Pierce
Iwatched the cabin for what felt like hours, confirming the amount of people inside and making several plans in my head.
Then I heard a gunshot, and her scream.
I can’t risk it any longer. I can’t wait for backup. I have to get in there.
I pull myself in through the bedroom window, farthest from the group gathered in the kitchen. There’s an empty beer can under the bed, and I pick it up, dropping the drive in there in case they get me and it before I can gain an advantage.
I sneak around the hall and see Thea and Gavin yelling at each other. Thea lunges toward Gavin, punching him in the face. I’ve never been so proud of her.
Then he grabs her around the neck.
I step toward them, but my feet are taken out from under me as I’m tackled into the room. A man comes down on top of me, swinging.
Pain erupts in my ribs, and I know he’s broken one. I block his next brutal hit with my arm, while swinging my leg up to catch his head. He howls in pain, and I kick him again, making him topple into the bedframe that shatters under his weight.
I have to get to Thea before Gavin kills her.
I pick up a piece of the broken bedframe and hit him over the head. He falls blessedly still.
I rush to the hall, searching for Thea. She’s on the floor.
No. My heart falls from my chest, burning a hole through my body as terror takes me alive.
I rush at Gavin, but he turns and retrieves a gun from his belt. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
It’s a trap. I knew it would be, but she was worth that risk. “Thea.” I say her name, that’s all I need to say. If she’s hurt, it’s a promise that I’ll hurt him worse.
“She’s still alive. For now.” He angles the gun at her. “Unless you don’t have what I want. Then you’re both out of luck.”
“I have it.” I scoot closer to Thea. “But I won’t give it to you if you hurt her.”
“I could take it.”
“You’d have to find it,” I say, studying the other threats in the room. The red-headed woman is zip tied, being guarded by another man with a gun. Cooper is standing at the window with his arms crossed as if this whole thing is entertaining. I want to kick him in his too-white teeth.
But that will have to wait, because there’s a bomb. My heart lurches with how little time we have left. “Finding it will take time you can’t spare.”
Gavin curses. “Toss me your gun, and then I’ll let you check her.”
I drop my gun and kick it across the floor. Then I fall to my knees beside Thea’s helpless body, fighting the rising panic in my own. The second I touch her wrist, my fears flee. Her heartbeat is strong and steady. Good girl.
A new flame fills my body—at the man who has taken so much from this family.
“Now give me my drive,” Gavin says, cocking the trigger. He’s put enough distance between us I won’t be able to attack before he can get a shot off.
I raise to my full height, hands in the air. “I stashed it that way.” I point toward the bedroom, but I don’t want to give them any more hints. I need him to let me get it alone.
“Tell Cooper where to find it,” Gavin instructs.
Cooper frowns. “Do I have to?”
“I go, or no one does,” I say.
“You’d let her, and everyone else, die?” Gavin calls my bluff. “That goes against your nature to protect and serve.”
“Just let him get it,” Cooper whines. “That bomb is starting to freak me out.”
Gavin turns on me. “You have ten seconds, or this bullet goes through your girlfriend. Ten…”
I take off running as he yells.
“Nine.”
I enter the room.
“Eight.”
I snatch the gun from the man on the floor.
“Seven.”
I dump the drive out of the can.
“Six.”
I tiptoe back to the door, peaking my head out, I have a perfect angle, but Thea is in the line of fire.
“Five.”
His head swivels in my direction, and I drop into a crouch.
“Four.”
Lifting the gun, I aim at his hand.
“Three.”
I pull the trigger.
The silent bullet strikes his forearm, and he howls, dropping the gun.
The other man comes into view, and I shoot his kneecap.
He collapses, and I rush forward and snatch his gun, aiming one at Gavin and one at Cooper.
“Your ability to manipulate this family is over,” I say.
“You…” He clutches his arm but can’t seem to get the words out, his face red and in pain.
“Sucks, doesn’t it? Losing the ability to use your arm.” I scoot closer to Thea, gently trying to wake her. Her eyes flutter open, and a smile finds my lips. “Hey, fake wife.”
She grins, hazy like. “Hey, fake husband.”
“Let’s get you out of here,” I whisper.
“There’s a bomb,” she says.
“I know.” We have eight minutes. Plenty of time to—
A shot goes off.