There we wait and hope that the others are okay.
The seconds turn into minutes, and with each breath, my stomach knots itself tighter and tighter. I need to see Alex and Theo and make sure they’re okay.Please be okay. It’s all I can do to keep myself from fidgeting and giving us away as my heart hammers against my chest. In the distance are the loud bangs and flashes of colourful light from the fireworks.
Harlow huffs quietly and presses her warm, furry body closer against me, offering me some comfort. I sink my shaking hands into her fur to keep them still.
Finally, I hear rustling and footsteps. A part of me relaxes, and I blow out a breath.They’re okay. I peek around the side of the bush, only for my relief to turn to stone. It’s not Alex and Theo emerging from the darkness. It’s Rachel and Tobias.
Oh God.
“Oh, fuck no,” Rhys says softly, coming to the same terrifying conclusion I have.
There’s no way Rachel and my brother should have beaten Theo and Alex back here. Not when the guys had the shortest distance between their fireworks and the staging area. A conscious decision made because Theo is still injured and there was no one else we trusted enough who could be a part of the op.
And yet they’re still not here.
No, no, no!
The dread in my stomach turns into full-blown panic as Rachel and Tobias look around the staging area in confusion.
“Alex and Theo aren’t back yet?” Rachel asks with a frown.
Rhys shakes his head. “No, but they set off their fireworks. So they can’t be—”
A masculine shout cuts him off that has my blood turning to ice in my veins. Iknowthat voice. I’min lovewith that voice.
Because it’s Theo, and from the sound of it, he’s in trouble.
An Impressive Way to Die
Theo
Getting to the fireworksand lighting them was supposed to be the easiest part of our plan. Unfortunately, my injury unexpectedly flaring up makes getting there harder and longer than expected.
So by the time we reach the first one we’re supposed to light, Rhys and Ollie have already set off two of their fireworks. Meaning we’re running behind and putting ourselves at a massive risk of being found and shot.
Thankfully, we scramble to light our fireworks without any problems. But, as we drag our asses towards the staging area, a bullet whizzes by our noses to embed itself into a nearby tree. Alex curses, and both of us throw ourselves to the ground as more fly over our heads, forcing us to crawlthrough the mud.
Alex quickly moves ahead, easily crawling through the mire like he was born in it. The lucky bastard. I, on the other hand, flounder like a beached whale as my ass and thigh throbs in agony with each movement. The thick mud clings to my clothes and skin, making it that much harder and more painful to push myself through it. All while bullets whizz around us and the shouts of our enemies grow louder.
“Shit, Theo. Get a move on,” Alex says as he glances over his shoulder. “These guys are almost on us!”
“I’m not exactly lying around taking a nap here,” I snap through gritted teeth, forcing myself to move quicker despite the pain.
Alex reaches a large rock big enough to serve as cover and scrambles behind it. “Well, if you don’t move faster, you’ll be taking a permanent nap!”
Just to prove his point, a bullet slams into the ground not too far from where I am, causing bits of mud and grass to explode into confetti over me. I shout out with a mixture of shock and terror. Another one hits even closer, sending more muck spraying at me. That shot is followed by the voices of people who sound like they’re only a few metres away.
Thatgets my ass moving.
By the time I reach the large rock that Alex is hiding behind, I’m panting, sweating and swallowing back bile. My vision wavers with black spots, and all I can do is lean against the rock and suck in huge lungfuls of air. My ass and thigh are on fire, the agony causing the muscles to quiver as it licks up my spine.
“Fuck,” I pant as Alex moves to my side, his brow furrowed with concern. “I’m never getting shot in the ass again.”
Some of the worry on his face fades. “Didn’t realise you’d been considering it.” He shifts to glance around the edge of the rock, only to curse and dart back as bullets whizz past his head. “We’re kind of pinned.”
“Between a rock and a hard place,” I say, unable to stop a small chuckle from spilling from my lips. “I didn’t expect that to be so literal.”
“Well, unless you want to end upliterallydead, we need to come up with something.”
