Page 167 of Shadowing You

They hadn’t left Mei Lin, and they hadn’t left Ethan.

He was grateful.

But also, if he somehow managed to survive this, then whoever had let his wife get within shouting distance of armed men was going to get an earful.

Ethan scanned the meadow again. Another shooter was down. There were still plenty left.

He searched the far side, fearing a shooter was moving toward her or angling to get behind. Would Gavin’s people—whoever was out there—leave her unprotected? Surely not.

Ethan shifted and looked behind him.

Lu had tucked himself into the shadow of the pines, deeper in the woods. He held a rifle up against his shoulder, sweeping the tree line. He’d sent his men into the open but kept himself hidden in the darkness. The coward.

Ethan tucked his hand up in the sleeve of his jacket and gripped the knife. Maybe he wouldn’t need it. Maybe the man who’d already taken out two shooters would take them all. Maybe Ethan only had to wait.

He wouldn’t count on it. He didn’t know what he could do with a single knife, but he wasn’t going to lie here and play bait.

Lu moved a few steps along the tree line, rifle up. He shouted again, the demand louder and angrier. Then shifted to English in case maybe Mei Lin had forgotten her native language.

“Show yourself!”

When nobody answered him, he retreated to the shadows behind Ethan and settled the stock against his shoulder.

Ethan focused on the far side again. His gaze was pulled to the base of a tree whose trunk had split a couple feet off the ground.

Right there, where the two trunks separated, he saw her, a pale face in the shadows. He met her eyes. Move, sweetheart. Run!

She didn’t though. Just held his gaze.

No one else had the angle. The twin trunks would hide her from almost everybody.

But Lu was behind Ethan.

Ethan turned to watch the face of his enemy. Maybe Mei Lin would see that she wasn’t safe, that there was someone there.

Ethan knew the moment when Lu spotted her.

The rifle shifted and steadied. Lu’s cheek dropped to the stock.

There was no time to think or plan or strategize.

Ethan launched off the ground, moving on pure adrenaline.

He threw every inch of himself into blocking that shot, arms wide, chest open, making himself the biggest target a man could be.

Lu fired.

Ethan’s body jerked, but he felt no pain, nothing but the desire to take Lu down.

Ethan’s legs were still under him, still driving forward.

Lu’s eyes widened. He stepped back, but Ethan wasn’t stopping.

He aimed for the man who’d stolen six years of Mei Lin’s life—and then tried to kill her. Ethan drove the knife into his neck.

Blood spurted, and the man’s terror froze forever on his cruel face.

Chaos broke out. Gunfire, shouting, a scream—a terrified scream coming from the woman he loved.