Logan Kade (Fallen Crest #5.5)

I saw the gun—and time completely stopped.

No. That didn’t make sense. This was a bowling alley—in a nice part of town, a safe area. My family’s dinner was just a block over, in a five star restaurant.

This wasn’t happening—the blood was pumping through me and my vision began to blur. Not Taylor. Not her—he moved forward, bringing the gun across his body. Taylor turned her back to him, opening her door so she could climb inside.

No! It wasn’t happening. I was out my vehicle and sprinting across the street. I was on his right, but he hadn’t seen me. He kept his head down, but as he raised the gun, he glanced up and to the side.

“GUN!” I yelled. “No!”

I sprinted for him, and time snapped back and sped up. I couldn’t lose her, not when I was just about to get her back. Nothing could stop that.

I raced the rest of the way as the guy looked around. My eyes met the gunman’s, and forget that my heart was in my throat, it was now stuffed all way into my mouth. The gunman was Rankin. Seeing me, there was a split second of surprise, followed by resolve. He knew I was going to stop him, but he was going to do it anyway. The asshole was going to kill her anyway.

He started to turn for her again. I couldn’t see Taylor. I couldn’t take my eyes off Rankin. If I did, I’d lose her.

“Get down!” I yelled as the gun went off—Boom!

It was louder than I expected. Not like fireworks at all. Then the air was veiled, like a blanket had been thrown over me. I couldn’t move fast enough. The gun went off again, and it was like thunder exploding in my ear.

I never stopped.

I crashed into Rankin, and he turned, ready for a fight, but I body-checked him. I ducked, wrapped my arms around his waist, and threw him to the ground. The gun fell from his hand, and I yelled as I lifted my fist, “Get the gun!” I didn’t know who I was yelling at. I was just yelling, but then I was fighting.

Rankin twisted, hoping to dislodge my hold, but I was on top of him. As he struck my face, I evaded, knocked his arms to the side, and rained punches down on him. Hit after hit, I kept making contact. I wanted this bastard so far gone, he couldn’t fight back, and as I kept going, he finally stopped resisting.

But I couldn’t stop. I heard the gunshot. He wanted to hurt Taylor. That was all I knew. The blood thirst was too much, and I never would’ve stopped. I would’ve killed the guy if someone hadn’t yanked me off of him.

I struggled against the hold until I heard Mason’s voice in my ear. “He’s done, Logan. He’s done. The ex-boyfriend got to her too. He grabbed her and turned his back. He took the bullet, Logan. Not her. She’s safe.”

My brother. The ex-boyfriend. His words started to sink in, but my heart was still pounding. My job wasn’t done. Taylor. I shoved out of his arms and whipped around.

“She’s safe.” He turned me so I could see her, huddled inside the bowling alley. “We were coming back for you when we saw it go down. She’s inside. She’s safe.”

I felt myself nodding, but then I was running. “Taylor!” I yelled, my feet swallowing the space between us.

She saw me coming and tore away from whoever was patting her arm. Someone stopped her at the door, but I tore through it, knocking people down. I was there. She was there, and she was in my arms.

I lifted her, my arms around her, and carried her away. I didn’t know where I was going, but I kept going until there was no one else.

Once we were alone, a door closed behind us, and I looked at her, holding her face. “Holy shit.” I breathed as I kissed her. I needed to know she was okay. Or I needed to reassure myself that I was okay. I didn’t know which one—both, and so much more. I loved this woman. Holy shit, I loved her with everything in me.

She responded to my kiss, climbing against me, and I lifted her again. Her legs wound around my waist, and I pressed her into a wall. I pulled back just enough to double-check she was all there. She smiled up at me, her face flushed and her eyes beaming. So bright. So alive. I touched the side of her face. “I love you.”

I saw her love swim to the surface then, too. She nodded. “I love you, too.”

I rested my forehead to hers. “You’re okay?”

“I’m okay.”

She looked down and lifted one of my hands to inspect my knuckles, which were bloody and raw. “Are you okay?”

My hands would be sore in an hour. It was worth it. I tucked her hair behind her ear and cupped her face again. “If you’d—” I struggled to say the words. I didn’t even want to think them. I gulped for breath. “Fuck, Taylor. If you’d—if he had—”

“He didn’t. He got Eric—” She choked up. “Eric—”

She pulled back, starting for the door.

I couldn’t let her go. The guy saved her, and I’d thank him later, but for now, I just needed her. “Taylor.”