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“No. The beach.”
I was already backing up, and when Zan noticed, he muttered a curse before walking backward to follow me. He was still making sure they couldn’t get a clear shot at me. Two more wooden bullets hit him as the men yelled at us to stop. I wasn’t sure how long Zan would still be able to stay on his feet if they kept shooting him.
We got to the top of the stairs before the men finally left the vehicles to chase us on foot. Zan whirled around, giving me a small push.
“Go,” he demanded, his voice frantic.
“But—”
“I’m right behind you. Run. Now.”
Over his shoulder, I counted five men barreling after us, and I forced myself to spin around and race down the steps. I knew right away that Zan was not right behind me. An agonized scream tore through the air, and I spared a glance over my shoulder to see Zan fighting against three of the men.
One of them slipped past and flew down the steps, coming straight for me. Fear washed over me, and I upped my speed, reaching the wet sand. My boots were soaked, making my steps heavy as I ran across the beach, going straight for the pile of rocks. I didn’t make it even halfway before hands landed on my shoulders, and I let out a scream as I was thrown to the ground.
I landed on my stomach, and I quickly scrambled to my feet and spun around. The masked guy was going for his gun, and I lurched forward, raising my leg and kicking him in the groin. He let out a howl of pain, hunching over. I reached for the gun in his hand, knowing I was fucked if I didn’t get it. He stumbled back, trying to yank his arm out of my grasp. I held on, slamming my body against his to knock him off balance.
I hooked my leg behind his and shoved again. This time he went down onto the wet sand, and I fell on top of him. The gun fell from his grip, landing too far for either of us to reach. I slammed my free hand into his throat, and he choked out a pained breath. But he got a hold of my arm with his free hand and flung me off him before I could attack again.
Before I had a chance to move, he rolled on top of me. Panic slithered through me as he used his weight to keep me pinned, pressing me into the sand. I managed to twist onto my back, swinging my fists, but he blocked every hit. It was like he could read my fucking moves before I made them. I froze for a split second, realizing I was wrong about this being PARA.
Rain pelted my face, and I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. Only a certain group would know my moves this well. The people who trained me. Clovers.
His fingers went around my throat, and I thrashed under him, clawing at the mask covering his face. I gripped the rough fabric, yanking it off. The goggles scattered onto the sand, and the mask fell from my grip as I stared up in absolute shock.
My eyes locked on his, and I lay there frozen, unable to fight back as I stared at my best friend.
Chapter 23
Kali
“No,” I breathed out in a tortured whisper.
Warner stayed sitting on top of me, pure hatred in his eyes as he glared at me. His blond hair was a mess from being under the mask, and the rain instantly soaked it. His features were twisted into a scowl as he tried to pin my arms down. I struggled against him, but I couldn’t focus fully. Not when it was him. I couldn’t kill Warner. Couldn’t fucking do it.
He was still under Zan’s entrancement, which meant he thought I’d betrayed him. Betrayed the Clovers. In a way, I had. But in his mind, I was the reason Clovers had died. Why Zan had escaped. It was scrawled all over his face. He detested me.
“Warner,” I choked out. “Wait?—”
“We’ve been watching you all week,” he hissed, his eyes blazing with fury. “Sitting out here with him. A fucking vampire. You chose him over me. Over your family. You chose wrong.”
“I didn’t,” I screamed, my voice cracking. “You don’t know everything. Give me a chance to explain.”
My heart jumped when he hesitated. There was a flicker of indecision in his eyes for a split second. He stayed silent as water ran down his face, and I saw the boy I’d grown up with. Even after everything he thought I’d done, he still cared for me. If he didn’t, then he would have put a bullet in my back before I even had a chance to fight back.
“Let me explain,” I said more softly. “Please.”
His jaw ticked, and his attention went toward the stairs. I turned my head, seeing Zan still fighting with two men at the bottom of the steps. The others were sprawled in the sand, unmoving. He dove on top of one of them, ripping the mask off and lowering his head until he could reach the man’s neck. It was hard to see through the rain, but the guy’s pained scream reached my ears as Zan ripped into his throat.
“He kills Clovers. Humans,” Warner growled, his eyes swinging back to me. “And you sit at his side like a good little pet. What does he have on you? He can’t fucking entrance you.”
He was so angry. So confused. I bit my lip, pain slicing through my heart. I couldn’t tell him the truth. Even if I did, there was nothing he could do. I couldn’t leave the vampires, and if he knew how deep I was in this, he’d try to save me. Which would end up with him dead.
“Kali.”
Zan’s enraged yell had both Warner and me looking at him again. He was striding across the beach, anger radiating from him. The other men were lying on the beach, and I doubted they were still alive.
Warner muttered a curse, rolling off me. My stomach lurched when I realized he was going after his gun. I jumped to my feet, going after him. I lowered my shoulder, ramming into him as he reached for the weapon. He let out a grunt as he nearly lost his footing.
