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Her abrupt exit and strange apology left an uneasy feeling in the pit of Rhiannon’s stomach. She glanced at Pierce, her brow furrowed with concern.
Pierce’s expression mirrored her unease. His hands moved slowly, his signs measured.“Something isn’t right.”
Before she could reply, a sudden noise from the woods beyond the house shattered the quiet—an unmistakable crunch of footsteps.
Pierce was already moving, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the door. “Inside. Now.”
But it was too late.
Pierce pushed her down, shielding her with his body as the air filled with the sharp drumming of automatic rifle fire. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Her world narrowed to the feel of Pierce’s body on top of hers, the hard press of the porch floor against her back.
Glass shattered. Wood splintered. The rapid pop-pop-pop of gunfire seemed to come from every direction at once.
Pierce grunted in pain above her, and she felt something warm and wet soak through her shirt. Blood. His blood.
“Pierce!”
He lifted his head, his face tight with pain and grim determination. He signed rapidly with one hand. “I’m okay. Stay down.”
Then he was rolling off her, rising into a crouch. He pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans and returned fire, the muzzle flash illuminating the darkness in staccato bursts.
Rhiannon crawled toward the door, her heart in her throat. She had to get inside, had to find Rylan and Ethan and?—
“Inside. Now.”
Rhiannon didn’t argue, her heart slamming against her ribs as Pierce hustled her through the door. He slammed it shut behind them and twisted the lock.
Pierce let out a sharp, questioning whistle.
Rylan came running, a gun already in his hand. “How many out back?”
“Too many,”Pierce signed.
“Shit. We had multiple enemy contacts out front, too. Zak and Ethan’s men are holding them off, but I don’t know how much longer they’ll be able to.” Rylan’s eyes narrowed. “Halston?”
“Most likely.”
Rylan nodded grimly. “Get into the safe room. We got your six.”
Pierce grabbed Rhiannon’s hand and pulled her deeper into the house.
“And Pierce?” Rylan called after him. “Take care of her.”
Pierce looked back at him, and for a split second, neither man moved, a million words passing between them without a sound being spoken.
Then gunfire ripped through a window and peppered the wall behind Rylan’s head.
“Ry!” She lunged toward him, but Pierce roughly pulled her toward a room off the kitchen. Just before he shut the door, she saw Rylan pop to his feet and run toward the fight. He was okay.
She stumbled after Pierce, her mind racing. How had Halston found them so quickly? Unless...
Unless someone had tipped them off.
Her stomach dropped as she remembered Izzy’s strange behavior and ominous apology.
Dear God, what had she done?
They burst into a bedroom, and Pierce shoved the bed aside, revealing a trapdoor hidden beneath. He yanked it open to expose a ladder leading down into a small, concrete room.
