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How the hell did he know? First Thunder, now Viper? Was everyone aware of what happened between her and her men—oh, wait…
“I’m doing all right. The guys got rid of the guns,” she said with a shudder, “I’m just hoping I can go back home soon.”
Viper nodded. “Yeah, we just gotta make sure the CDMC isn’t going to retal—”
A high-pitched sound of shattering glass had Jazz jumping and Viper shoving her behind him.
“What happened?” she yelled, heart rate triple what it’d been five seconds ago. Peeking over Viper’s shoulder, she saw the obliterated front window of the diner and thousands of glass shards scattered across the tables and floor. A brick lay among the glass in the middle of the floor. “Holy shit!”
“What the fuck was that?” Thunder came flying from the kitchen only to skid to an abrupt stop as something else flew through the window. “Fuck!” he screamed. “Grenade.”
Jazz’s breathing completely ceased, and her body froze in place. Did he say grenade?
So much happened in the next few seconds, Jazz knew it’d be days before she sorted it all in her mind.
“Get down!” Viper screamed, shoving her to the ground as Thunder shouted. “I see him! It’s that fucker, Jeremy. I can fucking catch him.”
She hit the unforgiving linoleum floor with a bone-rattling crash.
“Go get him!” Viper called. “I got Jazz.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Thunder’s form streaked through the dining room. He leapt onto a booth bench then hurdled through the fragmented window.
At the same time, Viper rushed toward the grenade instead of away. In a split second, Jazz came to the sickening realization he was going to try to toss it back out the window before it blew to save the diner.
Who cared about the fucking diner? He’d never make it in time.
“Viper, no!” she screamed, launching off the ground as she fisted handfuls of his shirt and yanked with every ounce of strength she possessed.
The scene played out in slow motion even though in reality, it happened over mere seconds. The noise came first, a deafening boom that made her ears instantly ring with a shrill hum. Then a blinding flash blurred the entire diner. The next thing she knew, she was crashing to the ground again, this time with Viper’s body shielding hers.
Tables and chairs hurtled across the dining room as ragged shards of glass, plaster, and wood exploded through the air. Viper curled around her protectively, only clinging tighter as she tried to escape.
No, no, no. He can’t do this!
He couldn’t protect her at his own expense. Beneath him, she began to shake with startling force. Tears careened down her face. Viper grunted more than once as flying debris pelted his body. But it was when he went limp, his full weight slumping onto her that she lost it.
“Viper!” she screamed.
He didn’t answer. Didn’t flinch. Just lay on top of her completely slack and lifeless.
The sound of hissing water hit her ears seconds before they were doused in wetness as the sprinkler system came to life. Smoke filled the air and small fires burned in multiple spots around the diner. Grimy water rained down as it mixed with the smoke and settling fragments.
“Viper!” she yelled again, using all her strength to shove his shoulders down her body and wriggle out from beneath him. Her head ached, and blood ran down her face, but she ignored her own needs. After struggling free, she rose to her knees beside his prone shape. “Oh, God, Viper!” Blood poured from a giant horizontal wound across the back of his head and a triangular wedge of metal stuck out from the center of his back.
“No!” she shouted. “Viper, wake up!” As gently as possible, she nudged him even knowing deep in her heart he wouldn’t respond.
He’d saved her life. And died for it.
Pain crushed her chest with so much force she grew dizzy.
“Wake up!” she screamed again and again, until her voice became ragged and her throat raw. “Why the hell did you do that!” She bent over his still body, trembling and moaning in despair.
All of a sudden, strong hands scooped under her arms, dragging her away from Viper. “Oh, thank you!” she said, shivering. The wetness combined with the frigid air flowing into the wrecked restaurant chilled her to the bone. “He needs help. Help him please. Wait!”
The person hauled her backward, away from the disaster of the diner.
“No! I’m fine. Help him! Call nine-one-one. Please! Help him!” Her hoarse shouts were completely ignored as the person tugged her out the shattered front door. Sharp shards cut into her calves as she was heaved across the glass-ridden floor. She refused to take her attention off Viper, staring at him for any signs of life.
As though her body remembered it could move, Jazz began to struggle. “No! Stop.” She kicked and bucked but couldn’t break the hold. “Forget about me. I can walk. Help Viper!”
