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My gun came free of the holster at the same time he pushed his against my breastbone, grabbing me by my vest to haul me close.
I gasped as Carson pumped two rounds through the Kevlar, one chasing the other, helping push it through the woven fabric to meet its mark. The shock waves rolled through me and I felt hot wetness seep down my stomach. My Wilson slipped from my grasp, my world tipped up, and I fell hard into whatever waited on the other side.
I pressedmy bloody fingertip to the boulder, coming away with rock dust from where my Sparrow had carved an X in its face. “This way!”
My gaze dragged to a bush, where fresh blood-splatter painted the leaves crimson. I heard my brothers crashing through the forest toward me and hollered. “Bring the vet! She’s hurt.”
Not knowing how badly was making it harder to breathe as I picked my way around the boulder, finding a trail concealed in the darkness. I dropped to one knee, feeling out the tracks.
Rook came up behind me. “Grey’s gone to bring the vet, which way?”
“She was fucking chasing him down,” I gritted out through clenched teeth, sizing the two distinctly different prints in the dirt.
“It’s okay, Bro. We’re right behind her.”
…except we weren’t.
There had been so many of them. So many more than we’d planned for. How they’d managed to conceal such high number for so long was beyond me, but I was willing to bet it was something to do with the bastard my Sparrow hunted. It took us forever to cross that stretch of pavement and get to the trees. We’d had to fight the whole way. Steamrolling Kings, cutting through muscle and bone.
I checked the gun I stole off a King a ways back. There was at least half a mag left. It would have to do. The sounds of the ongoing battle raged behind us, but Diesel and the others had it. There weren’t many left out front, and I suspected even fewer still lingering inside the building. I’d pointed to the tree line and shoutedCarsonwhen he’d shouted over the gunfire to demand to know where the fuck we were going.
With any luck, he and the others wouldn’t be far behind, and no matter what happened when we found Carson Bates, he wouldn’t be leaving this forest in one piece. He’d either be dead, or preferably, a prisoner.
Rook and I raced down the trail, each of us pointing out the trees where our girl marked her path, telling us we were on the right track.
The unmistakable echo of a gunshot shook the forest and both of us cursed, breaking out into full sprints.
Rook growled next to me, keeping pace despite his leg.
Three more gunshots rang out, nearer than before, and I knew what we were about to find before we crashed through the trees. The cellar doors hung open, and Rook and I skidded to slow down as we soared over the edge and onto the staircase headed down.
Two more shots fired off in rapid succession and my blood sizzled, something in my chest snapping as we blew through a metal door into a long corridor… and watched Ava Jade’s body slump to the ground.
“Sparrow!”
Carson pushed himself up, gun raised.
I fired first, and red exploded where the gun had been. The shot knocking it from his hand and taking two fingers.
“Ghost!” Rook was already halfway to her, but I couldn’t seem to keep my burning eyes from Carson. He bared his teeth, hissing as he dragged his legs from beneath Ava Jade’s limp ones, reaching for his weapon with his other hand.
Rook reached my Sparrow, and it was the panic in his voice that finally broke me. “Ghost, wake up!”
I charged forward, crushing Carson’s reaching hand under my boot until he screamed. I kicked him onto his back and emptied the entire clip into his chest, his body jerking and convulsing with each heavy hitting blow.
It took longer to register than it should’ve that the trigger was clicking uselessly. There were no more bullets to be used. I couldn’t see Carson through the haze of tears as I tossed the gun aside and turned to face my blackest moment.
Rook pressed his hands over Sparrow’s chest, but it was no use, blood welled between his fingers, streaming down. Her pale face rolled to one side, eyes lidded at half-mast. Lips rapidly turning blue.
I looked away, my stomach turning.
No.
No.
She didn’t get to die.
I wouldn’t let her.
