I hear a groan of pain, followed by the thud of a body landing beside me.
“Christ,” a familiar voice grits out. “The fuckers shot me!”
Parker.
“Parker!” I scream, but the sound is swallowed up by the sharp rapport of a gun firing less than a foot from my ear. Nate’s pulled his gun from the back of his jeans and is returning fire beneath the wheels of the jet. I try to turn my head to see if Parker’s hurt, but I’m pinned too tight against the earth by the weight of Nate’s body. I feel him shift on top of me as he repositions his gun.
“On your left!” His voice is gruff as he fires off another shot. “They’re in the hangar!”
I hear the sound of bullets pinging off the jet’s metal panels overhead.
“How many?” Theo yells back.
“Four, maybe five.”
Theo grunts. “Too many.”
There’s a brief pause as whoever’s shooting at us stops to reload. I don’t have time to be relieved, because Nate’s mouth is on my ear and he’s speaking rapidly.
“You remember what I taught you? How to use that gun?”
“Yes,” I squeak, recalling my abysmal target practice.
His hand finds mine and he presses something cold and metallic into my grip. “Take it. It’s already loaded. Use it if you need it.”
“But what if you need—”
“I have a spare. In a second, Theo and I are going to give you some covering fire. You and Parker are going to run for the car and get the fuck out of here.”
“What about you?” My voice shakes with fear.
“I’ll be fine. I’m right behind you.” He ducks closer when shots ring out again in our direction. “Parker? Still with us?”
“I’m here.” He wheezes out the words. Just hearing the pain in my brother’s voice makes me cringe.
“You got the car keys?”
“In my back pocket.”
“You gonna be able to run?”
There’s a pause. “Have you seen this body?” He forces out a pained laugh. “I’m a cheetah. An Olympian. Even with a bullet in my shoulder.”
I’d roll my eyes at his ridiculous comments if I weren’t so scared.
“On three,” Nate orders. I hear the sound of a fresh clip being shoved into his gun.
“Wait!” I hiss.
He pauses.
“I love you,” I say, not caring who hears me. “I love you, Nate.”
“Love you too, little bird.” His voice is thick. “You ready?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“One.”
I hear the click of the chamber cocking back.
“Two.”
I feel shift of his body as it eases off mine.
“Three.”
I hear the sound of his gun firing in tandem with Theo’s, followed by distant cursing as the men in the hangar duck for cover.
“Go!” Nate hisses between clenched teeth.
And then I’m up, Boo crushed against my chest with one hand, the gun tight in my other. My ears are still ringing from the gunfire and with each step across the thirty feet of tarmac, I’m expecting a bullet to tear into me. Thankfully, Nate and Theo seem to be holding them off.
For now.
I don’t let myself think about what’ll happen when they run out of ammo. I don’t let myself look back at the man I love, lying on an airstrip in a firefight with hardened criminals.
He’ll be okay. He has to be okay.
Parker’s right beside me, matching my strides and shielding me as best he can, even though he must be in excruciating pain. I dart a glance at him and see his face is pale, a sheen of sweat coating his forehead, his dark blond locks damp with perspiration.
There’s a cramp knifing through my side. I ignore it and push faster, stilettos pounding against the concrete.
“You all right?” I gasp out as we careen past our abandoned luggage.
Halfway there.
“Just… dandy…” he wheezes back.
We reach the parking lot and race for the SUV.
“I’m driving,” I hiss.