I blinked and realized she was staring into space, worry etched on her face.
“Hey,” I said.
“God.” She jolted, and dropped the beads she was holding. They skittered across the floor.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“I didn’t hear you.” She scrambled to pick up the dropped beads.
I walked closer. “What’s on your mind?”
She sat back in my creaky office chair. “Ava-Jane, what else?” She pulled a face. “Goodyear. I’ve just been thinking about how horrible he truly is. Why is someone like that? Why not do good and help people?”
Of course, Lili would think like that. I’d seen the worst people could be, so I was usually surprised when people did something good.
I pushed her hair aside and dropped a kiss to her shoulder. She made a cute little sound and tilted her head to give me better access. I raked my teeth over her skin, then tipped her head back to reach her mouth.
She kissed me back with eager hunger.
A beeping from my pocket interrupted us. Frowning, I broke the kiss and pulled out my phone. Then I stiffened.
“Cole?” She rose slowly.
“My security sensors at the edge of my property are going off.” I felt ice sliding into my bloodstream.
“What does that mean?” She moved up beside me, peering at my phone.
I swiped the screen. I had some hidden sensors and cameras planted around the perimeter of the property. Dad had been a paranoid old bastard, and a good early detection system was one of the first things he’d taught me.
I pulled up the camera feed and saw three men creeping through the stark desert toward the warehouse. They were all wearing desert-patterned camouflage gear, had scarves covering the bottom half of their faces, and were armed. I studied the AR-15 rifles.
My gut contracted, and Lili gasped.
Another sensor went off. This one was in a different direction. I swiped again and saw another three guys coming in from the opposite direction. Another sensor pinged. When I swiped, I saw a vehicle racing up the driveway, a cloud of dust behind it.
Fuck. Goodyear had gotten impatient.
“Come on.” I grabbed Lili’s arm. We hurried down the stairs, and I went straight to my weapons locker. I pinned in the code and the doors opened.
“Holy cow,” Lili breathed.
I had a small arsenal. I grabbed several handguns, tucking them into my waistband. I grabbed ammo, then three knives, which I slid into the sheaths. Then I grabbed my rifle—a SIG Sauer MCX.
Lili’s face was impossibly pale. I pulled out a smaller, lightweight handgun—a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard—then slid in a magazine and racked the slide. I placed the weapon in her hand.
“I don’t know how to use it,” she said shakily.
“You need to flick the safety off like this.” I showed her. “Then aim and shoot.”
“Goodyear wants us dead.”
“Yes. He knows we’re coming for him and he wants us stopped. These men coming in here are aiming to kill. It’s you or these guys, Lili. If you want to survive, you do what you have to do. Got it?”
She nodded.
I hauled her close and kissed her. “I’m getting you out of here alive, sunshine. I promise.”
She pressed her hand to my chest. “And you.We’regetting out of here.”
