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I scoffed, ignoring the little flutter in my stomach. “Just try not to get yourself surrounded, Hennessy. I’d hate to have to save your ass.”
His laugh echoed as he slipped out of the car, disappearing into the shadows with Declan and Connor.
Wren turned to me, a mischievous grin on her face. “So... you and Rory, huh?”
I groaned. It was going to be a long 30 minutes.
“There’s no ‘me and Rory’,” I said, rolling myeyes. “He’s an insufferable flirt who thinks he’s God’s gift to women.”
Wren’s grin only widened. “Uh-huh. And that is why you can’t keep your eyes off him whenever he’s around?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. “Save it honey. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other when you think no one’s watching. It’s like a damn romcom in here.”
I slumped back in my seat, crossing my arms. “You’re delusional. Besides, even if there was something - which there isn’t - it would never work. He’s Declan’s right-hand man, for crying out loud. I’m just the sister who runs a biker bar in the middle of nowhere.”
Wren’s expression softened. “Hey, stranger things have happened. Look at me and Declan. Who would’ve thought a grumpy mob boss and a girl he almost ran over would end up happily married?”
Before I could respond, a muffled explosion rocked the car. My heart leapt into my throat as I saw smoke billowing from one of the warehouse windows.
“Shit,” I hissed, reaching for the door handle. “So much for 30 minutes.”
Wren was already moving, her earlier playfulness replaced by reckless determination. “Let’s go save our boys.”
“No. You stay here and call back up. If something happened to you, Declan would kill me.”
“But—”
“Wren, this is not the time to debate. Call for backup!” I yelled.
I got out of the SUV and softly closed the door.
Chapter 22
Kat
I crept towards the warehouse, sticking to the shadows. A bay door stood open, and I slipped inside behind a truck that was parked there. The acrid smell of smoke filled my nostrils and tickled my throat as I stood there, scanning my surroundings. Somewhere in the darkness, I heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire. My muscles tensed, ready for action.
I crouched, as I made my way deeper inside, my eyes scanning the smoky interior for any sign of them. The warehouse was a maze of crates and machinery, and I had no idea where to begin.
Suddenly, a figure loomed out of the smoke. I tensed, ready to strike, but relaxed when I recognized Rory’s broad shoulders and dark hair.
“Kat?” he hissed, a hint of surprise in his voice. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Saving your ass, apparently,” I shot back, ignoring the way my heart raced at the sight of him. “What happened?”
Rory’s face darkened. “Ambush. The Russians. Somehow, they knew we’d be here.”
Before I could respond, a bullet whizzed past my ear. Rory grabbed my arm, yanking me behind a stack of crates as more gunfire erupted.
“Stay down!” he growled, his body shielding mine.
I stiffened at his protectiveness. “I can handle myself.”
His eyes met mine, a mix of exasperation and something else I couldn’t quite name. “Yeah, I know, you keep saying that. But humor me, will you?”
Another explosion rocked the building. As dust and debris rained down around us, I clutched Rory’s shirt, our faces inches apart. For a moment, the chaos faded away, and all I could focus on was the warmth of his breath on my cheek and the rapid beating of his heart against my fist.
“We need to move,” Rory whispered, his lips brushing my ear. “There’s a back exit, but we’ll have to fight our way through.”
