Chapter 43
CHAPTER
FORTY-THREE
Natalie watched through the back window as Hudson confronted the security team, her unease growing with each passing second.
Something was wrong. She could see it in Hudson’s posture, in the way his body had gone tense and ready.
Then Hudson moved—fast, violent, professional.
Suddenly the men were fighting.
Two of them against Hudson.
He was capable but outnumbered.
“No . . .” Natalie whispered, her hand moving to the door handle.
One of the men swung something at Hudson—a baton that glinted in the streetlight. They probably hadn’t pulled out a gun because it would be too noisy, would draw too much attention.
Hudson blocked and countered the swing, but there were two of them and only one of him.
“Run!” Hudson shouted toward the car. “Natalie, run!”
But Natalie couldn’t move. Her body felt frozen as her mind struggled to process what she was seeing.
These men weren’t the security team her father hired.
These were attackers. People trying to hurt them.
Trying to hurt Hudson.
The thought broke through her paralysis.
Natalie threw open the car door and looked around, desperate for anything she could use as a weapon.
Her eyes landed on the landscaping stones bordering her flowerbed—smooth river rocks the size of baseballs.
She grabbed one and ran toward the fight.
One of the men had Hudson in a hold, and the other drew back for a punch.
Natalie didn’t think, didn’t hesitate.
She swung the rock as hard as she could at the closest attacker’s head.
It connected with a sickening thud.
The man staggered, releasing his grip on Hudson.
“Natalie, get back!” Hudson shouted.
But it was too late. She swung again, not ready to back down from this fight.
Hudson saw Natalie swing the landscaping stone like she was trying to hit a home run, and his heart lurched with equal parts appreciation and terror.
She was brave. Foolishly, recklessly brave.
And completely untrained for this kind of fight.
He couldn’t let her get hurt while trying to protect him.
He used the distraction she’d created to break free.
He landed a solid punch to the first attacker’s jaw and sent him stumbling backward.
But the men recovered quickly and came at him.
The squeal of tires sounded nearby, then headlights cut through the darkness.
For a split second, Hudson thought reinforcements for the attackers had arrived.
Then Jake’s voice cut through the night. “Get your hands off him!”
The two attackers exchanged a quick glance, some silent communication passing between them in that split second.
Then they broke and ran, not toward the street but between Natalie’s house and her neighbor’s, heading for the wooded area that backed the residential development.
Jake and Atlas ran toward them, weapons drawn.
“Stop where you are!” Jake shouted.
But the men were fast, and they’d clearly planned their escape route.
Hudson started after them, but his ribs screamed in protest. He stumbled, catching himself against Natalie’s car.
Atlas made it to the gap between houses just as the first attacker vaulted a fence into the neighbor’s backyard.
Atlas raised his weapon but didn’t fire. There were too many houses, too many potential civilians in the line of fire.
The next street over, a car engine roared to life. The attackers had staged a getaway vehicle.
By the time Atlas reached the fence and cleared it, Hudson heard tires squealing. Jake had jumped into his vehicle and circled around in pursuit, but suburban streets weren’t designed for high-speed chases. Most likely, the attackers had too much of a head start.
Atlas jogged back, holstering his weapon, breathing hard. “They knew exactly where they were going. Had the escape route planned, vehicle positioned. This was a coordinated hit.”
Jake’s voice crackled over the radio Atlas had clipped to his belt.
“Lost visual. Black sedan, no plates visible, heading east on Riverside Drive. I’m in pursuit but they’re—” A pause, then he muttered something under his breath.
“They just ran a red light at the intersection. Too many civilians. I can’t follow without risking bystanders. ”
Hudson wasn’t surprised.
With Atlas close and danger gone, Hudson doubled over. The adrenaline that had kept him moving was fading now, leaving only pain and the sick realization of how close that had been.
He pressed his hands into his knees, breathing hard and tasting blood from his split lip. His ribs ached where one of them had landed a solid kick, and his knuckles were already swelling.
But Natalie was safe. That was all that mattered.