What is she doing?
“He…might…not risk…it.” Mac choked out. “But I…will!”
She pulled a knife—a fuckingknife—out from under her shirt and stabbed Doyle in the thigh. The man howled when she twisted the blade.
Moving the gun from Mac’s head, Doyle buckled at the waist from pain. Taking advantage of the moment, Mac spun on the balls of her feet, pushing against the man’s chest to get away. When she did, Doyle lifted the gun again, pointing it straight at her.
Mac turned and flew toward the ground right as Doyle—and every other man there—pulled their triggers. A barrage of gunfire blasted through the air, the sound of Alpha Team taking their target down.
With his weapon empty, Coop caught sight of Doyle’s bullet-riddled body. It was over. He and Mac were safe, and it was fucking over.
Mac!
Coop tossed the useless weapon to the ground and ran toward where she still lay. “You’re clear. Doyle’s down.”
Groaning, she started to push herself up.
“That’s one way to unfuck it.” Derek lowered his weapon. “Y’all okay?”
He and the others walked toward them.
“Yeah.” Coop huffed out a breath as he knelt to help Mac to her feet. “We’re good.”
Grant growled and shook his head. “Too fucking close, man.”
“Tell me about it.” Coop looked down at Mac, who seemed to be struggling to get up. “Hey, you okay? Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”
“Sort…of.” Her voice sounded off, like she was holding her breath while she talked.
Giving up on trying to stand, she rolled over onto her back. When she did, Coop’s entire world came crashing to a terrifying, soul-wrenching stop.
In the light from the power pole nearby, the reason for Mac’s struggles was clear to see. Blood—so much fucking blood—covered the left side of her lower torso.
It was soaked into her shirt. Was on her hands and the top of her jeans. Coop watched in horror as a puddle of the crimson liquid slowly began to puddle on the gravel beneath her.
Oh, God. No!
His eyes flew to hers. “Mac?”
She winced, her breathing rough as she tried to talk. “Henry…got me…before I…w-went down.”
“Oh, shit.” Derek looked at Coop. “I’ll call it in.”
Coop dropped down beside her, ignoring the biting pain from the sharp rocks digging into his knees. He pressed his hands against the wound, cringing when Mac cried out in pain.
“I’m sorry, baby.” His heart raced. “I know it hurts, but we’ve got to stop the bleeding.”
She covered his blood-soaked hand with one of hers, tears falling across her temples onto the ground below. “I’m s-sorry. Messed…everything…up.”
Looking nowhere but into her eyes, Coop shook his head and forced a smile. “No, baby. You didn’t mess anything up.”
“L-liar.” She tried to smile.
“Trev!” Coop blinked, not even realizing there were tears falling fromhiseyes.
“Right here. Let me take a look.”
Trevor moved Coop’s hands to get a better assessment of the damage. Lifting the hem of the dampened shirt, they could see where the bullet had entered.
