Page 42 of Savage Hearts

There were many people in this world who wanted my brothers and me dead.

It wouldn’t have mattered if it was someone I knew. The cowards were using the trees as a cover, and I couldn’t even see where I was shooting.

“Stop fighting me and stay the fuck behind,” I said, harsher than I intended. More bullets flew by.

One grazed my arms, and I grunted in pain from the burn.

“Fuck!” Silas shouted.

A car drove by. It didn’t belong to us.

They were going to get away.

“Let’s go,” I said to my brothers.

We gave chase, even as I knew it was futile.

The only thing we could do was watch the taillights disappear as the car took a sharp right.

“Should we try to catch up?” Emilio asked once he caught up to us.

I shook my head. “I doubt we would find anything. Keep this quiet, but get in contact with our sources at the police station. See if they can pull any pictures from the street cam, and perhaps we can put a face behind this attack.”

Emilio nodded and walked away.

“Fuck, you got it,” Killian said, grabbing arms.

I gently shrugged him off. “It’s just a flesh wound.”

Silas glowered at me. “Are you crazy or just plain stupid?”

I scowled back at him, but didn’t answer.

“Why the fuck would you use yourself as a human shield?”

“Because it’s my job to protect you, and that’s what I did.”

“We can protect ourselves. We don’t need you to be stupid about it,” Killian added.

I could feel a tinge of annoyance making its way up my spine. “Sure, you can. But it’s still my job to protect you both, so just shut up before I kick both of your asses.”

Killian let out a huff of air in annoyance, but it was Silas who answered. “I would like to see you try, big brother.”

“Careful, little brat. Just because it’s been a while since I handed you your ass doesn’t mean I won’t do it.”

He opened his mouth, but I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer to me. He tried to hold onto his annoyance. I could see the concern in his eyes, and I was suddenly reminded of the way he had looked at me as a little boy.

Those fucking brown eyes of his had hardened the older he got, but the color… fuck me. It was the same.

I shook my head, trying to get away from the memory.

“Enough. What’s done is done. Let’s just find out who was stupid enough to shoot at us and make them wish they never got out of bed today,” I said, keeping my grip on Silas for a long moment and turning my gaze to Killian.

They didn’t fucking get it.

They were mine to protect, and I would rather die than to let any harm come to them. When neither of my brothers responded, I turned away and walked back to the car.

After a second or so, they followed, their footsteps in tandem with my already calming heart.

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