He’d barely taken a step when Tony fired, a bullet hitting Angelo in the shoulder. Her brother went down hard, and several men rushed the stall. She heard a scuffle, a few grunts ofpain, and then her brother was dragged out, a man on each side of him holding his arms.
Blood pooled from the shoulder of his T-shirt, but he was awake and furious as he fought to break free of their holds.
They dropped Angelo to his knees in front of Tony. Her ex-fiancé shook his head. “That was foolish of you. But then again, you always were a fool when it came to your precious little sister.”
Nessa glanced at the back of Tony’s head. What the hell did he mean by that?
“Did you really think I’d let you waltz in here, shoot my men, and then leave with what you wanted?” Tony pistol-whipped Angelo, the butt of his gun connecting with Angelo’s forehead.
Her brother grunted, clenching his jaw. He looked up from beneath his dark lashes, his eyes meeting hers. So much regret was reflected in his gaze that Nessa had to look away, unable to deal with her brother’s own inner turmoil right now.
“What did you think you’d accomplish with this little stunt? Fucking morons, the both of you.” Tony scratched his chin with the barrel of his gun. “I think, just for killing my men, I’ll have you watch me torture and fuck your sister for a few hours. Then you’ll take me to my money, Angie.”
Nessa sagged against her bindings, her final hope fleeing instantly.
Chapter 45
“Park here,” Dante instructed from the back seat. “If we drive too close, they might hear us.”
Murphy pulled over onto the side of the old dirt road, switching off the engine and jumping from the vehicle. The others followed suit, quietly closing their doors to avoid any unnecessary noises.
Tension thrummed in his veins, his bear stalking back and forth in his mind, eager to be released. Murphy was just as ready for the shift, ready to find Nessa and ensure Tony never breathed her air again. Each minute away from her was excruciating, stark terror of the unknown threatening to drive him insane.
He knew what Tony was capable of. How easily he’d hurt Nessa before. She’d been in his company for a little over two hours now. Two hours too long.
What if he’d hurt her again? What the fuck could he do in that time? Nausea burned in his gut.
She’s okay. She’s okay,Murphy encouraged himself, ignoring the bitter sting in his chest and the tightness in his lungs as he forced himself to take one breath after the next.
She’s okay, he repeated like a prayer. Because he didn’t know what he’d do if she wasn’t.
His throat constricted with emotion, a raw, guttural roar of pain nearly spilling into the afternoon air. He beat it back, pushing himself to remain calm.
He couldn’t lose his focus now, not when Nessa needed him the most.
I’m coming, sweetheart.
“The barn is less than a quarter mile through the trees,” Dante pointed toward the woods on Murphy’s left. The males turned to face that direction. “It’s a typical barn. Big and red; you can’t miss it.”
“How are we doing this?” Jasper asked. He rolled his shoulders back, his eyes narrowed in anger.
“One will stay in their human form. The rest will shift with me,” Murphy ordered, grabbing his sweater and ripping it over his head. Usually, he undressed and shifted privately, wanting to avoid any glances toward the scars on his body.
The last time anyone had seen them had been a few months ago, when he’d shifted into his human form to save Nessa’s life when Hunny had been attacked. It had been years before that.
His insecurities weren’t important now, though; nothing mattered but saving his mate.
Murphy tossed his sweater into his still-open door as he toed off his shoes. He reached for the button of his jeans next, quickly pushing the rest of his clothing down his legs.
“I’ll stay human,” Colter offered. “The rest of you shift.”
Marcus nodded, and the rest of the males quickly disrobed, also tossing their clothes into the SUV.
“Protecting Nessa is our priority,” Murphy instructed, anxiety clawing at his gut as the seconds ticked by. “We keep her safe, no matter what. Do you understand?”
“With my life, if I have to,” Jasper replied readily, guilt shining in his eyes as he looked away from Murphy.
“This isn’t your fault,” Murphy assured him. He clapped his brother on the shoulder, squeezing gently. He looked up, staring at each male who’d come with him. “Whatever grievances we have with one another, they’re irrelevant right now. Nessa is all that matters.”
