a circle, my arms still outstretched with the weapon in both hands. A sick feeling pooled in the base of my stomach.

Suddenly, there was a fallen hush, the lack of noise just as unnerving as the round of gunfire.

Both of us took deep breaths, Jarvis standing with his back toward me and staring at the woods flanking the barn.

Juliette. Juliette. Jesus. What if…

I bolted toward the front door, my feet barely hitting the porch when another sound crashed into the silence.

Tank’s single bark.

Both Jarvis and I spun toward the sound, his head tipping over his shoulder.

“What the fuck?” he gritted out.

“Tank. Juliette ran. And I know where she’s going.”

“Go get her, Kage. I’ll man the fort. Don’t let anyone take what belongs to you.”