The leader of the two men kept pushing down the path, the giant behind him. Two minutes later, one of them swore. “Midas’ drone just picked up Cesar returning to the hut. Time to hoof it.”
Demon tapped him on the shoulder. “Give her to me. I can move faster with her.”
He hated handing Glennon over to the man, but it made sense.
“Just keep up with Steel and don’t worry about her. I’ve got her. Promise.”
They took off down the path, not running but definitely jogging, and no longer caring about making noise. At one point, he saw Steel put a hand to his ear, as if trying to block out noise. He threw back over his shoulder, “Quarter of a mile. Top speed the entire way. Let’s go!”
He was no slouch when it came to physical activity. He ran on the treadmill daily and worked out in the gym, but these guys were on a whole other level. He was pretty sure Demon could run faster, even with Glennon around his neck, but he paced just behind him.
He heard rotors.
“Keep going!” Demon yelled. “We’ll cover you! Helicopter is your ticket out of here. If we don’t catch up, we’ll meet you later.”
The medic handed Glennon back over to Triumph, then he and Steel went shoulder to shoulder, forming a backward-moving shield to keep the pair from the direct line of a bullet.
As he took off for the helicopter touching down, Cesar and the remaining men he’d brought with him burst through the tree line, their weapons firing.
Through the side window, he caught a glimpse of pink hair. Two men he’d never seen before reached for Glennon, then hauled Triumph in behind them. Close on their heels, Demon and Steel continued to exchange gunfire with Cesar and the two soldiers. Their former escorts pitched themselves into the chopper, and it quickly rose into the sky, heading north.
Gunfire exchanged from the open door of the bird. One of Cesar’s men went down, and when it was clear that both sides were just wasting bullets because they were out of range, his fellow foot soldier grabbed him, and all three of Guillermo’s men headed into the trees.
Immediately, Demon spun around, holstered his weapon, and went to work on Glennon. The man said nothing, but Triumph could tell how pissed he was based on the clenching of his jaw.
In the hut, Cesar had grabbed her chin. But now she had bruises already forming on either side of her mouth. Triumph ground his teeth together too. These weren’t from that initial contact. They weren’t even from being punched or backhanded. They were from her mouth being squeezed. Pried open. Held open.
“He didn’t touch her anywhere else,” Demon ground out. “Remember. She’s alive. Hold onto your anger, but push it back. He’ll get what’s coming to him.”
He held darkness in him—his past had shown him that. He clenched his fists. Only one time had he fully raged out on another human being. He never wanted to do so again.
But he knew, no matter what it took—every cent of his money, every favor owed to him, even his own life—Cesar was a fucking dead man walking.
OPEN WAVES
Glennon
Voices invaded her safe space.They shouted, but mechanical sounds overpowered them. So tired. She drifted back to safety, where she heard nothing.
Her body moved, but not under her own power. Voices again. The noises softened and slowed. Each movement was even but hurried. Sunlight warmed her face. She smiled at its touch. Did she smile? Maybe she only thought she smiled. She drifted away again.
When she woke again, lucidity returned. She heard noises, but distinctly a motor this time. Voices, too, projecting over the noise, but clearer. When her eyes opened, she found herself lying on a clean mattress in a small space. Her head turned and cataloged a booth-like table, a galley, wood paneling, and port windows. Her bed dipped and heaved, yet it remained steady.
A boat. She was on a boat. But with whom? She knew she’d been heading for a boat, but details were fuzzy.
Footsteps clattered down the short stairway from the topside, revealing a tall, dark-haired mop of hair over piercingblue eyes. They sparkled deeper than she remembered. Or maybe she just thought they did because he was smiling as soon as he registered she was awake.
Dear heavenly bodies in the universe… He wore blue-and-yellow board shorts and flip-flops. But his torso was entirely bare, reflecting the cut body she’d felt under his clothes, and his shoulders were slightly pink from being exposed to the sun.
“Hey, you’re awake.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead, then sat on the edge of the bed, took her hand, and laced their fingers together. “How are you feeling?”
“My jaw hurts.”
His own flexed in response, as if grinding his teeth and clenching them. After a few moments, he said, “You’ve got some nasty bruises there.”
Memories rushed forward. Cesar. Her on her knees. Men holding her. Threats to Triumph. She closed her eyes and shuddered.
“Hey.” His voice was soft, and the two hands that settled on her shoulders were firm yet gentle. “Glennon, look at me.”
