"Don't stop on my account," he said, voice rough with arousal. "The boss said to watch, but I want a closer view."
I released Aoife, pulled up my boxers and jeans, and pivoted in one smooth motion. Before the hunter could raise his weapon, I was on him. A precise strike to his throat silenced any potential call for backup. My knee connected with his solar plexus as I twisted the gun from his grasp.
Behind me, I heard the crash of breaking glass and I turned to see two more men breach through different windows. Aoife somehow managed to quickly pull her jeans up and put onher black sports bra. Her shirt was ruined so pretty much useless. She moved with surprising grace, clearly not a stranger to combat training. Driving her elbow into the first attacker's sternum, she followed with a knee to his groin that doubled him over.
As I fended off my opponent, punching him on the side of the head to land him in a momentary daze, the second one rushed Aoife, but she feinted left, then dropped low, sweeping his legs from under him. When he crashed down, I finished him with a temple strike that rendered him unconscious.
She turned to the other one.
Three in here. Three should remain outside. Unless there were more.
Eleven
ALEXANDER MOORE
My guy was comingto and tried to attack from behind. Prepared, I swivelled on my feet and hit him with targeted blows to the stomach, chest and groin. Aoife let out a scream and I was momentarily distracted. Big mistake. He punched me.
As we struggled, I maneuvered him behind the couch to a dark spot where Beatrice couldn’t catch with the camera in the corner, acting as if the man had managed to get the upper hand for a few moments. Then, quickly grabbing a pillow from the sofa, pressed it to his face, and threw the man’s rifle out of his reach. He fought and fought, to no avail. Finally, he went limp and I relaxed my hold.
BANG!! BANG!!
I lifted my head to see Aoife standing over her opponent, stuffing the man’s mouth with the barrel of the rifle I’d just sent sliding across the floor, and blowing his head off. With speed I’d never seen, she shot the third guy in the chest before he could lunge at her. Blood sprayed all over the place, over her scant clothing, her skin, her face, marking her features with a war-paint-like pattern that framed a look of intense concentration.
In that precise moment, time stood still. Rifle now at her side, her chest rising and falling, her brows bunched, she looked like a fiery Amazon. One I couldn’t imagine ever letting go, even if the thought seemed impossible.
Aoife O’Malley was a sight to behold. I swallowed hard, transfixed while knowing I needed to get a move on.
Had she ever killed anyone before?
She turned and looked out the window, lost in her own world. Her pain was palpable, and that gave me my answer. Although she’d just killed two human beings, she did not have the soul of a murderer. Not like me. Something tightened in my chest. A heart I did not know I had. Memories of sins that destroyed the man I could have been.
Today would haunt her for a long time. Hardened as I was, I still knew how that would feel, and I hated it for her.
A soundin the distance had me return to the present. That was no animal. Soon, we’d be trapped in here, surrounded.
Struck by an idea, I proceeded to hastily remove my victim’s clothing and put it on me. Luckily, the man had more or less my build, just a bit shorter. Putting on his tactical mask, the scent of sweat and death assailing my nostrils, I braced myself before standing and moving once more within view of the camera.
Fast like lightning.
Aoife gasped when I wrapped my hands around her arms like manacles, from behind, my scar carefully hidden. She started to look around.
“Don’t,” I cautioned, and she stiffened.
I saw her throat move as she swallowed. “What did you do … to Alex…” Was that a tear sliding down her cheek.
My insides flipped and dropped, cracking. She wouldn’t cry for me. I wouldn’t believe that, so it was like I didn’t see it.
I checked the weapon lying near one of the men—a modified Glock, full magazine. Pulling her back, releasing her a moment with one hand, I picked it up and slipped it in the holster I’d put on. I yanked her to me.
I squeezed her arm harder and she flinched, then I let out a laugh. "Yourloverwon’t be rescuing you any time soon, bitch!" I shouted, moving us toward the other window on the rear where the cottage backed against the densest part of the forest. “Any more friends we should worry about?”
Aoife shook her head, terror on her face. I gave a cursory glance to the massacre we were leaving behind.
"Whore," I spat in a deeper voice than my normal while leading her out into the night. “You killed my friends and you’ll pay for that. That’s a promise.”
She screamed when I squeezed her arm so hard this time, it must have hurt like the devil. “W-where is Alex? What happened?” she asked again. Her pitch rose at the second question, betraying a state of panic.
I swallowed.
