Page 130 of Jonas

I braced for another gun blast.

Which ended up being the right move because suddenly the room exploded in gunfire. Not from one gun but from many.

Lots of guns…or more accurately, lots of bullets.

I dropped to my hip, rolled to my stomach, and did the fastest worm crawl in the history of worm crawls. I ended up against a toolbox, curled into the tightest ball I could, and panted through the pain in my shoulder.

“Stay the fuck down, motherfucker!”

Holy shit, that was Jonas.

“Clear.”

Double holy shit, that was Lore.

“I got him. Go.”

That was Cash.

Thank God. Thank God. Thank you, God.

I watched a pair of black combat boots run across the greasy concrete and stop in front of me.

I turned my head and peered up at Jonas.

A pair of boots and blue eyes full of panic was all it took for me to finally break.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered on a fragmented sob. “I broke my promise.”

The next thing I knew, Jonas was on his knees in front of me. “You’re safe now, baby.”

Safe.

“I’m afraid to touch you,” he said and he sounded it. “Are you hurt?”

“Not really.”

Okay, maybe I should’ve continued my lying. The savagery that infused Jonas’s features was downright terrifying.

“Please cut my wrists free,” I pleaded.

“Roll to your stomach, Dee Dee.”

Dee Dee.

I rolled. What I was unable to do was stifle my groan. Now that Jonas was there and I was safe, my body decided it was time to make my injuries known.

My shoulder ached. My face throbbed. My ankles were burning.

“I think my shoulder’s dislocated,” I admitted.

I heard a string of murmured curses, then, “This is going to hurt like a motherfucker.”

“Okay.”

“Suck in a breath and exhale through the pain,” he instructed. “Ready?” I nodded. “Breathe in.” He must’ve felt my inhale because as soon as my lungs filled, he cut the zip tie.

I didn’t exhale. I screamed. Pins and needles immediately raced up my arms, but it was the pressure on my shoulder that was agony.