by Anya Nowlan
Her eyes were a stormier grey than before and her hair was up in a tight ponytail. Strong and beautiful, that was his Ice Queen, ready to handle anything thrown her way. Cool on the outside with a hidden fire inside.
There was no one else like her, not now and not ever.
His tiger growled deep within him, thrashing against his skin, not letting him forget that he was about to walk away from his mate. What else could he do? She hadn’t asked to stay, and even if she had, it would be too dangerous. This was the only course of action, and it didn’t matter how much it tore him up inside.
She was too smart to argue with him. They both knew what had to be done for the safety of their child.
She and the baby need to be safe. Everything else is irrelevant.
River had barely finished the thought when Kate turned to him, her lips in a grim line. He immediately knew something was wrong.
“We have a tail.”
“Are you sure?”
She arched a brow at him, giving him the ‘have you forgotten who you are talking to?’ look. Of course she was sure. He glanced behind him to see two black SUVs speeding to catch up with them, cursing to himself as he recognized one of the license plates.
Dyson.
“Someone had to have given our plan away,” he growled, mentally going through his security roster.
“Probably, but right now we need to find a way to stay alive.”
“We can’t outrun them, not in this thing,” River grumbled, foot firmly on the gas without it doing much.
Kate opened up the backpack, pulling out two handguns and extra clips.
“Then we’ll have to outfight them.”
River could feel a grin stretch across his face, an expression which Kate mirrored. If it was a fight his brother wanted, then it was a fight he was going to get. Running away wasn’t really in either his or Kate’s blood, so in a weird way, it felt right to have to battle their way out of this.
And there was no one he’d rather have at his side than Kate, that was for sure.
Being human would be a disadvantage for most, but she made up for it and then some with quick thinking and impeccable training. Spirits save whoever made the mistake of underestimating her.
They’d live just long enough to regret it.
Nearby cars started honking and swerving out of the way as Dyson and his companions grew more reckless in their pursuit. It wasn’t long until bullets started whizzing by, hitting the vehicles in front of them with loud, metallic clangs.
Kate looked more than furious as she gripped her gun tightly, sliding down her seat and keeping her head down.
“They don’t care who they hurt as long as they get to us.”
“And once they pull up to the side of the van, we’ll be sitting ducks.”
Rage pumped through him, pulsing in every muscle and clouding his brain with thoughts of violence. The steering wheel creaked under his hands as he squeezed it tightly. Dyson had crossed a line there was no coming back from. Brothers or not, this had to end.
Both his life and the whole Crimson Claws had been thrown into chaos thanks to Dyson’s greed and misguided aspirations. It was time to end it.
“There!” Kate exclaimed, pointing to a side-road up ahead.
It turned off the highway into a more forested area, disappearing into a cluster of trees. They could take cover there, without worrying about getting boxed in or putting others on the highway in danger.
With the SUVs steadily gaining on them, River jerked the wheel to the right at the last moment, sending the car careening off the asphalt and onto the dirt road, tires squealing.
Kate held on to her seat with one hand as the whole van shook, and shoved a gun towards him with the other. Tucking spare clips into their pockets, they jumped out of the van, taking cover behind its hulking frame.
Sorry, Melinda, I think there are going to be a few more holes in this thing when I return it.
The SUVs screeched to a halt less than a yard away, doors swinging open and men filing out. River could recognize them with ease – they were his lieutenants, after all.
Dirty motherfucking traitors, he thought, gritting his teeth.
It seemed Dyson wasn’t taking any chances, as the odds were seven against two. His brother had brought Axe, Luther, Turner, Murdoch, Maze and Locke with him, all strong fighters and all armed to the teeth.
Little brother certainly has been busy recruiting people to murder me.
He looked over at Kate, who looked remarkably unconcerned beside him. With a wink and a wave of her gun, she moved to the other end of the van and got into position.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be!” Dyson called out. “Bow out and let me take over, and this can end right now. We’ll make it quick on you. Scout’s honor.”
Fat chance, River thought, ducking out from the edge of the van to send a bullet whizzing towards Luther
Since he was the biggest, he was also the easiest target, and River didn’t really have a lot of time to aim, seeing as there were seven people all waiting to take a shot at him.
Loud pops erupted from his side as Kate laid down cover fire, peppering the side of one of the SUVs with bullets. The distinct sound of metal ripping through flesh reached River’s ears, followed by a loud thud.
One down, six to go, he thought with a vicious smile.
Thirty-Five
Kate
Gunfire erupted all around them as they ducked behind the van, bullets shredding through it like it was made of paper. It was only a matter of time until the vehicle was turned into Swiss cheese and it didn’t look like Dyson and his crew would be running out of ammo anytime soon. At least not before River and Kate ran out of theirs.
The goons were slowly advancing on their position, keeping Kate and River in place with a constant stream of bullets.
“I took down Luther, but there are still five other lieutenants standing. We may have to split up to draw them away from each other,” he whispered, barely audible over the noise of metal on metal.
“I agree. We have to make a break for the tree line. Anything I should know about these guys?” Kate asked, keeping her voice low.
“You remember Axe? He’s the strongest in hand-to-hand, so don’t get roped into a fight with him. The short one is Turner. He’s as accurate as they come. Don’t let him get you in his line of sight.
“The two black guys, Murdoch and Maze, are brothers. If you see one, you can be sure the other’s not far behind. The one with the curly hair and built like a tank is Locke. He’s strong, but he’s also slow.”
Kate quickly committed the names and descriptions to memory as she eyed the tree line. Dyson’s gang of defectors was only getting closer, and they’d have to be fast if they wanted to dash into the woods without getting plugged full of holes.
River peered out from his side of the van, almost getting his ear shot off in the process.
“You go first. I’ll cover you and then follow,” he ground out, obviously barely managing to keep down the curses.
Her heart was thumping against her ribcage. She’d done shared missions before, but this was different. The ache that filled her when she thought of River being hurt was almost crippling.
But now wasn’t the time to go soft. She needed to bring her A-game. Their lives depended on it.
Grabbing the back of River’s head, she quickly pressed her lips to his in one last kiss. It didn’t last half as long as she would have liked it to.
She dashed out from behind the van and sprinted for the trees. The air was filled with the crackle of gunfire, but she ignored it, focusing on pushing herself forward.
He’s going to be alright, she chanted in her head, not having time to look behind her to make sure.
The sunlight dimmed around her as she ran deeper into the grove, gun firmly in her hand. She stopped behind a thick oak, pressing herself against the rough bark and staying as still as she could. The crack of twigs and rustle of leaves told her she
wasn’t alone, though.
Knowing it wouldn’t be long until she would be sniffed out, she peered out from behind the tree, ready to go on the offensive. A shadow flitted between the nearby pine trees, too short to belong to River.
That must be Turner.
If he was half as accurate as River said he was, it would be wiser to wait until he came to her. The shots ringing out were now few and far between and coming from all directions, but all sufficiently far from her.
It worked, they’re splitting up, chasing shadows.
Turner was getting closer, and even with all the background noise, she knew the man would have no trouble tracking her through her heartbeat. Getting down low, she strained her ears.
Shifters could move with deadly silence when they wanted to, but even they couldn’t hover off the ground. There had to be some sound alerting her when Turner got close enough, or so she hoped.
There it was.
The softest of whispers, like a leaf falling to the ground just feet from her.
Crouching on the balls of her feet, she tucked the gun close to her chest and rolled out from behind the tree, coming to a stop at Turner’s feet. His gun was aimed where her head should be, which gave her the second she needed to act first.
She took out his kneecap first, the bullet ripping through cloth, tissue and bone as Turner let out a pained groan. Hopping up to her feet, she barreled into the man and he went down easily, already off balance from losing the use of one of his legs. As soon as they hit the ground, Kate pressed her weapon to his head and squeezed the trigger with a snarl.
A jagged hole opened up in the middle of Turner’s forehead and he stopped struggling, his whole body growing limp under her.
Kate quickly got back on her feet, knowing that the shots were a dead giveaway for her location.
“Don’t let them spread us thin! Gather ‘round!” someone called out near the edge of the tree line.
Shit!
A thought popped in her head, a way to possibly end this entire standoff. It was risky, but not riskier than trying to hide from predators with far sharper senses than hers. Turner hadn’t been that hard to take out because he was alone, but if say three of them managed to get her surrounded, she was as good as dead.
Okay, I have to think this through. Would Dyson be here, risking his life along with his goons? Or would he wait it out, not wanting to get his hands dirty?
Kate would bet on the latter. He had put too much work into his plan to take over the Crimson Claws to chance ending up dead by a stray bullet now. He had too much skin in the game. And that was his weakness.
Circling back in a wide arc, she sprinted from one tree to the next, heading toward were the vehicles were parked while trying to remain undetected.
A scream tore through the air somewhere to her left, and she smiled, recognizing the voice wasn’t River’s.
That’s right, keep them busy. I got this.
Black metal started to shine through the trees as she crept closer to the road. Her steps were painfully slow, with Kate struggling to move as soundlessly as she could. The SUVs were still parked right where they were before, with the doors still open.
She kept sneaking on, until she could see the vehicles’ taillights. Pressing herself against a tree, she spotted movement near one of the vehicles.
Dyson. I knew you would stay behind, you rat.
Shouts and gunfire erupted behind her, closer this time. Ice slid through her veins as she thought about River. He could be injured, or worse, and all thanks to Dyson.
River better be alive, or you’re not going to like what I have in store for you, she thought, closing in on Dyson with her gun aimed at his head.
“Don’t move a muscle,” she warned when she got close enough, keeping an eye on his hands.
Ignoring her command, Dyson started to turn around. Kate considered putting one through the man’s heart, but unfortunately, she needed him alive for now.
And River might disapprove. Dyson was still his brother, it wasn’t Kate’s place to play executioner. Instead, she aimed the barrel of the gun downwards, spraying the ground around Dyson’s feet with bullets.
“You must not have heard me,” she said, steel in her voice.
He stilled, lifting his arms, and she could hear him growl to himself.
Being outplayed by a human woman must not be agreeing with him.
“Bitch,” he spat, a gentleman as ever.
Walking over, she got close enough to jam her gun into his back. Leaning in, she spoke right into his ear, her voice firm. She wasn’t here to play around and Dyson needed to know that.
“Here’s how it’s going to go. Either I shoot you, or you call off your men. Simple as that.”
“How do I know you won’t shoot me anyway?” Dyson asked, grounding out the words.
“You don’t.”
Dyson considered it for a moment, the growl in his throat growing louder.
“Fine,” he ground out after a couple of seconds. “Over here!” he added more loudly. “Come back to the SUVs.”
With shifter hearing being what it was, he was bound to be heard even by those who had ventured deeper into the woods. Sure enough, figures started to emerge from the grove soon after, stepping out onto the road.
Kate moved to stand behind Dyson with her back to one of the shot-up SUVs, keeping the gun pressed against him in case he had thoughts of trying something.
“Stand down,” Dyson ordered with a resigned sigh.
Peeking over his shoulder, she saw two men step forward. She recognized Axe right away, and from River’s description, the other one had to be Locke. They reluctantly lowered their guns as they stalked closer, sniffing the air around them.
“Where are the others?” Dyson demanded.
“Murdoch’s dead. I don’t know about the rest,” Axe replied, his finger still hovering over the trigger.
“Tell them to put down their weapons,” Kate hissed at Dyson, poking him with the gun.
“Drop them. She has me by the balls.”
Locke’s eyes darted around wildly as he assessed the situation, while Axe looked hesitant. Neither one of them rushed to relinquish their weapons.
Kate made sure she was well-hidden behind Dyson. These guys wouldn’t hesitate to take the risky shot.
“Do it!” Dyson said, more forcefully this time.
Axe and Locke shared an annoyed look, before letting their guns fall to the ground. Seemed like no one enjoyed being outplayed by a girl.
With her heart pounding, Kate called out to River.
“River! I’m here with Dyson, Axe and Locke. Turner’s dead.”
If there were still some sneaky bastards out there who hadn’t followed Dyson’s orders, River would know to look out for them, if he hadn’t already killed them. The seconds seemed to drag on endlessly as she waited for a response.
Come on, where are you?
A tall frame started to break through the green, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt. There was blood streaked down his arms and his mouth was bleeding, but he didn’t look seriously injured.
“It’s me,” River called out, and it felt like a rock had been lifted off her chest.
If she could have run to him, she would have, but she had her hands full. Axe’s head jerked back, a snarl erupting on his lips when he caught sight of River. Locke looked resigned, knowing this would not end well for him.
“Murdoch and Maze?” Kate asked.
“Dead,” River replied coolly, strolling over to Axe and Locke and kicking their weapons away with a lazy swipe of his booted foot.
“I regret following your brother. I thought it was what was best for the organization. I see now he doesn’t have what it takes,” Locke said, his voice low.
River looked disgusted with the men in front on him, the red streaks on his body making him look like some sort of ancient warrior who had adorned himself with the blood of his enemies. Which wasn’t too far from the truth.
A
nd like any warrior, River had to know that once someone betrayed you, you could never turn your back on them again.
“You’re right. He doesn’t,” River replied, grabbing the gun tucked away in his waistband.
Two shots rang out.
Drops of blood hit the ground first as Locke and Axe swayed on their feet for a second before collapsing, crumpling to the ground like bags of meat. Pieces of brain matter, pink and squishy, were sprayed out onto the grass.
It was the end of the line for Axe and Locke, as it was for all the other lieutenants who had made the mistake of going behind River’s back.
Now only Dyson was left.
Thirty-Six
River
“Arms up,” Kate ordered, as she patted Dyson down.
All she found was a Glock tucked away in a side holster, which she promptly relieved Dyson of, before stepping out from behind him to walk to River’s side. He reached out an arm and crushed her to him, needing to touch her to make sure she was here, unharmed.
Splitting up and leaving her to fend for herself had been one of the hardest decisions he had ever made, even though he knew she was as tough as they come. What she had pulled off here was evidence of that.
My Ice Queen. Undefeated and unrivaled.
“You okay?” he whispered to her after planting a quick kiss on her forehead.
“Fine. You?”
“Maze got a couple of good hits in, but other than that, I’m good.”
River wasn’t kidding, though. His jaw hurt like hell. His attention drifted to his brother who was staring at the bodies at his feet, looking grim yet defiant.
“I guess I’m next,” he remarked bitterly.
River let out a deep sigh. It would be easier to kill him. He would never have to worry about Dyson meddling in his affairs again. What he had done here was unforgivable, especially because he had put Kate in danger.
But maybe there was a way to settle this so he wouldn’t have to kill his own brother. Maybe.
“How about this. A fair fight, tiger to tiger. You win, I hand the Claws over to you, voluntarily. I win, and you leave Chicago and us alone.”