“Shifted. Back door.”
“How many attackers?”
“Three.”
Meaning they were all neutralized.
Gun at the ready, Aisling bolted for the back door as she pulled out her mobile and called Garrison. When he answered, she didn’t even wait. “Safe house breached. Maisie and Rupert severely wounded, and one Enforcer dead. Three known attackers dead, unknown how many others. Tamsin shifted and ran. Get a fuckin’ medic here. Now!”
A flurry of swearing met her words. “We’re inbound, down at the main road. Stay there. ETA less than five.”
“Do you want me to go after Tamsin?”
“Stay with Maisie and Rupert. We’re almost there.” He hung up.
Aisling stood at the open rear door. From the young corgi’s scent, she sensed the blood-curdling terror Tamsin felt as she’d bolted.
“Tamsin!” she screamed. “It’s Aisling Walsh! I work for Trevor Clarke!”
But…nothing.
Not that she’d expected a response. Depending on how much of a head start Tamsin had, she could already be a mile away or more. If she hadn’t jumped into the lake behind the house and started swimming, that was.
She returned to check on Rupert and…
“Bloody hell,” she muttered, gently closing his eyes. “I’m so sorry, lad.” She returned to Maisie, who now choked up blood. Aisling knew she should finish clearing the house to make certain there weren’t any other attackers, but she’d smelled only the three intruders, and of those only two made it inside.
Aisling holstered her gun and tried to evaluate Maisie’s injuries, but there were too many wounds, too much blood. Hell, it looked like she’d practically been disemboweled by the knife that now lay on the floor, dropped by the bastard when Aisling had shot him.
Aisling took the dying girl’s hand. “Did they say anything, Maisie?”
“No,” she gasped. “It was one of Tam’s brothers. Where’s Rupert?”
Aisling shook her head. “He’s gone, love. I’m so sorry.”
“Tam?”
“She ran,” Aisling assured her. “Got clean away. I don’t smell her blood so I think she’s uninjured. We’ll find her and bring her in, I promise you. We’ll protect her.”
A soft sigh escaped her. “Tell her… Tell her I love her. And the baby. Tell her I want her to go on and be happy. Both of them.”
“Tell her yourself, girlie,” Aisling said. “We got help coming in?—”
A car pulled up out front. “Aisling!” a man screamed.
“In here!” she yelled back. “Get a medic in here now!”
Maisie wouldn’t release Aisling’s hand. “Get that fucking bastard,” Maisie said, coughing up more blood. “Faegan. Take his fucking head.”
“We will,” Aisling swore. “I’ll make sure it’s painful, too.”
“Good.” And with that she fell still, eyes open, as three men ran through the front door.
Aisling fell back on her ass, staring at Maisie’s sightless gaze while the men spread out through the house. One knelt with a medic pack on Maisie’s other side and started to search for a pulse.
“It’s no use,” Aisling choked out. “She’s gone.” She’d seen too much death in her life not to recognize it when it struck.
Still, he checked her, started CPR.
