Page 60 of Her Ruthless Protector

“Tell me what you know.”

“No. Not until my children are safe.”

“Lady, you have to tell me something so that I know you have something worth saying.”

Kane waited. He really didn’t want her to be lying because he would like to help get her family out of here.

“I know that my husband originally planned four potential targets, and Yusef narrowed it down to two.”

“Sold. Get your kids, you’re coming with me.”

He looked up as he heard Leo use the front of the truck to push through the unlocked gate. He was already out of the driver’s seat and rushing toward Kane.

“I put your backpack right beside him,” Leo said as he fell to his knees beside the bound man. Kane, followed by Raiden, had the most medical training on the Night Storm team. “I’ve got these assholes, go fix Zed.”

Kane ran flat out to the truck. His mind was going a million miles a minute. The SUV was the smoother ride for Zed.

“Leo,” he yelled over his shoulder. “Load those jokers into the very back of the SUV. Zed’s going across the backseat where we can lay him out and buckle him in. In the third-row seats, put Abia and her children.”

Kane climbed into the back of the truck and saw Zed with a sloppy bandage all around his torso, lying in a pool of blood. His normally brown face was gray. His eyes glinted open. “We have receivers,” he gasped. “No need to yell orders.” Then the smartass’s eyes shut and he started to pant.

“Stick with me, Zaragoza. It looks bad on my performance eval when someone dies on my watch.”

“Fuck you,” Zed whispered.

Kane gave a shaky laugh as he looked under the bandage. This was not good. Not good at all. It had been a long time since he’d felt fear like this. He sent up a prayer. The bullet fragment missed the heart, and it looked like it missed the lung because of the lack of bubbles, but it was causing a shit ton of internal bleeding. Zed needed surgery.

Kane pulled out a sterile field dressing.

“Zed! Can you hear me?” His eyes fluttered. “Okay, Buddy, I need you to empty your lungs. So, you need to exhale, then hold your breath. Got that?” Zed’s eyes fluttered as he blew out air and held his breath. Kane tightly applied the plastic bandage, ensuring that an airtight seal was created. “Okay, we’re done.” Zed sucked in a shallow breath. Then his eyes closed and he seemed to pass out.

“Zed. Stay with me. You’re not allowed to go to sleep. You need to think about that pretty wife of yours. Marcia would kick your ass if you went to sleep on her now. LuLu needs her Daddy.”

Zed’s eyes fluttered open.

“Good man,” Kane breathed.

“Kane?” Leo said, “Were you serious about taking the woman and her kids?”

“Yes. Get them loaded up.”

Leo disappeared.

Kane turned to Zed again. His eyes were still open, his jaw was clenched. Then he opened his mouth. “Kane,” he rasped. “I need…”

“Save your strength,” Kane said.

“Shhh, listen,” Zed’s voice was barely a whisper. “Tell Marcia I love her.”

Kane swallowed. “Shut up. You’re going to be fine. I don’t want you spouting off deathbed babble.”

“Tell her she’s my everything,” Zed’s eyes fluttered, but they stayed open.

“Kane,” Leo said. He was at the mouth of the truck peering inside. “We can transfer Zed. I even found some gas to fill up the SUV.”

“Good job, Leo.”

As they carefully carried Zed across the courtyard, Kane saw that all of the women were tied up. They looked resigned. Hell, even the two dogs were lying down just watching them walk by, unconcerned by the carnage.