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“You’re no good to your team dead,” Saint growled.
The burning warehouse provided a huge distraction, creating a safe path to the Zodiac. Gray knew Mesa was trying to save whatever product he could. He probably assumed the Toxic Twins had dealt with Gray and Saint already and that they were no longer an issue.
For the time being they held the upper hand and were in the clear. Trying to attack Mesa in front of all his soldiers would be suicide. And, at that moment, Gray realized he didn’t want to die.
Moving as fast as possible, Gray did his best to keep up with Saint, pushing himself to his limits. But the trek was taking its toll fast. By the time they reached the beach, Gray’s shoulder screamed with agony and he stumbled in the sand, dropping to his knees on the verge of passing out. Blood gushed from the wound and the Zodiac in front of him went in and out of focus.
The sound of gunshots filled the air as they hoisted him into the big rubber boat and launched it into the waves.
“Shit!” Inda cried. “They’re coming after us.”
Gray fought back the threatening nausea, lifted his Glock and fired at the approaching boat filled with Mesa’s men. They appeared so fast, probably coming to investigate after the guards in the north tower failed to respond.
His eyes slid shut then popped back open as their boat slammed into a wave. Gray bounced backwards and Inda moved in beside him, pressing a towel hard on his wound, trying to staunch the blood flow.
“Hang in there, Demon,” she said.
Gray struggled to stay conscious, fighting hard, but it proved to be a losing battle, and the darkness sucked him under.
And the last thing he saw was Aubrey’s beautiful face.
???
While Hunter prepared the plane, Aubrey waited on pins and needles for the team to return. She knew from Inda’s report that Saint had a stab wound and Gray had been shot in the shoulder and was currently unconscious. Digging deep, she reined in her emotions and waited. Time would be of the essence. Both men would be bleeding and in need of assistance. Gray’s situation, however, could very well be life or death.
Slipping on a pair of latex gloves, Aubrey checked over her tools again, neatly laid out and ready to go. Biting her lip hard, forcing herself to keep it together, Aubrey went over the steps for assessing a trauma patient with a gunshot wound in her head. Then she did it again. Followed by a third time.
Now was not the time to fall apart. She needed to keep a level head, focus on her clinical skills, and ignore her emotions. It would be the biggest challenge of her life.
Outside, Aubrey heard a commotion and she ran over to the open door to see the team racing for the plane. Gray was being held up between Ryland and Braxton, his boots dragging as they carried his large body. Inda and Saint brought up the rear, shooting at pursuing guards.
“They’ve got a fucking rocket launcher!” Saint yelled.
Aubrey’s heart slammed against her ribs.Oh, God.
Hunter stuck her head out of the cockpit and swore. “Get ready to take off. It’s gonna be bumpy.”
The plane’s engines were already roaring and a panting Braxton and Ryland rushed through the doorway first, carrying Gray between them.
“Here!” Aubrey called, motioning to the fully-reclined leather seat. “Lay him down.”
They dropped him down with a huff and Aubrey immediately got to work on Gray. Meanwhile, Saint and Inda barrelled into the cabin, positioning themselves in the doorway, and continued firing at the assholes with the rocket launcher.
“Let’s fucking go!” Braxton yelled, and the plane lurched forward. “Rip, take over for Saint! Bruja, help Aubrey!”
As Braxton and Ryland moved up into the plane’s open door to keep shooting, Saint staggered in and dropped down in a seat. Aubrey hoped his blood-soaked arm looked worse than it actually was.
“Inda, I’m going to need assistance.” Doing her best to remain calm, Aubrey let her training guide her. She tossed a towel over and Inda caught it. “Keep pressure on Saint’s wound while I attend to Gray.”
After quickly and carefully removing his tactical vest, Aubrey cut his shirt off and flashbacks from the last time filtered through her head. But the stakes were much higher this time. Gray had lost a ton of blood and wasn’t conscious. His wound was bleeding heavily and she studied it closely to determine if it was a graze or if there was an exit hole. Or, worst case scenario, a bullet was still lodged in his shoulder.
Turning him onto his side, she cleaned away the blood and was happy to see a clean exit hole.Thank God.The bullet had passed through and she didn’t need to worry about digging it out. But she did have to stop the bleeding. Carefully laying him back down, she grabbed a thick wad of gauze, covering both sides, and pressed her palms against the wound openings hard.
The jet picked up speed, hurtling down the grassy runway, when Ryland snapped, “Guys, you better buckle your fucking seat belts. Shoulder-fired missile launcher at six o’clock.”
“There’s no outrunning that,” Bruja grumbled.
“So, we’re gonna outfly it!” Hunter yelled.
