AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No.”
He shook his head. “You don’t take your health and safety seriously.”
“Why should I when I have you and Gavin?”
Blade glared at her, but she thought she was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
“Do you think one life is worth sacrificing to save thousands?” The question popped out of her mouth before she could hold it back.
“It depends who cares for the life you’re sacrificing.”
His words hung in the air between them.
“My family was murdered in front of me when I was eight years old. I haven’t felt much since then. I thought Manny was the cruelest man I’d ever met until Gavin took over. Those men, I didn’t believe they had feelings until you came around. It’s the craziest shit I’ve ever seen. I thought love was a myth made up by people who can’t face how fucked up the world really is.”Blade cast a wary eye around the field. “You and Gavin have been through major shit and put your issues to the side to become a unit. Never seen anything like it in my life.”
“And?” She couldn’t decipher the expression on his face. It was dark and intense. She wasn’t sure if he was pissed, disgusted or something else entirely.
“I thought the scariest thing in the world was a man with nothing to lose,” Blade said.
“It isn’t?”
“No, the scariest thing in the world is a man who has everything to lose.” He took a deep breath, big chest expanding as he glared at her. “Never believed in family, loyalty or love before I watched you and Gavin. What you two have is worth protecting.”
Lyla swallowed hard. She and Blade had never been friends. They always maintained a professional distance. This was the first time he had opened up to her and it made her mind reel with the knowledge that there were people forged though such pain and suffering. Gavin and Blade had both been raised to survive in hell and were capable of such brutality, yet treated her with care and respect.
Lyla reached out and placed her hand on his arm. She felt his muscles jump beneath her fingers. He jerked reflexively, eyes flaring as he stared at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but a strange popping sound made her turn. Blade threw her to the ground. Lyla landed with a jolt and groaned as another pain clutched her stomach.
Blade pulled out his gun and fired. The sound nearly burst her eardrum. Lyla rolled away and looked across the field and couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing. Her guards were firing at... each other? They were firing at one another, using the SUVs and trees for cover.
“What the fuck is going on?” she shouted over the gunfire.
Blade didn’t answer. He hauled her up, shoved her behind him and emptied his gun. Two guards dropped. Blade reloaded as he backed up with her behind him. Lyla clutched fistfuls of his suit, unable to comprehend what was happening. Three guards ran forward, guns raised with Jordy leading the pack, eyes cold and blank. Blade shot twice, wounding two, but not killing them. Jordy stopped and took aim. A scream built in her throat. A gray shape launched itself out of the darkness. Beau clamped Jordy’s arm in his mouth and shook his head savagely. Jordy screamed, firing his gun wildly.
“Beau!” she screamed.
“Let’s go!” Blade shouted.
More of her security ran forward. Lyla panicked. She couldn’t tell who was trying to defend or kill her. Blade reloaded as he shielded her with his body and killed two security guards who had been with Gavin for over a decade. Blade slapped the keys in her hand and shoved her.
“Get in the SUV, lock the doors. It’s bulletproof.”
Lyla ran the last few feet to the SUV and ducked as a bullet hit the car less than a foot away. Blade returned fire. Lyla yanked the driver’s door open, scrambled into the seat and slammed the door. The SUV rocked with the force of the bullets being imbedded in its side. Lyla ducked and screamed, hands over her head. The glass didn’t shatter. Lyla curled around her daughter, wondering if this was it. Through the terror, anger rose. She had to fight back.
Lyla forced herself to sit up and jumped as two men tried her door. Her guards stared at her as if she were something to be annihilated. They began to shoot at point blank range. Lyla put the keys in the ignition and fired up the SUV. Even as she slammed her foot on the gas pedal the window was sprayed with blood as another guard shot her attackers from the back.
The SUV shot forward. She could still hear the ping of bullets, but she ignored them and focused on getting out of the thick of it. When she was on the outskirts of the field, she made a U turn and braked hard. She was breathing hard as she flipped on the headlights and blindly reached in the backseat for her purse. She pulled out her gun and fumbled with the controls to move the seat forward as she examined the field. She located Beau who was wrestling with Jordy on the grass. There was a flash as Jordy fired his gun. Beau’s body jerked and her heart stopped as he flopped on the grass. Jordy got to his feet and raised his gun for a killing shot.
“No!” Lyla slammed her foot down on the gas pedal.
The SUV kicked up dirt as it lurched forward. Men dodged out of the way as she barreled across the field towards Jordy who swung his head around. Rage obliterated all other emotion.No. This couldn’t happen to her again. She wouldn’t allow it. Beau lay still and lifeless on the dirt, gray coat gleaming with blood.
Jordy fired. His bullet hit the windshield, splintering the glass in front of her, but it didn’t shatter. Lyla leaned to the right and kept her eye on her target as he fired again, inches from the last bullet. Jordy turned and fled, but he couldn’t outrun her. When the bumper was inches from him, Jordy dodged, but she anticipated that. Lyla turned sharply and hit him. There was a sickening crunch of bones and a strangled cry as she ran him over.
Lyla skidded as she made a sharp turn and paused to take in the scene. Blade hid behind a tree and was being approached from opposite sides. Lyla slammed her foot on the pedal and went after one of the traitors. He met the same fate as Jordy. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she turned the SUV around again and rolled the window down to take a shot at another traitor. The man screamed as she got him in the gut. That would be a painful death. Lyla swung her gun around when someone pounded on the passenger door and saw Blade. She unlocked the doors and he hopped in.
“Roll up your window,” Blade snapped.
“Is it over?”
