Page 63 of Marked

Lexi tilted the phone away from her mouth. “Cole has Bella. They made it to the woods, but someone went in after them.”

Hysteria nearly cinched her windpipe. “Can Nash get to them?”

She shook her head. “He’s too far. Dare’s close, but neither of them are replying.”

The forest spun around Sophia, turning the woods into a motley collection of shapes. Lexi grabbed her bicep, anchoring her.

“Keep me posted.” Lexi slid the phone back into her pocket and caught Sophia’s other arm. “Hey, Cole and Dare are together. That’s two monstrous guys against one. They’ll get Bella back—I promise you.”

Sophia pressed her knuckles to her lips. Shredded gasps hissed from her chest. She needed to run. She needed to scream. But if she tore her feet from their spot she might just crumple into a heap.

Lexi pulled her into a hug. “Breathe. Just breathe.”

***

Tree bark dug into Cole’s spine. Dare had shot at the man who’d charged after them, and the bullet had landed dead center in his head.

All the air had left Cole’s lungs. He was hyperaware of the warm, sticky blood touching the inside of his arm, and if it weren’t for the fucking adrenaline pumping through his veins, he’d probably be able to discern if he’d been shot—or if Bella had.

Dare marched up to them pointing a flashlight at the ground.

“Hey, kiddo, you need to look at me.” Cole jostled her in his arms.

A beat passed.

His heart stopped for a minute.

Then Bella stirred. Her head tilted backward, and glassy blue eyes found his face. She blinked. “You said to be still.”

His shoulders slumped as if a weight had rolled off them. “Are you hurt?”

The corner of her mouth tucked in and she pulled her stuffy to her nose. “My ears hurt from the banging.”

That he could deal with.

Dare shone the light on Cole’s body while shifting and tugging at his vest. “He got you under the arm, right above the vest. Goddamn miracle that’s all that was hit.”

Dare’s words only highlighted the fact that the bullet could have easily hit Bella. If he’d turned at the last second, he could be holding a dead little girl. He pushed out a shaky breath. Thank god the bullet had hit him. Now that he knew Bella hadn’t been shot, a stinging sensation pulsed along his side.

“Hard to tell if it’s a graze or not. Want me to take her the rest of the way?”

Bella’s arms curled tightly around him in refusal.

“Nah. I’m fine.” He hiked her up and headed in the direction they’d been going. “Any word on Nash and Dallas?”

“I’ll check.” He spoke into the earpiece, his words barely carrying over the fog around Cole’s head.

He wasn’t hurting. He wasn’t getting weak.

But Bella had almost been shot on his watch. He swallowed the thick frustration expanding at the back of his throat.

Jesus, how did people have kids?

Bella wasn’t even his. Hell, he hadn’t even known her five minutes and already the responsibility of her life was too heavy to carry. No wonder Sophia had just about shot him for suspecting he’d kidnapped her kid. Cole would have ripped someone apart had he been in her shoes.

“How much longer?” Bella’s raspy little voice shook.

He pulled the cardigan higher on her shoulders. His brain was too muddled to figure out the distance. “Not too long. You doing okay?”

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