“Wyatt!” Hope grabs me. I groan as the agony in my shoulder turns the whole world bright white. My heartbeat roars in my ears, but her voice pierces the din. “Let him live—Murphy too—and I’ll go with you.”
What? Oh, hell no.
Shaking off the haze of pain, I straighten. “Hope, you are not going with this pile of shit.”
“I have to.” Tears line her eyes, and she touches my cheek. The rifle still hangs from her shoulder. She’s no threat to Brix or any of his men. He knows it. Not with the two on either side of us ready to shoot me for breathing too loudly. “I can’t let him hurt you too.” Without taking her eyes off me, she says, “Wyatt isn’t a threat to anyone, Brix. He’s just a guy who wanted to spend the rest of his life in the middle of nowhere. He doesn’t have a phone or a car or even a computer.”
When she turns to him, the dickwad is grinning. “We’re leaving. Now.” He snaps his fingers. “Come. Here.”
Hope leans in and brushes her lips to mine.
No. I will not let her go like this. This woman is it for me. I can’t lose her. I don’t care what I have to do. Live in a big city? Done. Move to a war zone? I wouldn’t give it a second thought.
There is no fucking way that sadistic idiot in Salt Lake City is ever laying a hand on her—chirping. The sound comes from my ten o’clock. That’s not a bird. Sliding my hand up to tangle in Hope’s dark locks, I kiss her for all I’m worth, until I hear five more high-pitched notes.
Brix turns beet red. When I let Hope come up for air, a vein in his forehead starts to throb.
Four chirps.
“Don’t do this, Hope.” I wish I had a way to tell her what’s coming. All I can do now is stall. “Murphy needs you. I need you.” Reaching down to stroke the dog’s ears, I tap his neck and rest my fingers on the top of his head.
Three.
“We could have a future,” I say quietly.
“Not if they kill you.” Her tears fall, and she stares down at her feet. “I put you in danger. This is the only way they’ll let you and Murphy live. Trust me, Wyatt. Hold on to the memories we made.”
Two.
The memory card. She really does think I’m going to let her go.
“Darlin’? You remember what I said to you the first night? About how I’d always be honest with you? About why I didn’t lie?”
Her gaze softens, and she swipes at her cheek. “I’ll never forget.”
One.
“Something else you should know about men like me.” In one fluid movement, I grab her around the waist and take her to the ground. Three quick shots, followed by three bodies hitting the soft spring grass. “We have friends.”
Murphy sprints through the trees, and five seconds later, the last of the men screams. I roll with Hope until we reach the pistol, and when the coward stumbles into view, I put a bullet through his heart.
“Sampson!” I call as Murphy bounds up to us, drops onto his haunches, and stares at me with a self-satisfied expression in his eyes. “About fucking time.”
12
Wyatt
“You’re welcome.” West Sampson drops out of a tree fifty yards to the north. Dressed in a pair of black pants and a dark blue Henley, he slings his M4 over his shoulder. “Damn lucky I spotted the last one when I pulled off the road. He was operating a drone, giving the other dumbfucks directions. Would have been here sooner, but I had to neutralize him and his goddamn machine.”
Hope shudders underneath me. I get to my feet, help her up, and tuck her against my side. “You okay, darlin’?”
“Wh-what just happened?” Her dazed expression worries me, but at least she’s not freaking the fuck out.
“West happened.” Heading for the man who just saved our lives—and ended four others—I try not to let Hope see just how much pain I’m in. “Hope, this is West Sampson. Retired Navy SEAL and a damn good shot.”
“Hi…?” As if she’s just realized Brix and his men are dead only ten feet away, her knees buckle, and I tighten my hold on her. “Sorry. I’m…um…dizzy.”
“Adrenaline crash. Lean on me.” I whistle for Murphy, and he bounds over to us, his tongue hanging out of his mouth like he’s just found the biggest stash of kibble in the world. “Can we take this inside?” I ask.
