Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
“You don’t,” Ian said. “You do your job. Parker’s getting her. Huisman, you’re surrounded. There’s no way out.”
“There’s always a way out.” Huisman looked more relaxed now. “Ah, there they are. Mr. Taggart, I believe you’ve won this skirmish of ours, but I’ll win the war. Right now, though, I think it’s time for some chaos. Let’s see who you care about more. Jean-Marc, do it.”
Huisman ducked behind Carys as Ian tried to take a shot. Aidan turned to Tristan, terrified he would see one of the guards put a bullet in his head. Instead, the guard held up some kind of device and pressed a button. Tristan kicked out, forcing the other guard to the ground, and the fight began.
“Get down,” Ian yelled. “There’s a bomb.”
Aidan ran for Carys, not caring what could happen. All that mattered was protecting her.
He threw his body on hers as the world exploded.
* * * *
Carys felt the chair fall back when Aidan leapt on her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Huisman running, heard the sound of bullets, and then the blast of a bomb going off. Her head would have banged against the marbled floors if the back hadn’t been so high.
“Stay still,” Aidan whispered. “I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Tris,” she said. They’d had guns on him. The ground was shaking, and she could see the chandelier above her rocking back and forth.
The sound of gunfire was added to the chaos.
It was obvious the guards weren’t running like their boss had. They also weren’t going down without a fight.
She gasped as she felt a bullet fly by her cheek, heat searing her skin.
“That was close.” Aidan moved so he covered her completely. “I have to get you out of here.”
“TJ, don’t you fucking dare,” Ian was shouting. “We don’t know where that bomb was or how many more he has. We retreat.”
“I have to get Kala,” Cooper insisted, his voice tortured.
Where was Tris? Was he dead?
“Use this.” Then Tris was there, offering Aidan a knife. “We have to move. That chandelier is going to come down, and Ian’s right. We don’t know what else he’s going to blow up. If he prepped for this, he could blow the rest of it sky high once he’s out of range.”
Aidan nodded and then her hands were free.
“Cooper, Parker has her. Get your ass out of here,” Ian shouted. “TJ, get to Lou. Make sure he doesn’t take her on his way out.”
She got a glimpse of combat boots running by.
The chandelier shook and dropped a few feet.
Tris hauled her up, taking her into his arms and moving right before the chandelier dropped, shaking the floor. It cracked the table in two, spraying glass and dust everywhere.
“Get her out of here,” Adam yelled. “The ceiling is going to come down. Get out of the house.”
Tristan started running, Aidan at their side.
Carys held on to him, her wrists aching, but she didn’t think about the pain. Tris was alive. That was all that mattered. He ran out into the sunlight, forcing her to blink at the brightness.
Tristan moved out to the middle of the lawn before setting her on her feet. “Aidan, look her over.”
“What happened?” Aidan was in her space, staring into her eyes. “What did he do to you?”
“They drugged me, but I’m fine. It’s Kala I’m worried about.” Everything had happened so fast. “Did they get away?”
“I took out the guards he left behind.” Cooper stared at the door. “They didn’t run fast enough, but Huisman did.”
There was the sound of rattling as the roof began to collapse.
“Aidan, I’m fine.” She felt weak, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. Where was Kala? “They gave her a paralytic. She won’t be able to walk on her own.”
Through the smoke she saw Ian walking out and then Parker. The big Canadian carried Kala. She was slack in his arms, unconscious.
Or worse. What had the drugs done to her? Tears blurred her eyes as Parker carried her cousin closer.
Cooper hit his knees, and the sound that came from him threatened to wreck Carys. She looked over and tears streamed down his cheeks. Parker stopped in front of him, looking down at Cooper.
“But she’s not your girlfriend,” Parker said, no inflection in his tone. “She’s alive.”
“Give her to me.” Cooper lifted his arms, taking Kala into them and cradling her to his chest. He’d lost any sort of situational awareness because every cell of that man’s body was focused on the woman in his arms. He smoothed back her hair. “Wake up, baby. You gotta wake up for me.”
Carys moved in, taking Kala’s wrist in her hand. Her pulse was steady. She worked around Cooper, who wasn’t giving her up and checked her vitals. “I think she’s passed out, but we need to get her to a hospital.”