“Any questions?”
Emma takes a shaky breath. “I—”
Elliot cuts her off without looking at her. “All right. On your mark.”
My muscles lock in place.
“Get set.”
My breath stalls in my throat.
“Go.”
Chapter 27
Seth
We don’t waste another second.
The gate to the estate comes into view fast. Big iron bastard, but the sensor is visible through the fence, cheap tech for rich psychos.
I shoot it twice.
Sparks fly. The gate unlocks with a hard metallic clunk.
We push through and everything goes cold.
The courtyard is lit by moonlight and security lamps. The manor rises at the end of the long gravel path, windows dark, front door looming.
Six guards.
Spaced wide. Trying to stay hidden.
Too late.
Beau moves first.
Quick, clean headshots. Two on the right drop before the others even turn.
I catch one flanking the hedges and drop him with a shot to the neck. Another crouches behind the fountain. Two to the chest. He slumps over without a sound.
A crack splits the air near my ear. Something punches hard into my side.
For half a second I think it is impact. Then heat blooms along my ribs. My body registers it as pressure, not pain. I look down just long enough to see fabric split and dark spreading through my shirt. A shallow graze.
I barely feel it.
Adrenaline swallows the rest.
I pivot toward the muzzle flash near the hedgerow and put a round straight through the shooter’s forehead. He drops mid breath.
Beau catches the last one mid sprint with a slug to the spine. His body folds like wet paper.
“Six down,” Beau says.
He jogs ahead, gun in hand, smoke still curling from the barrel.
I follow close, one hand briefly pressing my side.
