Chapter 33 Noah
Noah
Max sniffs the air, and I fight the urge to move out from my hiding spot in the underbrush. The shadows of large trees hover over me, providing perfect cover.
My stomach is in my throat. He chained her to a tree. More like a rotten down stump, but it doesn’t matter—the thought alone has me glitching.
I’ve trained for this, drilled it every other weekend, and work it every day—it’s muscle memory. Or should be. Instead of the knowledge I know is there, panic surges through me. I’m not with my unit. I have no backup.
Max is nearing the stump, sure to alert to Lily any moment now.
The once-clear plan to find Lily is unraveling fast. I’ve found her, but now what? My hands shake, useless on my thighs as I rub them in my crouched position.
What if I can’t do this alone?
I shift, the sour earth cool against my palms, the faint outline of my breath stirring in the air. It’s not as warm as it’s been during the day, and with the campfire so far away from Lily I wonder if she’s cold.
I study her—the moonlight slicing through the trees at the perfect angle to see her.
She’s slumped against the bark, her back covered so I can only see the top of her head and the tip of her shoulder.
Chains force her to the stump, wrapping all the way around her upper body and down to around her thighs.
I’m sure they bite into her skin, making it raw and painful.
Why haven’t I been there for her? The way she’s needed me. Wanted me.
My teeth clench and I grind my back molars, thinking about all the bruises that will mar her beautiful body. That he has got his hands on her again.
Rage unfurls in my chest, but I force it down. Losing my head, seeing red—it wouldn’t help her.
Beyond her, the camp flickers with firelight from lanterns hanging from branches and the campfire.
Men are hunched over in loose circles around half-collapsed tents.
The acrid scent of smoke mixed with chemicals is infuriating, especially since it’s my job to make sure that men like Raven are put away for life.
I creep forward, annoyed that I took my eye off Lily and Max for even a second.
A rustling sound snaps my focus to the right and my gut tightens as Max nudges Lily’s shoulder. Damn it.
Quietly, I stand and reach for my weapon. I palm my pistol. If he barks …
That’s when I hear it. The low rumbling growl I know is Max’s.
Lily’s soft whisper follows. “Nien.”
Crap.
I fumble with the e-collar control and press the tone button just as Raven’s senses perk up. He turns and whips out his gun, pointing it in Lily and Max’s direction.
Max’s ears flick up, his body snapping around and darting into the shadows.
The gun goes off.
A roar of a scream rips from Lily.
As her shout dies, the brush crackles near me, and Max reappears by my side, panting hard.
“Bleib. Braver Hund.”
“You bastard!” Lily screams, kicking her legs to loosen her chains.
A cold nose bumps my hand, but I steady him with a palm to his head and run my fingers through his hair. When Raven’s gun moves toward Lily’s chest. I freeze, and my hand falls away.
He stands over her like he owns her. My heart pounds, furious. I can’t rush in, can’t give myself away. The air shifts as I creep into the clearing with Max heeled at my side. The world goes quiet, like the camp exhaled a breath.
I raise my gun, steadying my aim. He’s so focused on her, he doesn’t see me. No one does.
“Let her go,” my low voice cuts through the silence.
Raven spins toward me while his other men jump up, grabbing weapons and readying themselves. His eyes widen, perhaps surprised I stepped forward. They’re void, black, and I can’t help but wonder if there was ever anything light in them at all. Where is the depth? The warmth?
It’s unsettling, their stillness and the unnatural clash to his pale skin. Knowing what I do, I can’t help but think about what Lily saw in this man. He stands tall and striking—it doesn’t surprise me she was sucked in.
Lily lets out a “Damn it, Noah” under her breath.
A haunting sneer spreads across his cruel face. “You think you’re a hero here, Ranger?”
No. I don’t. Stupid, maybe. For sure breaking protocol—the one that mandates an officer never operate alone in high-risk situations to ensure safety and accountability in potentially dangerous encounters.
Hell, I don’t care.
I glance at Lily, her tear-streaked face stuck between a grimace and anger.
Keeping my gun trained on him, my finger twitches over the trigger. “Let her go.” My voice drops, colder now, doing my best to convey the weight of my words to him.
I’m not walking out of here without her.
We have a life to live, trails to explore, and a future together.
He chuckles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “You think you can take us all out without her getting hurt? Without us ending your life.”
A chorus of laughter lifts from men around the camp, all watching the interaction.
My hand contracts around the grip of my gun, and I step forward.
Hesitation flickers in his eyes.
“I’m not leaving without her.”
His nostrils flare. “She’s mine.”
“Weak boys take. Real men give. You took from her. No more.” I bring my other hand to meet the butt of my gun. “Drop your weapon.”
Max growls at my side.
Raven’s fingers relax, the weapon slipping in his grip as his hands fall momentarily loose at his sides. The tension in his arms evaporates in an instant and he spreads his arms out in time with his stance.
I allow my gaze to drift to Lily, staring at me as she mouths the word run over and over.
The shot rings out, sharp and deafening, but I don’t remember squeezing the trigger. Lily’s wide eyes search my body, then land on my thigh as I stagger back.
Searing pain stretches out over my thigh as I grab for it, using my hand to clutch my leg. Blood blooms underneath my hand, soaking into my pants. It’s warm, and the sensation causes me to stumble back lightheaded. I struggle to keep my grip on my gun, then my knees buckle.
A sly grin spreads over his lips, and he lifts the gun again.
“No!” Lily screams, and more gunshots ringing out punctuate her pleas. This time, though, they fly through the surrounding trees.
“FBI! DEA!” voices shout through the trees, and those three-letter words make the men scatter in the camp like racked balls broken on a pool table.
Raven turns to run and I hiss, “Fass!”
Max runs, full speed, lunging at Raven. There’s a flash of his teeth, gleaming white in the dim light.
His body collides with Raven, knocking him off balance.
Powerful jaws close around his upper arm, sinking in with a sickening crunch.
The force is enough to make Raven scream in agony as he folds to the ground.
Max’s bite locks onto flesh, ripping and tearing.
Shouts and apprehensions happen all around me.
I don’t want to take my eyes off Max, my partner, but I look at Lily who’s struggling against the chains. She fights and pulls to free herself.
Raven lets out another pained bellow, swinging his free arm at the dog. I search for the gun he had, hoping it was knocked out of reach when Max struck him.
Max’s muscular frame pins him to the ground.
Blood pours from my thigh in hot, pulsing waves. For a moment, I’m so out of it, the sound of gunfire, of the chaos—it lulls me under. My vision tunnels, my limbs heavy, and my body uncooperative. I fight to stay upright, but the pain throbs in time with any fading strength.
Shouts blur around me, sounding smothered in the distance. I plant my knees, willing my body to stay kneeling so that I don’t topple over. I gather myself, and when the fog in my head clears, I hear my name, growing sharper, more urgent.
“Noah!”
My eyelids are heavy and wait—they’re already closed. I blink open, pushing the rocking tilt of the earth in front of me.
“Noah!” Her voice is louder now.
When I look over, Lily is struggling with one of Raven’s men. He works to untangle her chains from the stump.
While Raven is still struggling with Max, he’s barking orders to secure her. His men grab what they can, bolting for the tree line.
He’s going to get away. He’s trying to disappear with her, and this time, he won’t be so easy to find.
I grit my teeth, pressing my hand to my leg, but it slips in the slick blood.
I lift a foot and press it into the earth for leverage.
When I put pressure on it, when I try to stand, dizziness churns through my body and I collapse.
The tang of gunfire invades my nose, but I focus on Lily, on where the man peels back her chains and gropes for her.
I don’t see it, but Lily must, and she lets out a wail, calling my name. Something hard hits me on the back of my head, and the air swims around me.
Lily yells, “Max! Aus. Fass!”
Max breaks away from Raven who scrambles up, and Lily points to the man hovering over me. He charges again, catching air and bulldozing him to the ground.
Lily pushes and claws at the half-undone chains around her, and panic rips through me as several FBI agents scatter along the ground.
My arms tremble, and with resolve I push up one more time, but I stop short as chains thud to the ground.
Raven grips her arms, his fingers curling tight, claiming her as if she’s his to take.
Rage pushes me to my hands and knees, and though I’m losing too much blood to stand and walk, I drag myself closer inch by inch.
More shots ring out around me, but I stare at Raven, who beckons me closer, dangling Lil in front of him. He smirks when my fingers scrape into the muddy earth, and he sneers when I meet his eyes once more.
Lily elbows and kicks out, but she’s so petite compared to him.
Her eyes widen, large tears carving streaks down her cheek.
I’m failing her. I’ve failed my mother and now her. Why didn’t I ask her about the note? Why wasn’t I there for her?
“No,” I rasp. I force my body to move, to fight, but I’ve never been so helpless.
The bastard tugs her closer to him. “Haven’t you heard, Ranger Sullivan? Guys like you don’t win.”
I see it in his eyes—he thinks he’s beaten me.
Several of his men have escaped, a handful apprehended. Others in a firefight with the two agencies I didn’t call—a significant task force sent in, most likely on my behalf. Did I do this?
With a roar, I shove myself forward, ignoring the agony, ignoring the way my body wants to pass out completely. I won’t stop.
Because if I stop, I lose her.
She’s the one I’ll uproot my life for. She’s the one I want to have my family’s name. She’s the one I see a future with. Her life for six years was on the run, and I want to be the safe place she can land. I know she’s found that here with me. She had found that with my mom.
My body slams against his with everything I have left. The impact knocks us both off balance and jostles Lily away. Raven and I both fall, hitting the ground in a ball of chaos.
Air rushes from my lungs as I roll across the pine-covered dirt. The pain in my thigh adds to my fury, and in the tangle of limbs, my adrenaline kicks in. My wound burns as we grapple, but I barely register it.
Move. Fight. Survive.
For her. All for her.
Max’s bark echoes from somewhere and it draws my attention, allowing Raven to strike a blow to the side of my face.
My heart pounds searching for Max. I hadn’t given him the command to let up, but he must have. I heard him.
The time spent searching drowns everything else out, and when I find him, I let out an audible sob of relief.
My vision narrows to where Lily is on the ground. But there Max is.
He stands over her, his stance rigid, muscles coiled and ready to snap. Ears pinned back, his teeth bared in a snarl. Deep and unrelenting barks ripple through the air in warning to anyone who dare step closer.
He’s guarding her. Protecting her.
A surge of relief crashes through me, stronger than the pain, stronger than the blood soaking my thigh.
He won’t let anyone touch her. Safe. She’s safe.
An arm wraps around my neck, and Raven twists before I can rip my eyes away from Lily.
There’s a glint of steel, and then—
A burning-hot blade sinks into my side, tearing through my muscle and flesh.
My world tilts and there’s a scream. My stomach lurches as my body goes limp and I turn to Lily one last time.
She’s pushing up from her spot on the ground, mouth open in a wailing scream that in my dilemma almost sounds melodic.
Max shifts and whines at Lily’s side, his body lowering, wanting to leave to run to me. His eyes flick to mine, waiting for me to call him, but he doesn’t need one.
He already knows. He knows I want him where he is.
He’s the best partner I could’ve ever hoped for, and it’s been a privilege to serve with him.
A ragged breath shudders from my chest, a mix of exhaustion and gratitude. I twitch, unable to move. Raven rolls off, standing to snarl down at me, and I cough, the sound congested as his foot connects with my side.
The scent of sweat and rust—a suffocating smell that makes me sick fills my nose.
There are more screams, more barks.
Raven crouches over me, knife raised in hand over my chest. In final desperation, I grip his wrist. My fingers squeeze like a vise with anything and everything I have left.
He growls, ripping free.
I use my good leg to shove off the ground, tackling him at the right angle for the knife to slip away. We slam into a crate, the wooden edges splintering with the weight.
The sticky blood is hot against my skin, but it must be all in my head. The wet is warm, and my body is cold.
Raven pants, groping for the knife he dropped. When his hand doesn’t connect, he swings wildly. I dodge, eyes landing on a pistol feet away from me.
Close. It’s close.
I push, driving my fist into his throat.
His hands fly to his neck and his eyes widen as he chokes a gasp.
I shove and turn, slinking toward the gun.
I don’t look back.
A hand clamps down on my leg, but I pull and struggle until my hand lands on the chilled steel. Wrapping my fingers around it, I inhale and turn over, firing the whole magazine into his chest.
He doesn’t stumble—he jolts back. His body convulses in the air and lands with a dull thud.
I stare for several seconds. Feeling satisfied he won’t get up, I fall back, arms flinging out to the side.
Is she safe?
Keep her safe.
Don’t let him take her.
Keep her—