Page 38 of Marked

“Shit.” He scrambled to my side, pulling at my shirt. “Let me see.”

Smacking his hands away, I scowled. “Knock it off.” Within seconds, a warm hand rubbed small circles on my back as I hunched over to relieve the sharp throb.

He was scared. I got it. Lord knows if our roles were reversed, if Noah had been the one who was shot, I would’ve reacted the same way. He was more than my partner; he was my heart and soul. Our physical relationship may have been a new development, but the foundation was already there. We’d laid it out and built it up over years of friendship.

“It was instinctual. I heard the shot and dove for you.” Even though I heard his swift inhale, I kept going. “I’d do it again without blinking an eye, Noah.”

“My heart stopped when I saw the blood on your hand.” His lips pressed against my temple and stayed there. “I’ve never been more terrified.”

“Me too.”

We’d seen some fucked-up shit in our job, but we’d always made it through to the other side together. This time would be no different. Noah and I were alive and we were going to stay that way, even if I had to bargain with the devil.

“Close your eyes, Lanie.” I lay against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “We’ll figure everything out in the morning.”

Noah

Once I felt Lanie’s breathing even out, my eyes never strayed from the cave entrance and my Glock was inches away from my hand. Thankfully, there’d been no indication we were followed, though I wasn’t naïve enough to think whoever it was had given up. I just prayed for her family and our team to reach us before the assholes got any bright ideas.

The storm continued to roar outside, while a different one raged deep in my bones. No matter how many times I reminded myself throughout the night that Lanie was safe in my arms, I couldn’t unhear the crack of the rifle or unsee the blood on her fingertips. It was playing on a never-ending loop inside my head, taunting me.

For hours, I did nothing except think and plan. Whoever shot at us was going down, it was just a matter of when and where. By the time sunlight began to penetrate our dark haven, I’d reached one conclusion. We needed to go home. We were too exposed in Colorado and we didn’t have the same resources that were available to us in Huntington. Mainly our team…our family. They were the best chance we had of getting through this hell unscathed.

“Morning.” Hazel eyes, still cloudy with sleep, peered up at me as she lifted her head from my chest.

“Morning, Darlin’.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “How’s the pain?”

“It’s there, but it’s more of a dull ache.”

Our heads snapped to the entrance, my gun raised, when a branch broke outside, followed by a rustling of leaves. Lanie reached to the side, picking up her weapon as I quietly got to my feet. Motioning for her to watch my back, I slowly crept along the wall, staying as low to the ground as possible.

When I approached the mouth of the cave, I heard voices, as in more than one. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, though it didn’t matter at this point. They were too fucking close and getting closer by the second.

A shadow crossed in front of the threshold. We were out of time. The instant the figure cleared the entryway, I didn’t think, I acted. Pushing off the wall, I barreled into them, knocking us both to the ground. Scrambling for control, I straddled their chest, cocked my arm back and was poised to throw the first punch when I heard her.

“Stand down, Noah.”

Waverly.If she was here then…

Looking down, my answer came in the form of a shit-eating grin on Koen’s face. Since the fucker scared the piss outta me, I planted my fists on his chest, giving him all two hundred twenty pounds of me as I pushed to my feet.

“Asshole,” he grunted.

“We need to get Lanie to a hospital.” I gave him a hand up as Waverly, Leland, and Percy squeezed into the small space. Unfortunately, at six feet six inches, the only way Duncan was coming all the way in was on his knees, so he stayed at the entrance.

“I don’t need a damn hospital,” she complained.

“You were shot.”

All at once our rescue party erupted in a litany of curses and questions, none more prevalent than Percy’s growled, “What the fuck?” He was across the space and kneeling at her side in three steps, followed by Lee.

Waverly raised a brow when they were out of earshot. “How bad?”

“The bullet grazed her side. I cleaned it out, but she may need stitches. How’d you all get here so quickanyway?” I asked. “I know the FBI didn’t cough up the cash for this trip.”

“When you didn’t call, we were on the road to the airport by four thirty.”

She didn’t exactly answer, however, Koen’s next statement cleared everything up.

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