by S. K. Yule
“What do you know about it?”
“Only what I read on the computer.”
“Yeah, and we know how accurate that information is.”
Her cheeks heated. He was right, and his extra twist of sarcasm made her wonder if Bayden had confided in him about her jumping to conclusions over the tattoo on his back from that accurate information.
“Look, I know you don’t like me, but if this doesn’t turn out well for me”—she swallowed past the lump forming in her throat—”promise that you’ll always have Bayden’s back.”
“Always have. I don’t dislike you.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” she said.
“I was, let’s say…unhappy about Bayden bringing you and Molly to Ryon. I could sense then that Bayden’s feelings consisted of…more than casual affection. You know? Vampire senses. I knew it wouldn’t be long before he spiraled headlong into disaster where you were concerned. It was inevitable that you’d hurt him. Women don’t love Reapers. They only fuck us. Literally and figuratively.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way—”
“I don’t feel that way. It’s a proven fact.”
“I’m giving my life for him, Stryder.”
“Yes. That’s what changed my mind about you. You have to love someone to be willing to lay your life down for them. No one’s that big of a fucking hero without legitimate reason.”
“Oh.” She smiled, surprised that she could do so under the dire circumstances. “If we’re making confessions here, I can’t say I was too fond of you either. Honestly, you freak the shit out of me, but maybe you aren’t bad after all.”
“Don’t count on it,” he muttered under his breath. “Quiet. We’re almost there. Play your part and maybe we’ll have a shot at this.”
Anxiety slithered through her. At least half of the outcome of this charade depended on her acting skills, and she prayed she could pull it off for her, Bayden’s, and Molly’s sake.
* * * *
“Let me see him.” Stryder’s gravelly voice was unmistakable from the next room, and Bayden winced. Other than having the shit kicked out of him, he was good. He hadn’t doubted that his team would try to save him. He was only surprised that they’d come this quickly. He’d hoped they’d take Ellie back to Ryon before trying a rescue mission, but they hadn’t because not enough time had gone by for them to have done so. He wasn’t sure how the rescue would go. Zaira had bragged about the number of guards at the compound, including several snipers placed in strategic places. Even Stryder wasn’t impervious to a barrage of bullets.
He’d never thought Zaira would pull a stunt like this, even knowing her lust for revenge. He wouldn’t have been surprised had she found a way to get him back at some point in time, but not this, not as a cohort to Mykal. When she let him know that Mykal had sent Enforcers for him, his stomach had knotted, not because he was worried about dying, but because he was worried about his team getting caught in the crossfire. He knew there wasn’t much time left before the Enforcers showed their ugly mugs, and a successful rescue and escape would be tricky at best.
“My, my, my. Aren’t we acting confident considering the situation? I could simply take her, kill you, and keep Bayden.” Zaira’s smug voice made him grind his teeth. Then his heart lurched up into his throat and pounded loudly in his ears.
No. No! Stryder didn’t bring Ellie here.
“You could try, but even if you manage to kill me and Ellie, I give you my word you’ll die before I draw my last breath.”
Zaira’s pause told Bayden that Stryder’s threat had frightened her. And well it should’ve.
“I came as you asked. Let Bayden go and take me.”
Rage filled him. He’d never forgive Stryder, any of them, if something happened to Ellie. How could they let Stryder bring her here? They all would’ve known that he’d want them to protect Ellie. If they made it out of here alive, he’d kick every single one of those bastards’ asses.
“Let me see him.” He bared his fangs. “Now.”
“All right. No need to get upset. I may be a lot of things, but a deal squelcher I’m not,” Zaira said.
“A big fucking traitorous liar, you are. What’s the difference?” Stryder said.
The door opened, and two goons dragged him out. They better be glad my hands are tied behind my back. He was confident he could still take them. It simply would take the right opportunity.
When they guided him to the living area, he saw Ellie standing next to Stryder, and his gut clenched. Her eyes were spitting furious fire but instantly cleared and shined with relief when she saw him. She smiled, but he was too angry to return the gesture.
Bayden looked at Stryder. “Why did you bring her?” His words asked so much more—what were you thinking, how could you betray me like this, how could you put her in danger?—and he knew Stryder understood exactly what he was asking.
“She volunteered.”
Zaira clapped, and laughter erupted from her pink lips. “Priceless. You actually volunteered to save one of these bastards?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Zaira’s laughter abruptly stopped, and she arched one sculpted brow. “Seriously?” Ellie stared at her in silence, and Zaira huffed. “They’re a bunch of criminals. You can’t trust any of them. They were probably waiting for the right opportunity and the right amount of money to get rid of you.”
“Bayden would never do that to me.”
Zaira walked to Bayden and ran a long fingernail down his cheek. He refused to react to the sting on his cheek, not wanting to give Zaira any satisfaction, and he heard Ellie’s breath catch.
“Tell her, baby. We’re all in it for the money now, aren’t we?” Zaira purred next to Bayden’s ear.
Bayden didn’t miss the way Ellie’s hands curled into fists. Was she jealous? Now isn’t the time to be thinking of things like that.
“No. We aren’t all in it for the money, but you apparently are. You used to be decent, or close to, Zaira. What happened to you? I can’t believe you allowed greed to turn you into such a heartless bitch.” Bayden practically spat the words at her.
Zaira’s mouth hardened, and her cheeks turned cherry red. “I don’t give a shit about money. You. You’re the one responsible for making me this way. I’ve been trying to get your attention for months. I love you, but you keep turning your nose up at me as though I’m no better than garbage on the bottom of your boot. Then when I saw her”—she nodded toward Ellie—”I knew there was no chance for us after that.”
“Don’t mistake your twisted obsession for love. There was no love between us, Zaira. We had sex a couple of times. That was it. Ellie has nothing to do with this. There was not, and never will be, an us. I’m not blind. I do understand when a woman’s coming on to me, but you’re a woman who’s experienced enough to know when a man’s no longer interested. I made my intentions clear on more than one occasion.”
“You may not love me now, but if it wasn’t for Ellie, I could’ve made you love me over time. Maybe I should get rid of her. Then you’ll realize what I’m saying is true.”
“You’re one sick lita. Enjoy yourself, because once this is over, you’ll have to look over your shoulder wherever you go.”
“That’s it! Kill him. Kill them all!” Zaira screamed.
Bayden dropped to the floor and kicked both goons’ feet out from under them. Both toppled to the floor. Bayden flipped to a standing position and delivered a booted blow to each of the downed men’s heads, rendering them unconscious.
Zaira pulled her slayer from her belt. She aimed it at Bayden, but Stryder shot her in the shoulder before she could shoot. She dropped the weapon.
Before Stryder could get another shot at Zaira, men appeared on the stairs from the second floor and began to fire. A shot of adrenaline hit Bayden hard. His heart thundered in his ears. He had to make sure Ellie didn’t get hurt.
Stryder kicked a thick table to its side and tossed Ellie behind it. He covered her
with his body. Bayden dived for them. He held his hands out, and Stryder untied them.
“Get her out of here. I’ll cover you the best I can,” Stryder said, barely loud enough to penetrate the slayer fire. He began returning fire.
Bayden pulled Ellie against his chest. “Ready to run for it?” he said, lips against her ear.
“Yes.” Her voice trembled.
“Now!” Bayden yelled.
Stryder rose and fired at the men by the stairs, driving some to flee to the second floor while others were hit. Bayden tucked Ellie tight against his side and ran for the front door. Once they were outside, they sprinted toward the entrance of the security wall. Glad to see the security gate had been blown open, he rushed through it and dived for the outside wall and pressed his back against the rough surface.
“Bayden…can’t…breathe…”
He loosened his hold on her, and she gasped for air.
“Sorry. You okay?” How in the hell could she possibly be okay? He was the reason she was in danger. Anger swelled inside him, and he gasped around the knots in his lungs.
She nodded while still panting for air. He frantically assessed the situation and knew it’d be a miracle if they both didn’t end up riddled with holes. The thought had barely flicked through his brain before slayer fire from around the outside of the house rang out. His team was here.
Relief shot through him, but he was too experienced to be lulled into a false sense of confidence. The danger was still level red, and if they didn’t reach their ship before the Enforcers showed up… He tamped the thought down. He didn’t care about himself getting caught as much as he cared about the possibility of Ellie and his team falling into the Enforcers’ hands.
“Time to go, Ellie.” He looked at her, and when he saw the terror dancing in her eyes, his chest ached. He cupped her face and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. “You’re going to have to run like the wind. You understand?”
She nodded.
“You can’t no stop matter what. Even if I fall, you keep running.”
“No, Bayden I—”
“You give me your word right now that if I fall, you’ll continue to haul ass back to the ship, or we’ll both sit here and die right now, and all of your noble intention to save me will have been for nothing. You do it for me. You do it for Molly. Give me your word.” I swear if we make it out of this alive, I’m going to throttle her for putting herself in danger for me. When tears shimmered in her eyes, he almost lost it. When she finally nodded, he let out a long breath.
“Okay, but if you get shot, I’ll…I’ll kill you,” she said.
“Back at you. Now when I say three, you take my hand, stay close to my side, and run.” He waited for her to nod again. “One…two… Three!”
He vaulted up, half dragging her at first, but surprisingly, she fell into step beside him. While he knew she couldn’t keep up with him if he broke into a full-out run, she was faster than he thought she could be for her size, and kept in perfect rhythm with the pounding of his own feet. Maybe they’d get out of this alive after all.
Chapter Fourteen
Ellie had never been more scared in her life, not even after the meteor had hit Earth. Her lungs screamed from trying to keep pace with Bayden, but she knew she couldn’t stop. She’d run until she dropped because if she gave in to the searing ache in her side or the fire burning in her legs, it wouldn’t mean only her death. It’d mean Bayden’s and possibly the other men’s. While the gunfire had become somewhat more distant sounding, none of them were out of danger.
Bayden gripped her hand so tightly she was worried he might break bones, but none of that mattered as long as they made it to the ship without any holes in their bodies. As they came to the peak of an incline, her heart soared. Just at the bottom a few yards away was the ship. That had been the second part of the plan after taking out Zaira’s remaining spies. Thad had moved the ship to a different location.
She would’ve breathed a sigh of relief had she been able to breathe at all. “We’re almost there!”
Bayden responded with a grunt, then a stumble that nearly took them both down. Immediately he regained the pounding rhythm they’d maintained before.
As they burst through the door of the ship, she dropped to the floor just inside the entrance and panted.
“You okay?” Bayden’s question was tight, clipped.
“Yes.”
She got to her knees and then to her feet. She followed him to the control room. He stumbled again before sitting in the main chair. He had to be as worn-out as she. Although that thought tickled the back of her brain as untrue. Bayden was in superb shape, and his breathing had remained even and rhythmic until that stumble. Since then, his breathing had become more and more labored.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
Bayden began flipping and pushing what seemed like a million switches. He stuck a small device in his ear.
“Stats, Conlan? Yes. We made it, and the ship is fired up waiting for all of you. Any casualties so far? No, Ellie’s exhausted but fine. Haul ass, nelo. Out.”
“Are they all okay?” After only a short rest, she was surprised at how even her breaths were.
“Yes. Stryder took a few bullets, but he’ll heal without a problem. So far, everyone else’s been lucky.”
She frowned. She had no doubt that he’d gotten shot while shielding her and Bayden. “Did they get Zaira?”
“No. Trust me though, she’ll be dealt with.”
Ellie was glad she wasn’t in Zaira’s shoes. She certainly wouldn’t want Bayden or any of the other men holding a personal vendetta against her. Her intuition had warned her Zaira was trouble, but she could’ve never imagined just how much trouble.
Bayden’s breathing was still labored and she walked to the side of his chair and looked down. Blood dripped from the side of his chair onto the floor. “You were shot!” She bent and reached for his shirt, wanting to assess the damage.
He pushed at her hands. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah. Your breathing and paleness tell a different story. Now let me see.”
He put his hand up again to block her.
“Move it or lose it,” she said. When he held his hand up, she lifted his shirt. “Where are the medical supplies?”
“Second door down the corridor,” he said.
“Tell Thad to get back here. Now!” She hurried off. Once she reached the room, she was relieved to find an abundant amount of gauze in the first cabinet she opened. She grabbed two rolls and returned to Bayden.
He looked at the gauze. “You don’t need to do this. Thad can take care of this when he gets back.
“Do you know how long that’ll be?” He’d gone paler, if that was possible.
“Few minutes at the most.”
She rolled his shirt up, opened one of the thick packages of gauze, and pressed it against the small hole in his side. She applied pressure in hopes of stopping the bleeding, and he winced. She kissed him on the cheek. “Hang in there.”
“I plan to.”
Within minutes, the rest of the guys shot through the door. Thad, then Sarek. A few moments later, Conlan and Stryder brought up the rear.
“We’re clear. Go!” Stryder shouted.
The ship lifted off, then tipped to the side precariously before leveling out.
“Thad!” Ellie motioned to him. “Bayden’s been shot.”
“Hit? Bayden was hit?” Conlan said.
Thad went to Bayden. “Let me see.”
Ellie gave Thad room to assess Bayden’s condition. He hadn’t stumbled because of her exclamation over seeing the ship. He’d stumbled because he’d been shot. Horror filled her brain. How had he kept running after?
“Help me get him to the infirmary,” Thad said to Conlan. “I have a portable scanner in there. Stryder, take us home, please. Ellie, stay here with Stryder.”
“But I—”
“The infirmary is too small for all of us
to be in there and allow me to work properly. I promise I’ll let you know as soon as I know what’s going on.” Thad placed his hand on her arm. “You did a good job stopping the bleeding.”
“I’ll get us home and keep an eye on her.” Stryder fixed his eerie amber stare on Ellie.
When Stryder stepped past her to take Bayden’s chair, she swayed. The back of Stryder’s leather coat was riddled in holes.
“Oh my God! You’re hit too!” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. Several times.”
“I’ll be fine. I heal quickly.” He sat in Bayden’s chair.
She sank into one of the chairs next to Stryder, not sure if she believed him. “Does Bayden heal quickly?”
“He’s had worse. He’ll pull through this. He’s strong, and Thad’s the best patch I’ve seen.”
“He has to be, or all of this was for nothing.” She began shaking so badly she thought she might fall out of the chair.
“No. Not for nothing. Even if Bayden dies”—when she groaned, he gritted his teeth—”which he won’t, all of this was not for nothing. We’re family…all of us. We stick together and make sure everyone gets out. I was wrong about your feelings for Bayden, Ellie. Forgive me, nela.”
She looked at him, jaw slackened. He considers me part of his family? She closed her mouth before he caught her gaping at him. She sipped at the water now and didn’t try to hold back the tears that slipped down her cheeks. “There’s nothing to forgive, Stryder. You were only trying to protect him. I can’t fault you for that.”
He pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something more, but instead he nodded, and she sat back in the chair, willing her nerves to settle while she anxiously waited for news of Bayden’s condition. He had to be okay.
* * * *
“I can walk on my own for fuck’s sake,” Bayden grumbled on the way to his room. Thad had already tried to act like a crutch three times.
Ellie followed close behind along with Conlan, Sarek, and even Stryder, and Bayden hadn’t missed the paleness of her skin or the concern etched on her face. Was that all for him? Had she been that upset about him getting shot?