She pulled the knife out as he stumbled back, grabbing at his neck.
Nausea tried to crawl up her throat, but she didn’t let it. She didn’t have time. She bent over and madly sawed at the bindings on her ankles but quickly realized it would take too long. She pulled at the knot.
“You’ve got it, Bonnie.”
Zane’s gentle words made the shake in her fingers still. In seconds, she was free.
She shot to her feet, pocketknife in hand. But she’d only taken a step when a body hit her. She fell to the floor hard, her cheek scraping against concrete, the knife slipping from her fingers.
“I’m going to kill you,” the guy seethed.
“Get off her!” Zane yelled.
She bucked her hips, and as she did, he slipped an arm beneath her stomach. Immediately, she grabbed his arm and turned hard toward his shoulder, using her hips to drive the motion.
He grunted and rolled to his side.
She kicked her heel back between his legs, and followed up by smashing the back of her head into his face.
A crunch sounded, then a howl. He released her, and Bonnie crawled to the knife and shot to her feet, moving behind Zane and pulling at the bindings around his wrists.
Shit, his were tight. She switched to the knife, sawing at the rope.
The guy on the ground was groaning, and when he moved, panic dug its claws into her chest.
Come on.
The rope broke.
Zane pulled his hands free and bent over to work on his ankle bindings.
The man on the floor rose. Bonnie stood too, about to step in front of Zane to protect him—but the guy pulled out a gun.
That’s when Zane shot up. He moved quickly, hitting the guy’s wrist with one hand and grabbing the gun with the other.
Footsteps came from the stairs.
Someone else was coming.
Zane was throwing a fist at the bald guy as a man cursed from the stairs. He lifted his own gun, and Bonnie moved on instinct, screaming and lunging toward Zane.
The bullet hit her in the shoulder. The last thing she heard was Zane’s shout before she fell.
Zane threwa hard elbow to the asshole’s left cheek. The guy dropped, unmoving, eyes closed.
Bonnie’s scream pierced the air. Zane’s head shot up—but he saw the shooter too late. The gun fired but it didn’t hit him. Bonnie dove to cover him.
Zane’s world stopped. It just fucking halted at the sight of Bonnie going down, the bullet catching her in the shoulder.
“No.”
He wasn’t sure if the sound even made it to the air, but his growl sure as hell did.
Bonnie hadn’t even hit the floor before he lifted the gun in his hand and fired, a bullet hitting the guy between the eyes.
Zane didn’t wait to see him hit the floor. He dropped to Bonnie’s side.
“Bonnie?” Fuck. There was so much blood. “Talk to me, honey! Open your eyes.”
