Chapter 11 #2
Carina froze when an almost silent footstep whispered on the concrete outside her small nook. The person out there couldn’t be Marcus. He never made any noise when he walked. Someone was out there. That sound had to be the bad guys.
Marcus had told her not to leave this spot. He couldn’t know that they’d found her. Should she hide somewhere else? She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop her shivers and stay perfectly quiet.
Carina didn’t understand why anyone would shoot out their tires and then pursue them.
Last night, she’d overheard Marcus’s security guards on the observation level discussing that someone in town was pissed Nightfall had launched so successfully.
They said the word turf a lot, but Carina didn’t understand what they were talking about completely.
The footsteps got closer. They’d find her any moment.
Carina’s thoughts fractured into a million pieces.
Between her fright and her headache, she couldn’t concentrate to send Marcus a mental message.
She panicked and darted out of the sheltered area Marcus had created.
Carina ran toward the shadows a few feet in front of her. Surely, she could hide better there.
A hand clamped over her mouth as an arm wrapped around her waist to lift her off the ground. “Be quiet or I’ll snap your neck.”
Instantly, she froze in his arms. This man wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. If she could stay alive, Marcus would rescue her.
When two other men appeared, Carina struggled to get away.
Even if Marcus arrived in time to find her, he couldn’t fight against three men.
She needed to even the odds, staying quiet wasn’t an option.
Carina screamed warnings to Marcus. As she thrashed to free herself, one of the new arrivals grabbed her feet to help carry her away.
The other pulled out a gun. Please let Marcus be okay!
The trio fled from the area, toting her along with them as they ran.
Her assailants bashed her wriggling body into obstacles on the way—not deliberately, but with utter disregard for her safety.
Low, angry curses surrounded her when Carina’s flailing arms or desperate kicks connected.
Exhausting her energy, Carina forced herself to resist and slow them down.
Marcus would rescue her if she could hold them back.
Going with them was not an option—definitely not a safe one.
A black SUV like the one that had careened in front of Marcus earlier as well as a van waited at the curb in front of them.
They’d almost reached the open door of the van when the two men holding her tumbled to the ground.
A warm liquid sprayed over her as powerful hands caught her before she could hit the concrete.
She recognized his bulk immediately. “Marcus.”
Marcus caught up with them in moments after taking out the sniper.
Carina was not going quietly. Pride flared inside him as he noted how his mate resisted.
She fought against two men who carried her while a third man, armed with a pistol, led the group.
At the end of the street, a black van waited.
Its side door gaped open. An SUV idled nearby.
The two men carrying Carina had their hands full. One held her legs, while the other had his arms under her shoulders as she bucked and thrashed between them, screaming the entire way. Her fierce determination had slowed their progress. His mate might be terrified, but she wouldn’t give up.
Marcus rushed up behind the men carrying her and swung his sword low to avoid hitting his precious mate.
He sliced through the hamstrings of the man supporting her shoulders and completed his swing through the knees of the man holding her legs, hobbling them both.
As Carina tumbled toward the street along with the men, Marcus wrapped his arm around her waist, plucking her from their grip and catching her before the impact.
Unfortunately, he was unable to protect her from the spraying blood as he retreated.
I’ll take her. Donovan stepped forward.
Careful of her head. Marcus released his grip, allowing Donovan to carry his mate to safety, even as he fought his need to hold his mate close.
To her horror, someone else grabbed her and sped away. As a man carried her from Marcus, Carina fought once again.
“Ouch, Little girl. You’re okay. I’m Donovan, one of Marcus’s clan. I’ll keep you safe while Marcus deals with the trash who took you.” He set her feet on the ground while holding her firmly in place by her upper arms. His broad torso blocked her view completely.
“Donovan?” she repeated. That name seemed familiar. She’d heard that while she listened to the conversation on the observation level last evening. She wilted in his arms, “Go help Marcus.” She peeked around him but couldn’t see anything. Were all these guys huge?
“He doesn’t need my help, Carina. Marcus is handling everything. Are you injured?”
“Bruised but fine.” She brushed her hand over the wet material of her skirt. The dim light from the streetlight nearby showed her a dark substance. Blood. She remembered the spray. Shock spread through her mind, causing her to tremble in reaction. “I don’t think this is mine.”
“No, Little girl. That’s not yours.”
“Marcus killed those men?” she whispered.
“They threatened you. They forfeited their lives immediately,” Donovan explained softly.
Forcing himself to focus, he continued his path toward the waiting van to deal with the final man. The driver aimed his weapon at Marcus. With a savage jab, Marcus slammed his sword through the man’s chest and pinned him to the van. The shocked man stared into Marcus’s eyes with overwhelming fear.
“Who sent you?” Marcus demanded.
“Costa,” the man whispered as his heart thumped its last beats around the forged blade.
“He’s as dead as you are.” With a sneer, Marcus freed his weapon and returned to the men writhing on the ground.
The hamstrung man struggled to pull his gun from the holster at his waistband. Marcus stepped forward to smash the pommel of the sword down on the injured man’s skull, splitting it open. The gun tumbled to the ground.
The other man was already dead from blood loss. He simply didn’t know it yet.
“You touched her. Die.”
The man’s eyes rolled up into his skull as a final breath eased from his lungs. The puddle below him gleamed wetly in the streetlights.
A block in front of them, a black car roared away. Marcus controlled his bloodlust. Let him leave. He can update Costa. A shadow leapt from the top of the speeding car as Alaric allowed the vehicle to escape.
After cleaning the tainted blood from his sword, Marcus sheathed the weapon and spun to see Donovan shielding Carina from the violent scene. Nightfall’s entertainment director and DJ spoke gently to her as Marcus approached.
“It’s over, Carina. Those men will never hurt you again.”
That voice sounded like Marcus, but her brain struggled to process everything that was happening. She shook with fear. She’d never experienced anything that violent. Marcus had killed them because of her.
“I’m going to touch you, Little girl,” Marcus warned a second before his hands stroked down her arms.
She jerked from his touch, not afraid of him but overwhelmed and unable to think clearly. Donovan steadied her. “He’s here. Marcus is here, Carina. If you look, you’ll see your Daddy. He’s here to whisk you away. Be brave. Turn your head.”
Slowly, Carina moved, twisting to check out who stood behind her. Spotting Marcus, she let out a heartrending sob before throwing herself into his arms. She sagged with relief as he held her close. “Daddy!”
“I’ve got you, Little girl. I’ve got you.”
His arms wrapped around her, squeezing her tight to his hard frame. Carina clung to his powerful shoulders as tears of relief burst from her eyes. She was safe with Marcus. He wouldn’t let anyone harm her.
“Daddy, I was so scared! Did they hurt you?”
“No, sweetheart. Your Daddy is fine.”
“Did you kill them?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. I don’t want them to do that to anyone else.” Carina’s anger surprised her. She hadn’t ever wished bad things to happen. Not even to her worst enemies. Those guys went way beyond being adversaries. She suspected they would have killed her in a flash.
“They can’t hurt you again, sweetheart.”
She nodded against his chest. Sirens sounded in the distance, growing closer. Carina looked around. Her shivers rekindled. “What do I say to the police?”
“Nothing. Hold on, Little girl.”
When do we visit Costa? Donovan asked.
He’ll wait. I need to take care of Carina, Marcus stressed as he scooped an arm under her legs to lift her fully into his arms. He wouldn’t wait for a car. Marcus needed to get her home.
When you are ready, we’ll go, Alaric promised.