Page 244 of Deceit

Code: Marty and Blue are still out there.

“Stand down.” I don’t look at Bishop because that may read too confident. “I don’t want anyone hurt.”

“How loud?”

Code: Can he hear me?

“Not much,” I reply.

“Kids are safe,” Kyson proceeds to tell me. “I got my gear. Buy me ten minutes, Ems.”

“Okay.”

“Get off the phone now, sweetheart,” Alexander commands, holding out his hand to take it. I hesitate because it’s a lifeline, but I hang up and give it over.

My kids are safe.

I don’t know where they are, but if Kyson says they are, he won’t bullshit me. And as much as Alexander believes I underestimated him, he again did the same to me.

Kyson was a sniper in the military.

His men will be dead in minutes.

“Now—“ Alexander pockets my phone. “—we were talking about killing the man behind me.

I don’t get to respond because a shot rings out, and I jolt back against the door. My ears buzz from the close range, but Alexander is still standing in front of me.

Bishop, however, isn’t.

I round my ex’s body on instinct, but Alexander grips my bicep and shoves me backward, the cold metal of his weapon pressed underneath my chin. My fingers are already formed together to swing on him, but the second shot pierces through my next move, and my heart stops.

I hear Bishop’s growl.

I see two other bodies that aren’t mine come in from my bedroom, and Bishop hurled up from the floor.

From experience, I know not to show any emotion when your teammate is captured or used as leverage. It’s a weakness. However, Bishop may have been shot twice and I don’t know where.

I’m not sure where the fuck Marty and Blue are, but they need to wrap this shit up and get in here.

“Now that that’s taken care of.” Alexander's concentration falls to my lips and remains there. “We can talk about visitation with the kids.”

My eyes form into slits. “No.”

His body blocks my view of Bishop, and I begin to grow overly anxious, almost about to call his bluff if he’s going to pull the trigger on me.

I can’t leave the kids behind.

And as if my luck has changed, Alexander stupidly hands off his gun to one of his men. An older man in his mid-fifties, maybe, but he looks like this isn’t his first go-around. No, unlike the suits I’ve seen following Alexander like at the coffee shop, he’s in black jeans and tee. He appears like someone who was hired for something shady and illegal.

And without needing any more guidance, he pivots back to the middle of the room.

“You and I have a lot of shit to talk about.” I steer my focus to my ex when, out of the corner of my eye, the second man in the room throws a fist at Bishop’s face as he tries to stand, but he’s knocked back down.

That’s when I rush the asshole.

Shoving Alexander aside, my body slams into Bishops’ attacker seconds later, tipping him off balance for a moment before he pushes me backward.

He tries to swing on me next, but I duck and return a hit to his ribs. Bishop is almost to his feet when the man behind him grips the collar of Bishop’s shirt; however, my man is already ready.

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