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Her heart kicked into high gear when the blade lodged in Jace’s shoulder. His blood poured out, but thank goodness the hit hadn’t killed him. She would never forgive herself if he died. Damn it. She was a fool. She couldn’t lose him.
“Frankie,” David said, shaking the bars to get her attention. “This isn’t working. Take this.” He handed her the lock pick he’d been using. “Keep working at it. I need to get to Allyson, get her out of here, and hand her over to Shane. She’s losing too much blood. She—”
“David, it’s all right. Robert is busy with Jace. It’s your only chance. Go.”
He threw her a grateful look and said, “When you get out, go to Shane. He’s waiting outside. Don’t try to fight Robert.” Then he left and made his way to Allyson’s side as stealthily as possible and began working at her handcuffs.
Frankie’s eyes darted to the other side of the room, where Jace was rolling on the ground with Robert, in a tangle of punches and kicks. Forcing herself to look away, she shoved the lock pick into the keyhole, feeling around for the tumblers.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
She continued working at the lock. To hell with David’s instructions. She needed to help Jace. She would be damned if she was going to abandon him when he needed her most. Damned if she wouldn’t avenge her parents, herself, Allyson.
There was a thud as Allyson’s shackles opened and she fell to the floor. She tried to get up and toppled into David’s arms. He hoisted her onto his shoulder and half-ran, half-limped awkwardly toward the rear exit. Thank God for that at least.
She kept working the lock.
Damn it.
The thing wouldn’t budge.
She kept at it frantically, and just as she felt a small shifting as the lock yielded to her efforts, a loud bang echoed through the warehouse as the front doors burst open, revealing the three other members of the Rogue Brotherhood.
Coming to the aid of their friend.
Jace slammedhisfist into Robert’s jaw with a sickening crack. Bone crunched beneath his hand, but he knew it would heal in a matter of minutes. Robert slashed at him with the silver knife, which he’d managed to wrest back. Warm blood covered his body, flowing from multiple wounds on his chest, shoulders, and arms. Heat burned through him, rushing to his wounds. He felt the skin knit together and regrow seconds after the wound had been made.
An equal playing field. It all came down to sheer ability.
To his belief in himself and skills gleaned over years of being a hunter.
With a massive shove, Robert pushed Jace off him. Jace fell back onto the floor, and Robert was on him in seconds. He slammed the knife down toward Jace’s chest. Jace grabbed his wrist and struggled to hold back Robert’s arm.
A tingling sensation ignited beneath his skin, and he was faintly aware of the glowing blue markings covering his body and shining through his clothes. Electricity pumped through him. He felt stronger, faster.
But Robert retaliated, quickly channeling his own energy. Energy that was more practiced, more refined than Jace’s. The knife shifted down an inch, closer to plunging into his chest.
Fuck. He was going to lose this fight. He couldn’t lose. Hecouldn’t.
The image of Frankie’s face clouded his mind. If he had one wish, it was to see her gorgeous smile one last time.
In an instant Robert was ripped off him and the bloodied knife skidded across the floor as Jace’s fellow hunters attacked the bastard. Damon’s fists collided with Robert’s face in an angry frenzy.
Jace grabbed the knife and jumped to his feet, prepared to fight.
As he lunged forward, a surge of power pumped through his body. Without warning, he grabbed Robert by the back of his neck and ripped him away from Damon’s fists, then stabbed the knife straight into the fucker’s side.
“Damon, get the girls out!” Jace yelled. He ripped the knife from Robert’s flesh and stabbed him again.
Robert threw a wild punch, his fist slamming backward into Jace’s kneecap, and Jace crumpled to the ground right alongside him. The bastard was indestructible. There was no way he could manage to stab him in the heart. Jace scrambled to his feet, but Robert slammed into him again, pinning him to the ground. His nails dug into Jace’s wrists, and Jace could tell he was channeling all his strength in order to hold him down.
“Just let me kill you, Jace. Give up and I’ll leave your bitch and her friend in peace.”
Jace spat into Robert’s face and snarled. “Not a chance, you murdering motherfucker.”
“Don’t make this harder on yourself than it has to be, Jace. I have you trapped. You have no way out.”
Jace growled. Robert was right. He had him pinned. The other hunters were trying to get Frankie out safely. They couldn’t help him before Robert made his move. The bastard could strip him of the knife any time he wanted, and once he did it would be inside Jace’s heart within seconds.
