Rune suddenly shouted, “What the fuck are you doing here?”
And that's when we heard the sirens. Combined with the thickening smoke of the spreading fires, it became a clear sign to leave.
“Let's go!” Braxen said as he grabbed my hand.
The other two didn't argue. They just followed us through the burning wreckage, Rune pausing only to retrieve the machine gun I had discarded. Outside, Brax lifted his brows at the sight of his truck but didn't pause. And he didn't pull any masculine bullshit either. He let go of me and ran to the driver's side, trusting me to get in on my own. I jumped in the passenger side, and the other two men ran past us.
In seconds, Braxen was backing out of the driveway at top speed, using only the rearview mirror as a guide. I had a feeling that if a car came down the road, he'd simply slam it aside and keep going. Luckily, the street was empty. He pulled out, spun the wheel, and sped off. We passed Rune and Merrick on the way. They were in the van and pulled out behind us.
As we left the neighborhood, I wondered how the police managed to catch anyone. I had blown up a house, killed a bunch of people, and still had time to leave.
Holy crap, I had killed people. The thought sank in. I looked down at my hands as they started to shake.
“Put on your seatbelt,” Brax said.
I looked at him. He looked straight out of a horror flick, but his expression was steady. The cleanest thing on him was the gun tucked into his waistband. He glanced at me and nodded toward the seatbelt.
I absently pulled it across my chest and fastened it.
“I'm a murderer,” I whispered.
“Baby girl, you are the most incredible woman I've ever met,” Braxen said. “You did what we couldn't and saved us. Itwasn't murder; it was defense. And fuck me, but I love you all the more for it. I will never forget the way you looked standing there, backlit by the chaos you wrought, a pile of bodies at your feet, holding a gun like a fucking pro. I've never seen anything so beautiful.”
The shaking subsided. I stared at Braxen, seeing the man beneath the blood. My man. He was safe. Because of me. Calm returned. Braxen was right. I had done what I had to do to save them. I didn't know how I'd known that they needed help, but I had. It was their need that had propelled me into action.
And I would act again if necessary.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“What the fuck?!” Rune roared as he burst out of the van. “Are you insane?!”
“Back up,” Braxen said.
“The fuck I will,” Rune, who had obviously been stewing the entire way home, snarled. He grabbed my arm and shook me. “You could have been killed.”
“No!” I jerked my arm out of his grip. “Youcould have been killed. Something told me to go. So I went. But I wasn't going to do anything unless you needed me. I parked across the street and waited. Then I heard Braxen shout.”
“So, you came in guns blazing like fucking Rambo?” Merrick demanded.
“Don't be ridiculous,” I huffed. “I shot a rocket into the house first.”
Braxen snorted a laugh.
“This isn't funny!” Rune roared.
“It kinda is.” Brax took my hand and drew me into the house, leaving the other two behind.
“What's wrong with you?” Rune fumed as he chased us. “Braxen, she could have died.”
“She's smart.”
“She's smart?” Rune asked in amazement. “That's your reasoning?”
“She's not a soldier, but she figured it out. She became one.” Brax paused in the kitchen to look back at the other two. “For us. She killed our enemies when we couldn't. Because she's a fucking badass.”
“That rule about killing humans did hinder us a bit,” Merrick admitted.
Braxen started walking off again.
