Darrogh stiffened and walked to the window.
“Do you see someone?”
He shook his head. “Get dressed. I sense danger.”
Chapter 25
They were being watched.
He felt it in his bones.
His skin crawled with the warning of peril. It would be foolish to ignore it even though he could not see any evidence of the enemy. They were out there, and if he did not act, they would be attacking them in the house. The only thing that mattered was getting Tamsin to safety.
Last night he had glimpsed paradise.
He refused to let anyone destroy that.
Tamsin was his mate in every sense of the word, and he would protect her with his life. This house had been set up by Lorcan and his unit of Hunters when they had done mercenary work. It had been outfitted with weapon supplies and an escape route. He intended to use everything available to keep Tamsin safe until reinforcements reached them.
He went into the kitchen and kicked the area rug away from the sink. There was a metal latch hidden under the base cupboard trim. It was the entrance to an underground room and tunnel. He pulled it free and then lifted the door up.
Tamsin came into the room. She was straightening her sweater and stopped to look at the open floor. “Can we escape through there?”
“Yes.” Darrogh lifted the cover wider. “I want you to hide here. If I do not return, take the tunnel. It leads to another property. You should be able to get help there.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
“It is too dangerous.” Darrogh went to her. “I need to be able to focus on fighting.”
“I could help.”
“I would only worry about you.” Darrogh took her hands in his. “I am well trained and have survived worse attacks than this.”
“That doesn’t comfort me.” Tamsin’s voice was dry. “How many are out there?”
“I do not know.” Darrogh led her to the sunken chamber. “There will be other Hunters arriving shortly. They will help.”
“You shouldn’t have to do this alone. It’s my fault that you’re here to begin with.”
“You have given me a reason to fight.”
Darrogh’s voice was low. For the first time in his life, he understood what it meant to shield someone you cared about. In the past, it had been about fighting to survive and maintaining his honor. Now it was to protect the one person in the world that completed him. He could not lose Tamsin.
Tamsin started down the wooden ladder that led into the hidden room. “I will hide because you insist, but I won’t stay here if I sense that you are in trouble.”
“Fair enough.” Darrogh pointed to the bolt that was on the inside of the door. “Close this and do not come out until I tell you it is safe.”
Once Tamsin was below, and he had heard the bolt pushed in, Darrogh went to the far cupboard of the kitchen. He pushed on the lower backing of the last shelf. It gave way with ease. Behind it was a stash of weapons and ammunition. He loaded the pistols and put two in his waistband. He took two more for each hand along with a couple of full magazines.
His instructions when he had contacted Ardal last night, had been to stay at the farmhouse.
He would hold off the enemy until the others arrived.
Darrogh opened the side door and scanned the horizon. Sheep and cows were grazing in the distance, and the soft purple of heather dotted the field edges. Stone fences bordered the roads and laneways. They would provide good cover. He edged along the side of the house and crouched low before running to one of the outbuildings.
That was when he spotted the first intruder.
It was an Albireon, and he was carrying a rifle.
Darrogh took a deep breath and readied his pistol. Albireons were more fragile than humans and easier to kill. Years on the battlefield had taught him that the best defense was to destroy them as they attacked. Individually, they were easy to kill, but if they were in a large enough group, they could overpower even a Hunter.
The Albireon jumped over one of the stone barriers and was moving through the field toward the house. Darrogh took aim and fired. The man went down. Three more Albireons hopped the fence and started running toward the house. They were making no effort to hide their presence.
Darrogh aimed and shot all of them.
He killed the intruders until he ran out of ammunition. Then he moved out into the fields to attack them directly. He overpowered the first Albireon he came upon and broke his neck. He took his weapon and used it to shoot the next aliens that attacked until it too was empty of bullets.
One by one, he crushed them.
As fast as they came at him, he slew them.
He never let them near the house. Only when the field was filled with lifeless Albireons did he stop. The number of dead was staggering for an assault out in the open. Since they had been on Earth, the Albireons had remained shrouded in secrecy. To see so many of them in one place was unusual and worrisome.
They had no fear of being exposed as extra-terrestrials.
It must mean that capturing Tamsin, and controlling her father’s bank, had to be very important to the Albirsion Corporation. They knew she was being guarded by Hunters, so that could explain the large number of men they had sent to attack. The only thing that made Creighton’s stand out from other banks was their clientele. Somehow, controlling them had to be part of the Albireon plans to conquer Earth.
Darrogh wiped his bloody hands on his pants. He took a deep breath and glanced around. There were no other Albireons in sight. Still, the familiar whisper of danger was with him. There was only one explanation. Tamsin was at risk. The attackers had been a decoy, sent to keep him away from her.
He left the dead in the field and rushed back to the house.
The door was open.
“Run.” He sent the command to Tamsin through mind connect just as the first man rushed toward him. This was not an Albireon, but a human of about the same size and weight as himself. When he raised a gun, Darrogh dived toward the man’s knees and the two of them went down together. Darrogh grabbed hold of the hand holding the gun and pushed it into the man’s chest. The reverberation of the shot echoed through the small house.
Darrogh rolled off the dead man just as another jumped onto his back. He gripped the man’s arms and threw him into the corner of the main living area. When the man stood to attack him again, Darrogh picked up the gun from his first attacker, and shot him dead.
“Enough.” An unfamiliar voice rang out. “Stop or the girl dies.”
Darrogh’s heart skipped a beat.
He turned in the direction of the voice.
A large man with dark hair, and a military type jacket, was holding Tamsin by the arm. The bars on his shoulder identified him as a Major. Behind them, was the open trapdoor with the latch blown off. Darrogh steadied his breathing. Years of training had prepared him for this situation. He would not fail Tamsin.
“What do you want?” Darrogh dropped his gun.
“The girl is necessary for our plans.”
“She will not help you.” Darrogh’s voice was a growl.
“Her father will give us what we want.” The man’s voice was smug. “They always do.”
Tamsin twisted her body in an attempt to free herself. “I won’t let him hand over the bank to your organization.”
The man shook Tamsin.
She kicked him in the leg.
That was Darrogh’s cue. He lunged and pushed the attacker’s gun up. At the same time, he chopped down on the arm that was holding Tamsin. The Major shrieked in pain and released her. The Major lowered his arm and aimed his gun at Darrogh. Darrogh wrestled it away and fired the weapon into the man’s chest before rushing to Tamsin’s side.
“You have to leave.”
Tamsin clung to him. She was trembling and did not resist when Darrogh led her to the escape tunnel. The trapdoor was ruined, but the passageway was still open. He would hold off the rest of the att
ackers while she ran to freedom. Before they could reach the opening, a gunshot rang out.
“Stop.” The words were followed by another shot.
Darrogh turned.
He kept Tamsin’s body covered by his own.
“I have no problem killing you to get the girl.” This man was dressed in a military uniform and he was not alone. Two other similarly garbed men stood behind him.
Darrogh took a step backwards so that Tamsin was within reach of the hatch. He needed her to descend the ladder while he held these men at bay. He sensed her fear and terror. He pushed back another step.
“Climb down.” Darrogh mind connected with Tamsin. “I will hold them off until you are safe.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Tamsin’s refusal was a whisper in his mind.
“I will not let you take her.” Darrogh readied himself to fight. “I will kill you first.”
“I’ll save you the effort.” The man pulled the trigger.
A burning heat ripped through Darrogh’s shoulder. From a distance, he heard Tamsin’s scream. She tried to move around him. He held firm. He blocked the pain and Tamsin’s terror from his mind, as he raised his weapon and shot the man through the forehead.
Another shot rang out at the same time.
He felt the bullet rip through his arm.
This time he fired two shots in rapid succession. His aim was true and the men fell to the floor. The sound of rushing footsteps brought three more men, dressed in similar military gear, into the house. Darrogh kept Tamsin firmly behind him and shot at the first man. The gun clicked, but no bullet was fired.
He was out of ammunition.
He would have to kill them with his bare hands. He took a step toward the man when the sound of a bullet being fired, rang through the air. Three shots were fired in rapid succession, hitting each of the intruders. They all fell to the ground dead.
Tamsin screamed as two men pushed their way into the farmhouse.
Chapter 26
Tamsin braced herself for another attack.
One of the men started toward them and she stood in front of Darrogh. She wasn’t going to let anyone else hurt him. It took her a second to realize that they both looked similar, with dark hair and dark eyes, massive muscles, and height. She knew without being introduced that these were Hunters. They frowned at her and then glanced at Darrogh.
Darrogh dropped his pistol. “It took you long enough to get here.”
He’d been shot defending her and he hadn’t even flinched. She should have been able to feel his pain, but he had blocked that from her. Her heart beat frantically as she turned to look at his wounds. It was worse than she’d imagined. Tamsin gasped when she saw the blood on her hands.
“He needs a doctor.” Tamsin’s voice trembled. She had just found Darrogh and she wasn’t prepared to lose him now.
“It is a scratch.” Darrogh’s words sounded slurred.
One of the new arrivals stepped forward. “I have medical knowledge.”
“Tamsin this is Ranon and Gur. Ranon is used to patching us up.” Darrogh had clasped her shoulder and she could feel how unsteady his stance was.
“You need to lie down.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and led him into the bedroom. When she’d backed his legs against the bed, she pushed him down onto it.
“That is a first.” An unfamiliar voice spoke behind her.
She turned to see another warrior. He hadn’t come into the house with the first group. Beside him, stood a beautiful blonde-haired woman who was looking at her with raised eyebrows.
“I’m certain you’ve seen blood before.” Tamsin’s tone was dry.
“Often.” The man’s voice held a hint of laughter. “I have never seen Darrogh let a woman touch him.”
Tamsin glanced over her shoulder. “Is that a problem?”
“You must be Tamsin Creighton.” The woman came up beside her and tried to move her away from the bed. “You have to give Ranon room to work.”
Tamsin turned back to Darrogh. Ranon moved to the opposite side of the bed and started to cut through Darrogh’s shirt. There was a large hole in his left shoulder that had an ugly puckering around it.
“Tamsin, this is Grace and Partlan. They are mated.” Darrogh grimaced as Ranon poked at his shoulder. “Go with them.”
Tamsin crossed her arms. “I stay.”
She wasn’t going to leave Darrogh when he was injured. She didn’t care what the new arrivals thought. She was grateful that they had come in time to rescue them, but Darrogh was her mate, and she intended to be at his side.
Darrogh’s eyes focused on her. “I will be fine.”
Tamsin sat on the edge of the bed.
Partlan left the room, but Grace stayed with her.
Ranon opened a small pack of supplies and pulled out some gauze. He pushed it into the shoulder wound before wrapping a cloth bandage around Darrogh’s chest. Other than a quick inhale of breath, Darrogh showed no sign that he was in pain. Ranon moved to the hole in his arm. The bullet had gone straight through. Ranon put a dressing over it.
“You should be able to travel.” Ranon put his supplies back into the small pack and shoved it into a large pocket in his jacket. “I will take the bullet out when we are in a safe location.”
“Thank you.” Tamsin smiled at Ranon before turning to Darrogh. “Can you sit?”
Darrogh groaned as he pushed himself upright.
“I told you I would be fine.” His voice was gruff.
“You would not have left me.” Tamsin helped him stand.
Once on his feet, Darrogh walked into the main room. There were five Hunters present, including Partlan. They all looked at Darrogh when he appeared and nodded. The bodies of the dead men had been cleared away and the furniture put back in order.
“The site is contained.” Partlan was the first to speak.
“I would have killed the rest, but I appreciate your help.” Darrogh’s voice was strong. “It was dangerous for you to bring Grace.”
“She refused to leave my side.” Partlan put his arm over Grace’s shoulders. “She killed a couple of the Albireons.”
“It was a pleasure.” Grace must have seen Tamsin’s surprised expression because she explained further. “They held me captive in one of their underground labs.”
A shiver went through Tamsin. “How terrible.”
“Every horrible thing you’ve heard about the Albireons is true.” Grace leaned against Partlan. “I wouldn’t be alive if Partlan hadn’t saved me.”
Darrogh pointed to the other men in the room. “You’ve met Gur and Ranon. This is Maloc and Turlo. Partlan is the team leader.”
Tamsin nodded at the men.
Darrogh took her hand. “This is Tamsin Creighton, my pair bond and mate.”
There was a moment’s silence and then Grace smiled. “I wondered if that was the case when you refused to leave Darrogh’s side.”
Partlan shook his head. “I am amazed that you let a woman get close to you.”
“It was not easy.” Darrogh raised her hand and kissed it. “I fought the pair bond for as long as possible.”
The other men slapped Darrogh on the back.
Maloc grinned. “If Darrogh can mate, this gives hope for the rest of us.”
Grace gave Tamsin a hug. “Welcome. It’s wonderful to have another woman in the group.”
“Thank you.”
The warmth of acceptance flowed through Tamsin. She knew that the other Hunters who’d been guarding her had accepted her bonding with Darrogh, but she’d been uncertain about how these new Hunters would react.
Darrogh cleared his throat.
“We cannot stay here.” Darrogh was in command again. “What are Ardal’s orders?”
“He wants you back at the main compound. The Albireon situation has become more serious and he needs to discuss strategy. He cannot leave because Fiona is about to deliver her baby.”
“We will head to London first.” Darrogh grimaced as
he bent to pick up a gun from the table. “What about the Albireon bodies? Are they cleared away?”
“Yes. We came by helicopter. There is not enough room for everyone so Turlo and Maloc will drive the vehicle back.”
“Let us go.”
Darrogh and Tamsin left the house together. A touch of sadness filled Tamsin at the thought that so much violence had happened where only hours earlier they’d made love.
“Nothing can destroy our bond.” She heard Darrogh’s words in her head and smiled. He was right of course. Adversity had only made it stronger. She squeezed Darrogh’s hand and climbed into the helicopter.
The flight to London, and the ride from the airport to her house in Chelsea Square, took a couple of hours. Tamsin was worried about the bullet in Darrogh’s shoulder. Instead of weakening, Darrogh seemed to be getting stronger. By the time they arrived at her house, he seemed out of pain and was using his injured arm freely.
When they arrived, Firbin and Savis were hunched over a computer in her reception room. Tamsin heaved a sigh of relief and threw her bag on the couch. Darrogh went to the computer and leaned over Savis’s shoulder to look at the screen.
“What have you accomplished?”
“I have drained all of Albirsion Corporation’s assets and the police are aware of Winchester’s money laundering.” Savis leaned back from the computer. “They arrested Nethercott this morning.”
Tamsin’s chest tightened. As much as she despised the man’s behavior, she still didn’t want to see him in jail. He’d been a lousy fiancé, a traitor, and a criminal, but she’d known him most of her life and had no wish to see him destroyed.
“Are the Albireons still watching Tamsin’s house?”
“No.” Firbin stood. “No one has replaced the ones we killed.”
Partlan and his team moved further into the room, followed by Breanon, Jehon, and Kerm.
“I need to get the bullet out of your shoulder before it heals over.” Ranon put a large bag on one of the tables. “Is there a room I can do that in?”
“Wouldn’t a hospital be better?” Tamsin couldn’t hide her dismay.
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