Page 95 of Cruel Secrets

One gunshot after another cracks through the air, both of them going wide and sinking into one of the trees as I scramble to the side, trying to get out of their range.

The pair advances, one splitting off into the trees while the other continues forward.

Getting to my feet hurts like a bitch, but I stand and dart around a tree, aiming at the third man and squeezing the trigger. The bullet sinks into his chest. He staggers back a couple steps as I take one shot after another.

When he falls, the fourth man emerges from behind the flames licking up the car. The rest of the forest is too wet from the constant snow and freezing rain to catch fire, but it’s all starting to melt, the ground a mess of blood and mud.

The man slips, throwing his arms out to the sides to regain his balance, and when he does, I take my shot.

Four men down.

And that’s when I hear the scream that chills the blood in my veins.

Gunshots follow as I surge through the trees, trying to get back to Gia. My heart pounds in my chest as I scramble over a fallen log, following the footprints back to her.

Another shot fires, pain exploding in my arm as a fifth man steps out from behind the trees, the only obstacle left between me and Gia.

The man raises the gun but before he can shoot, Gia appears like an avenging angel behind him, her gun pressed to the back of his head. She pulls the trigger, not flinching as blood hits her face and the man stumbles forward.

She slumps back against a tree as the man sinks to the ground.

Her eyes are lifeless as she looks up at me. It’s like she’s gone numb. Blood trickles from the corner of her mouth, mixing with the nearly dried trail coming from the cut on her forehead. A deep purple bruise that wasn’t there when I left is now high on her cheek.

“I think my cheekbone might be fractured,” she says, breathless as the color comes back to her face and tears well in her eyes. “There’s another man I killed over there.”

I tuck the gun back into my holster, listening for a moment as I approach her. No other sounds come through the woods. No heavy footsteps or car doors slamming up on the bank. There aren’t any people whispering to each other or trying to sneak up on us.

Kissing the top of her head stills some of the restlessness in me. “We’re safe now.”

Her fingers brush close to the bullet wound in my bicep. “I don’t know if you’re right about that.”

I cup her face in my hands, brushing away the tears, careful not to press against her bruise. “I was terrified that I lost you.”

Gia’s bottom lip quivers, more tears mixing with the blood. “I didn’t think we were going to make it out of there. And you’re hurt. We can’t keep doing this, Royce.”

“We’re not going to.” I kiss her softly, the salt from her tears mingling with the metallic taste still in my mouth.

She leans into me. “I just want all of this to be over. I want to go back to forging paintings in peace and not worrying about whether or not my brother is going to kill my daughter.”

“He’s not going to get to Bianca.” I hold her tighter, ignoring the pain coursing through my body. It’ll all be over soon enough, and then we can start living the rest of our lives.

I already let Noah get away once—though that was a mistake—and I’m not going to let him leave again.

“We have to call Sean to come get us.” I pull back from her, taking my phone from my pocket.

The phone rings for so long I think he might still be leading Noah’s men away, but then the call connects.

“Where are the two of you?” he asks, his tone gruff. “Aiden said you should’ve been close to Vermont by now.”

“We were run off the road and attacked. Both of us are injured, the car is on fire, and there’s six bodies to clean up.”

“I’ll send a cleaning crew and someone to pick you up. Send me your location.”

The call ends and I send our location to him before walking with Gia up to the edge of the trees that line the road, waiting for the car to roll up.

Gia sits down beside me, not caring about the snow and mud that soaks through her pants. “This is a nightmare.”

“It’s all going to be over soon, and everything will be okay.”

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