Page 81 of Unraveled Love

“Shit.”

“Daniel,” Briggs stated, though I’d have known that face anywhere.

“And we’re sitting fucking ducks.”

Addi’s steps echoed on the stairs, and I ran to her, curling my hand around her shoulders. “Now is not the damn time to argue with me. Get your ass upstairs. All the way to that top room, closing the door in the hallway behind you. Lock the door and take the safety off the gun. Anyone enters, you shoot. Do you hear me?”

“What’s going on?” She trembled in my arms so hard my own body rocked with it.

“Now, Addi. You promised.”

“Okay. Be safe.” She kissed my cheek before pressing her palm to cover it. “Love you, Shawn.”

Fuck.Even that admission trembled.

“I love you too. Now go. And not kidding—that doorknob wobbles, you aim and shoot. Briggs and I will let you know when it’s safe.”

As soon as she rounded the corner in the hall to head to where I’d told her to go, I turned back to Briggs.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Don’t know if we can take them all out with only the two of us, and I’m not even trying to get Mason anymore, but I found Lincoln and Cort.” He pointed to the screen, to different squares where bodies lay lifeless.

“Shit. Gone?”

“No. Cort’s not anyway. Saw his foot move a little bit ago, Lincoln hasn’t.”

I scanned the screens, saw the two other men with Daniel. The man who loved Addi and wanted this shit done and over with wanted to go to Daniel and his two, but alone, that’d be harder. Not impossible, but harder.

The other two were headed toward the garage. It was closed, locked, with no entrance other than to come around the edge of the deck or the front door. But no fucking way was I waiting for them to get inside this house before acting.

“I’m going for them. Watch me. And if the others get inside—”

He glared at me with the viciousness of a feral animal. “I’ll protect her with my life.”

“Right.” I didn’t even need to say it, but I still slapped his shoulder and squeezed. “Thank you.”

“I’ll also make sure I announce myself so she doesn’t shoot me in the balls.”

Jesus fucking Christ. How could he joke?

“If Daniel and the other two reach the deck, radio me.” I grabbed one off the desk and clipped it to my jeans then headed toward the front. “Have you called 911 for Cort and Lincoln?”

“Doing it now. Don’t get too bloody.”

I shook my head. They were around the corner of the garage, still outside the woods. If I could get to the corner of the house, there was a tall, thick pine tree that could keep me in the shadows. That was, if they didn’t move faster.

I took my chances and slipped out the front door, opening it only far enough that I could squeeze through. With my gun in my hand, I held it steady, searching for anyone Briggs might have missed, but fortunately the coast was clear. With the softest steps, I hurried to the tree and pulled apart the branches. It was narrow enough to hide my form, thin enough I could peek through with the smallest movements.

I waited until the men stepped out from the trees. They were using hand signals, one looking toward the back of the house, the other directly at me. Shit—they were going to split.

Their guns were drawn, and I wished I had my AR. It would have been quicker to shoot, easier to let loose and riddle them.

Fortunately, I was a damn good shot.

I lifted the gun, braced my hand, and right as the guy headed toward the deck, I fired off a shot. The gun had a “silencer” quiet enough to not echo for fifty miles, loud enough it’d gain the attention of everyone around and everyone I didn’t want to hear. As soon as it shot, I moved left and pulled the trigger again. Once. Twice.

A bullet blasted toward the tree, barely missing me.

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