The guards approached cautiously, their guns cocked and aimed at us. The door burst open again and a tall, lithe man strode out. The guards parted like the Red Sea.
So, this was the King of the Piranhas.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” The man stood with a wide stance, his arms crossed, and a pompous expression.
Dickhead.
The fucker made a tsking sound, shaking his head like he was scolding a five-year-old for not making their bed. “What have you been up to, wife?”
She flinched. Okay, even this chick didn’t deserve to be married to this ass.
“Kilter? Delara and Jedrik are at the north wall. Get out now,” Danni shouted.
Piranha King reached out his hand, palm up. “Come here, Rayne.”
I tightened my grip and whispered into her ear. “Yeah, I’d divorce him, babe.”
“You have no escape,” the pretentious tight-ass said. “Surrender and you’ll live.”
To be his lab rat? “Fuck you,” I growled.
An arrow soared through the air and hit the guard on the left of the anal-retentive husband. Jedrik was right on time. The guards dove for cover looking in every direction, guns aimed and ready but with no target. I made my move and shoved Rayne forward into the distracted guards, and then turned and jumped.
Bullets went wild and I wondered if the woman had gotten her wish after all.
I landed in the grass on my feet and rolled to the side of the building for cover. Two more arrows flew above and I heard shouts and the scrambling of feet on the rooftop.
“Get going, hero,” Jedrik said. “Two above you, the rest have taken to the stairs. Bingo, one above you. Just been spotted.”
I took one step to make a sprint across the grass to the north wall when I faltered. A woman’s scream rose into the air. Shivers coursed down my spine and my heart literally stopped for seconds. For once in my miserable life, I knew I’d been wrong. That one scream said it all.
“Fuck.”
Ice shifted through my veins. Sweet Jesus, I’d just left that girl in the hands of a madman.
Bullets hissed past my head and I slammed my back against the building. It was a hell of a run to the wall, especially with bullets chasing after me. I liked a challenge, but I’d rather be killed by a Grit than a bloody human with bullets. Goddamn undignified.
I ran anyway. Arrows went past me, one after the other as the guards made it to ground level and chased after me. A bullet slammed into the back of my shoulder and I stumbled. Twenty yards. Fifteen yards. I saw Jedrik lying on top of the wall, his hand outstretched and ready to help me.
Ten yards. A searing pain exploded into my leg and it gave out on me. I fell to the ground with a grunt. Jedrik swore. Obviously, they were either bad shots, or they were ordered to keep me alive because I should be dead right now.
I ground my teeth as I unsteadily got up, holding my leg. Another bullet hit my good calf, and my legs gave out completely.
“Get the fuck out of here,” I shouted to Jedrik. “Blow this place sky high.”
“No way, asshole,” Jedrik retorted.
The guards aimed their guns at Jedrik. It was then I saw movement to the west as Keir and Balen came running toward me. Balen threw a grenade and a loud bang sounded behind me, then several animalistic sounds of pain.
With his throwing knives, Keir hit a guard in the forehead who was aiming at Jedrik.
Balen reached me first, grabbed my arm, and hauled me to my feet. I ignored the agonizing pain in my legs as I was pulled forward into a run. Keir and Jedrik gave cover as we staggered to the wall. My legs were fuckin’ useless, and my shoulder was burning like an inferno. Still, I grabbed Jedrik’s outstretched hand and he pulled me onto the wall. Delara stood on the other side waiting.
“Go. Go. Go.” Delara slipped her knife in its holster and stood ready as Jedrik lowered me over the side. She stumbled under my weight but managed to keep the pressure off my legs as she wrapped her arm around my waist.
“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” Delara said. She hauled me forward into a run.
“Is Ryker safe?”
“Yeah. Had a sweet scent of Hannah overhead. Amulet do that?” Delara asked.
I nodded.
“Nice plan. Would’ve been nice to know about it. I’ve scented some strange shit in that compound. Probably CWOs. They’re not wasting any time coming after us with that cowboy stunt you just pulled.”
“He’s safe, isn’t he?” I looked back over my shoulder and saw Balen, Keir, and Jedrik head in the opposite direction. Their never-lead-the-enemy-toward-the wounded tactic. They’d make themselves visible until they were certain Delara had gotten me to safety.
Delara dragged my sorry ass across the open field toward an area where the ground dipped into a valley. Her pace quickened and I felt as if I was going to pass out as my vision blurred. Fuck that, Delara wouldn’t leave me behind, and she couldn’t carry me. And no way in hell was I letting either of us become lab rats to that psycho.
Especially since I knew, one day I’d have to come back for her.
KILTER RAISED HELL, JUST as I fuckin’ expected. The guy was known to do things his way and none too quietly. The good news was the amulet worked. Hannah had brought Ryker to safety. Obviously, Kilter had known what the amulet was capable of.
“Danni, we’re out. On my way. Stay where you are.”
“Can’t really go too far,” she replied.
If I wasn’t running like hell, I’d have laughed.