Page 16 of Tactical Lies

And pointless as it turned out.

Because they made it only about a half mile away from the village before the sound of an approaching engine had him freezing.

A black jeep with half a dozen armed men in the back appeared through the trees.

Once again, he’d failed the woman he loved, only this time she would wind up paying for that mistake with her life.

August 17th

6:29 A.M.

Instinct had Becca inching closer to Connor as a vehicle carrying more armed men approached.

As badly as she wanted to turn and run in the opposite direction or lift the weapon Connor had thrust into her hands and fire at the car, she didn't do either of those things.

Because neither did Connor.

Tension emanated from him, his posture stiff, the weapon clutched tightly in his hands. She wished he would tell her what to do or start doing something so she could follow his lead.

But he didn't.

Just stood there, glaring at the jeep and the men in it.

“Connor,” she hissed. “Shoot them.”

“Can’t, honey,” he said, never taking his eyes off the vehicle.

“Why?” They should be doing something. Should be fighting. Already Connor hadn't been able to do anything to save Izzy and the villagers, but he could do something now. The odds were better, two of them to eight of the others, and this time they were both armed.

“Because they’ll shoot back, and I won't stand here and watch you die.”

The force behind his words rocked her. He meant that. Actually meant it. While her logical mind had always known Connor hadn't run that day because he didn't love her but because it was all just too much to handle, her heart hadn't been so convinced. There had been so many times she wondered if she’d been wrong about Connor all those years, if he’d never really loved her at all.

“They’ll catch us,” she whispered, the old, dirty taste of fear filling her mouth. Over time, she’d forgotten how foul it tasted, but now it was back, and with crystal clarity, she remembered the last time she’d been this afraid. The night of her assault.

Only this time she wasn't alone.

This time Connor was there.

Delusional or not, Becca knew she could trust Connor to protect her, to keep her safe, and maybe even find a way to keep them both alive. It was only her heart she would never again trust in his hands.

Even if Connor couldn’t save her, at least she wouldn't die alone as she had truly believed she would the night she’d been raped. That made her selfish, she was aware of that. Connor had a family at home who loved him and needed him, so being glad he would die with her probably made her a terrible person, but she couldn’t help it. Anything was better than dying alone.

The vehicle stopped in front of them and the men in the back jumped out. Becca pressed closer to Connor until her body touched his. Just an hour ago she would have sworn that his touch would have made her feel ill, that the last thing she wanted or needed was any physical contact between them, even the most casual of touches.

Now it was the only thing that grounded her.

“Put weapons down,” one of the men ordered, gesturing at the rifles she and Connor held.

When Connor bent and laid his on the ground at his feet, Becca did the same thing. Connor could do the impossible, somehow, she believed that. He had always been her superhero, the man she loved, the one she wanted to give every part of herself to. He’d betrayed that trust in the worst possible way, but she still believed if anyone could get her out of this alive it was him.

“Get on knees,” the man issued another order.

Hard as it was to watch when Becca knew if she wasn't there and he wasn't worried about her getting hurt or killed, Connor wouldn't have hesitated to take on these eight men, he got down on his knees.

“You too,” the man yelled at her when she stood frozen in fear.

She couldn’t do it.

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