I snatch the hunter’s gun and aim it at the new man. He raises his hand, but I don’t bother asking questions. For all I know, he’s one of them.
Shoot first and ask questions later is my new strategy, I decide as I press the trigger and pray my luck hasn’t run out.
8
Angelo
Iheard her yell fuck off at someone as we descended a steep path through the trees. From Kane’s wide-eyed stare, he drew the same conclusion. The trees are thick in this part of the forest, which makes it harder, but I’m no longer trying to be quiet.
I crash through the undergrowth like a bull. A man screams before Chiara yells some nonsense that makes no sense whatsoever. Just as I slide down a slope, I hear a gunshot followed by silence.
Kane’s faster than me. When I break through the trees, he’s kneeling over her. All I can see is blood. So much of it. Nobody can survive that amount of blood loss.
I stumble forward as devastation hits me. Are we too late?
“Breathe, kitten,” Kane says in a low voice.
“Kane?” Chiara repeats, sounding confused. I belatedly realize we’re wearing masks, so of course she has no clue who we are.
“Yes, kitten. You’re safe now.”
“She fucking shot me!” A disgruntled voice catches my attention; Declan is clutching his blood-stained bicep.
“Good girl,” Kane chuckles.
Declan swears up a storm.
“I assume you’ve found your wife,” one of the other guys says in my ear.
“Yeah,” I reply.
“You need to get the fuck out of there,” Milo pipes up. “There are men and dogs heading your way.”
Declan points back up the slope, and I nod.
“Are you injured?” Chiara blinks up at me. She’s never looked more beautiful. My avenging princess. Warm blue eyes stand out against pale, blood-splattered skin. She doesn’t reply, and I wonder if she’s going into shock. Fuck.
“Princess! I need your words!” My urgent tone triggers a response this time.
“My ankle,” she whispers, more to Kane than me, but I’ll take what I can get. “Sprained, I think.”
Kane scoops her up in his arms. “Relax, kitten. I got you.” Her eyelids flicker shut as she passes out.
Declan kicks the corpse. “Isn’t that the guy who just sold his AI startup to Google for some obscene amount?” Before I can reply, he pulls a phone from his pocket and snaps a photo.
“Yeah,” Milo confirms in my ear a few moments later. “Now move. It’s a three-point-seven kilometer hike back to the extraction point, and the weather is worsening.”
Declan wraps a strip of fabric around his bicep while grunting something about fucking women, but I’m not interested. It’s a flesh wound. He’ll live.
A volley of barks in the distance confirms what Milo has told us. Ronan is still out there, doing god knows what. But he can take care of himself. I don’t rate the chances of the men and dogs hunting us. Not with all the weapons he’s carrying.
“Let’s move,” Kane barks. “My girl’s in shock.”
Declan slants an amused look at me while I grit my teeth. She’s not his girl. She’s mine.
“Sounds like you fuckers have some fun conversations ahead, my friend,” he laughs as we jog up the slope.
He’s right, but I’m not thinking about that right now. It can wait until my wife is safe.
