Page 71 of Marked By Moonlight

“Gonna stop me, Gid?”

“If I have to.”

She looked between the two men, her chest tight and hurting as if a heavy weight had been placed upon it. They had a long history. They were more than friends. Almost family. Claire couldn’t come between them.

Gideon tried again, saying, “If you would listen—”

“Oh, I understand perfectly. You’ve lost your edge. Too busy thinking with your cock.” His hard stare swung back to Claire. “Move away from her.”

“No.” The single word fell into the charged air, a gauntlet tossed down.

Her gaze met Cooper’s over the barrel of the gun and she read cold-blooded determination in the dark depths. He wouldn’t stop until she was dead. Even if it meant hurting Gideon. The hairs on her nape stood. She couldn’t let that happen.

Cooper widened his stance and trained his gun on what he could see of her. His gaze swung to Gideon. “Move out of the way, or I’ll shoot the silver-eyed bitch dead in your arms.”

He meant it. She knew it just as she knew Gideon wouldn’t budge from her side. If anything, he would shield her and take the bullet himself. She recognized that in the sudden way he tensed, his muscles taut like a bowstring.

Knowing what she had to do, she drew a deep breath, surged to her feet, and tossed the comforter over Cooper’s head.

Gideon took advantage of the opportunity and tackled Cooperto the floor, locking his arms around him and pinning him down. His gaze met hers over the kicking and thrashing comforter.

“Go! Take my Jeep!” His eyes burned green fire. “Go!”

She hesitated, the pounding of her heart loud in her ears.

“Gideon,” she whispered. “I…”

At that moment Cooper heaved violently beneath him and Gideon roared, “Go! Get the hell out of here!”

Naked, she fled downstairs, through the living room, and into the kitchen. Something crashed upstairs, sounds of the battle Gideon waged on her behalf. Heart hammering, she danced in place near the door before grabbing Gideon’s jacket and slipping it over her nakedness. Snatching his keys off the table, she darted out the back door and into the yard.

In the fading glow of dusk, she faltered and looked over her shoulder. She bit down hard on her lip, loath to abandon Gideon. No matter that he ordered her to go, no matter that she risked a silver bullet if she stayed, she worried about what Cooper would do to him.

The hairs on her nape tingled, a warning that was growing all too familiar.

She swung around just as twin bands of muscle locked around her, hauling her off her feet and sealing her in. Her eyes shot up to meet a pewter gaze and her stomach pitched. Opening her mouth, Claire screamed.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Dogs are destined to seek out other dogs for companionship.

—Man’s Best Friend: An Essential Guide to Dogs

Gideon ducked Cooper’s swinging fist and charged, throwing his shoulder into his middle and sending them both crashing to the floor. They rolled, jabbing their fists against each other, knocking into furniture and banging into walls.

Suddenly, Claire’s scream shattered the evening air.

Gideon froze. His first fear was that Cooper had brought reinforcements, other NODEAL agents.

He flew off Cooper and sprang to the window overlooking the backyard in time to see Claire flung over the shoulder of the lycan from the alley last night. Darius. He would rather he looked down at a yard full of agents.

“Claire!” he shouted through the glass, fingers clenching the window’s wood frame.

At Gideon’s shout, the bastard looked up, winked, and gave Claire’s bottom a little pat.

A growl rumbled low in Gideon’s throat. Without thinking, he plunged his fist through the window, oblivious to the pain,oblivious to the thick blood streaming down his knuckles in warm rivulets. Shoving past Cooper, he took off downstairs.

By the time he arrived outside, the yard was empty. A car sounded in the distance. He ran alongside the house to the front yard, where a metallic SUV pulled away from the curb and peeled down the street. Gideon ran, legs and arms pumping. Heedless of his nudity, of the stinging smack of his bare feet on hot asphalt, he sprinted down the middle of the street, trying to read the license plate. The vehicle swerved around the corner, tires squealing, before he could note the numbers.

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