Another guy comes straight in toward Ryder.
Bad choice.
Ryder moves.
One second, the man is upright, the next Ryder has him folded as if he’s bad laundry and is already on his third problem.
A fourth man comes through fast from the left.
“Grab the girl!” someone shouts.
My vision tunnels.
No.
Absolutely not.
I push Aurora farther back.
“Stay there,” I snap.
She shakes her head immediately, because of course she does. “I’m not just going to?—”
“Aurora.”
My tone gets through. She stops arguing. She’s smart enough to know timing matters.
Another man appears in the opening. Followed by more…
So, yeah. Cool. Awesome. Being outnumbered before breakfast.
One guy shifts right.
Toward her.
My whole body locks onto that line of movement.
No.
He’s wiry. Fast looking. The kind of man who counts on surprise and cheap shots.
He’s got something in his hand, and suddenly all the time in the world folds into one ugly, narrow second.
I step in front of Aurora just as he swings.
I’m expecting a punch.
Instead, I get fire.
White hot, slicing fire across my side.
“Oh, shit…” The words leave me on a breath I didn’t mean to spend.
Aurora screams my name.
The guy comes again, but now the shock is gone, and all that’s left is fury. I grab his wrist, slam it hard against the metal shelf until something clatters loose, then put my fist into his face.
He drops.
