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Luke
MyfoottapsanimpatientrhythmunderthetableasGarydroneson.Thesecondwewereoutofsightofthehouse,anuneasyfeelingsettledinmygut.WarriorsprotectLivinsideafortress,butthelongerScottygoesfree,themoreopportunitytheuniversehastofuckupmyworldagain.
Everyone startles when my phone screeches the warning tone for Liv’s panic button and I’m up and out of my chair and in the hall before anyone in the room can blink. Mark is already pushing the call button for the elevator as I sprint towards him. Garrett looks up from his phone as I approach, his brows pinched. “She’s at the house.”
That doesn’t make any sense. Nova would have warned me first. Mark brings his phone to his ear as the elevator doors open. He jams his finger on the button for the roof and the doors close.
“Jordy’s not answering,” Mark says.
Garrett drops his phone from his ear. “Dylan’s not answering either." My stomach drops. I swallow to contain the building panic. There’s only one reason they wouldn’t answer their phones.
The elevator doors open and we race to the helicopter. Walter sees us and jumps into the cockpit. The bird roars to life. He’s a retired Army pilot and knows the difference a few seconds can make.
After what seems like eons, we lift off the building. I work on keeping my panic under control, but I’m struggling. Liv is in danger. My worst nightmare is unfolding and I’m powerless to stop it.
“They’re all at the house, so whatever the threat is, they have Nova for support,” Mark says.
In record time, Walter has us on the ground, and we run for the parked SUV. It’s been almost thirty minutes since the alarm went off. Anything could have happened. We race down the road at illegal speeds. I yank off my suit jacket and tear off my tie while I loosen my collar. I roll my sleeves up and take the side arm Garrett hands me. After checking the magazine, I slide it back into place. A calm I haven’t felt in years settles over me as I grip the familiar weapon. Everything gets shoved aside. There’s no more fear, no more anger, no more self recrimination. That will come later. All that exists is getting to Liv.
We turn onto the dirt lane and grab onto the ‘oh shit’ handle as Mark flies at a speed just shy of breaking the axle, slowing only to prevent us from careening down the mountainside at the curves. We pull up to the house and the garage door doesn’t open at our approach. Thick steel panels cover the windows. The house is on lockdown. Mark jolts us to a stop, a cloud of dirt flying up around the SUV as we climb out. I take point while Mark and Garrett follow, heads swiveling in every direction as they hold their weapons at the ready. With determined steps, we make it to the front door and I yank open the access panel. I place my hand in the blinking square.
“Nova, deactivate lockdown."
“Access denied,” she says, mocking me with her cheery Australian accent.
“What the fuck? That’s impossible.” I stare at the panel in disbelief.
I slam my hand against the screen and try a manual override.
Access deniedstares up at me. “Fuck!”
I wrack my brain for options. I should have paid more attention when my dad was teaching me stuff. Now it could be the reason Liv dies. I glance at my phone and see she’s still inside. So are the guys, but their dots haven’t moved.
Mark gets my attention. “Who can we call?”
I jam a hand into my hair and think. “Nobody. I’m supposed to have override authority.”
I plug in random codes. Anything I can remember.Access deniedflashes every time.
I pound the side of my fist against the panel and the screen goes black and cracks.Fuck. I stare at it, then turn to Garrett who glances at me then keeps watching our backs. A mechanical whir sounds from the door and the automatic locking mechanisms unlatch. I share a look with the guys. There’s no time to figure out why it worked. Mark puts his hand on the handle and looks at me. I nod and he swings the door open and raises his firearm, stepping aside to let me through first.
“Liv!” Dylan yells from the living room. A firearm discharges, sending a deafening bang echoing around the house. I turn the corner as Dylan’s body thuds to the ground.
“Dylan!” Liv shouts, and my eyes land on her.
A man points a gun at her. I don’t hesitate. I aim and pull the trigger. The man crumbles to the floor, a bullet hole in his forehead before he even registers I’m there.
I trust Mark and Garrett to take out any other threats. There’s a large man lying still on the ground next to her. I can already tell he’s dead.
I holster my weapon and sprint to Liv, falling to my knees in front of her. The sight will forever haunt my nightmares. She’s only in her bra and panties. There’s an angry cut along the top of her right breast. Blood covers her face and torso. It’s in her hair and pooled in her lap. Her tears make skin colored rivers down her cheeks. I search for a wound but don’t find one. Her wide and panicked eyes meet mine. An angry, primitive sound escapes me as my heart shatters into a thousand pieces.
After a few seconds, she sucks in a shaky breath. “Luke?” she whispers. A small knife clatters to the ground from her hands. She moves to her knees and wraps her arms around my neck as a soul-crushing wail explodes from her mouth. It’s full of pain and a terror so deep I can’t find my way to it. The blood trails from her body to the man next to her. When I see Scotty’s face with a vacant expression, my vision blurs. My rage gets sucked into an airtight box like a vacuum and the lid slams shut.
I pull off my shirt while she tightens her arms around my neck and I wrap it around her. “It’s ok baby. I’m here. I’ve got you,” I choke out as I help her push her arms into the sleeves. It fits her like a dress and I pull it together at the front and hold her trembling body to mine. My voice seems to awaken her and she hiccups.
“Dylan,” she croaks and tries to look behind me. Mark and Garrett work on Dylan who is on his back, unconscious, blood pouring out of him as Mark tries to stop it.
I turn back to her just as her eyes close, and she slumps as she passes out. I catch her and pull her to me. She has a pulse, and she’s breathing. With one arm, I drape her over my shoulder like a sleeping child. I carry her to the kitchen where Jordy is rousing from his spot on the floor. I grab a kitchen knife off the counter and cut the rope tying his hands. He takes it from me to cut his feet free. There’s a gash across his forehead and he has a black eye. He reaches up and wipes the blood out of his eyes with his sleeve.
