Chapter Thirty-Two
S wimming through blackness, I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t.
Fucking.
brEATHE.
No goddamn air.
Motherfucking cocksucker.
They needed me.
They fucking needed me .
Suck in a breath.
TAKE A GODDAMN brEATH.
My lungs wheezed through a ragged inhale and my eyes opened.
Rifle in one hand, Sawyer kneeled over me as he raised his fist.
Understanding hit. “If you goddamn chest thump me, you cocksucker, I’m gonna kick you in the balls,” I rasped, sucking in another breath.
For once in his fucking life, Sawyer looked shocked.
“That’s right.” I coughed and tried to roll to my side. Goddamn that hurt . “I’m alive.”
Sawyer hunched as rounds of automatic fire sprayed the blood-splattered wall behind him. “Talerco’s on his way back.”
“ No ,” I tried to shout, but it hurt to goddamn talk, let alone yell. “He needs to stay with them.” He needed to stay with Brooke and Maverick.
“Neil has them. They’re safe.” Sawyer swept his weapon to the left and shot off two rounds, then grabbed me by the front of the vest. “Time to move.” He pulled me to sitting position.
Pain shot from my left shoulder and my right arm and radiated through my whole goddamn body. My vision tunneled and my ears rang. “Stop!” Fuck. Fuck . “I’m getting up.” Goddamn it, I was getting the fuck up. They needed me. Fuck, they needed me .
“Then get up, or I’m getting you up.” On one knee, Sawyer spent a few more rounds. “We need cover.”
Out of habit, I put my palm down for leverage to get up, then put weight on it. Stabbing pain shot to my shoulder and my arm gave out. Letting out a roar, I rolled forward, got a knee under me, and used my goddamn forehead on the ground for leverage as I pushed up.
My head swimming, my arms hanging loose at my sides, I fucking staggered like a drunk, but I got up. “Rifle,” I coughed out the word. “Need my rifle.”
“You can’t hold it.” Aiming his rifle, he picked up my gun then pivoted to my six so he was between me and the line of fire.
“I can hold my fucking gun, you asshole.”
Shouldering my gun, Sawyer ignored me. “Move, move, move. Follow the wall all the way to the water. Talerco’s waiting.”
What the fuck? “I didn’t hear Talerco say shit.” I didn’t hear anyone say shit through the comm. Goddamn it . “I lost my comm.”
Sawyer fired off a few rounds. “Keep moving.”
Irrational, I paused. “They’ll find it.” Then any one of those assholes could hear we had Brooke and Maverick.
Sawyer pushed me forward. “You’re shot to hell, your shoulder looks dislocated and the place is crawling with ATF agents. I don’t give a shit about the comm. It’s a miracle we haven’t been spotted yet. Keep moving .”
I looked down.
Thick, dark sludge covered my fucking shoulder and arm and dripped down my hand.
Everything came back .
Climbing the rope, getting Maverick over the wall, Brooke on the wall.
Then getting shot and falling.
God-fucking-damn it . “That motherfucker shot at me while I was holding her and my kid.” I knew it was Lewis. It had to be. Who the fuck else would shoot at a woman and kid.
“ATF showed up and everyone started shooting. Keep moving, five yards.” Sawyer spoke into his comm. “Thirty seconds, Talerco.”
I knew it was him. I fucking knew it was Lewis. “I’m gonna kill him.” I stumbled the last few feet, and the fucking twelve-foot wall ended only to be replaced by a chest-high hedge.
“Do it when you stop bleeding.” Sawyer moved in front of me and pushed enough of the hedge out of the way for me to step through.
Talerco came from the other side of the wall, carrying his kit. “Damn, Ivy.” He smiled without humor as his shrewd gaze took in my shoulder and arm. “I thought you were supposed to be able to climb like a motherfucker. Not get shot off a wall. Amateur hour, bro.” He dropped his bag and grabbed my hand and elbow. “But bonus points for deflectin’ rounds off missus and little man.” Holding my wrist tight, he grasped my elbow and rotated my arm.
Shit snapped.
“Mother fucker !” That hurt.
“Dislocated.” Talerco put his hand on my shoulder and moved my arm back and forth. “Figured you wanted it set before I took your vest off.”
“Fuck you.”
Talerco chuckled. “I’m all good, thanks.”
“I don’t need my vest off,” I bitched at him like a pussy. “Just get me outta here. I need to see my kid.” And her.
Ignoring me, Talerco glanced at Sawyer as he sat me down and ripped the Velcro straps of my vest. “How far away you parked?” He lifted the vest over my head .
“Few blocks.” Sawyer looked down at me like he was looking at a dead man.
Studying my shoulder, Talerco nodded absently. “Go get your ride, bring it around.”
“I’ll have to pass ATF.”
Talerco grabbed shit out of his kit. “Worth the risk. He ain’t walkin’ that far like this.”
“Copy.” Sawyer jogged off.
“Fuck you.” I coughed, and the slight movement made my head fucking spin. “I can walk.” I’d been shot before. “My legs work fine.”
“You’re bleedin’ like a stuck pig,” Talerco countered.
“I’m not gonna bleed out on some rich fuck’s lawn.” I tried to get up. “Just fucking tell me where I need to go to get to her.”
Talerco looked at me and half his mouth tipped up. “First it was the kid, now it’s her.” He shook his head as he pressed something into my shoulder.
Pain shocked my system and my vision narrowed. Letting out a roar, I slumped back. “Jesus fuck, Doc. What are you—” My words died as Nathan Fucking Lewis came up behind Talerco.
Gun drawn, Lewis glared at me. “Where the fuck is she?”
Talerco stiffened, but he didn’t turn around and he didn’t take his hands off my shoulder. “You shoot me or him, and you’ll never find her.”
“ Where is she ?” Lewis yelled.
“He’s bleedin’ out.” Talerco casually rubbed his hand over his left thigh before reaching for his kit.
My ears started ringing.
“Don’t move!” Lewis stepped closer. “What are you doing?”
“Why don’t you save the Q and A for another time?” Still holding the front of my shoulder, Talerco grabbed a bunch of gauze then leaned over me as he pressed it to the back of my shoulder. “Like when he’s conscious.” Talerco dropped his voice. “Anytime now, Sniper . ”
“ Where the fuck is Brookelyn? ” Lewis roared.
My head spinning, my vision going, I still knew my training.
I was a Marine.
I was a sniper.
I knew what the fuck to do.
Reaching with my right hand for Talerco’s thigh holster, I grabbed his 9mm. Flicking the safety off, I yanked it out of the holster and aimed over Talerco’s left shoulder.
No hesitation, I fucking unloaded.
Lewis recoiled as each of my shots struck him square in the chest, but he didn’t fall until a large caliber bullet pierced the left side of his skull and blew out the right, decimating the side of his head.
His body hit the ground.
My arm burning, I dropped the 9mm.
Still holding the gauze over my other shoulder, Talerco tipped his chin. “Nice fuckin’ aim, Sniper.”
I didn’t respond.
My vision tunneled and everything went black.