Page 131 of The Vigilant

Love was never being alone.

No matter what happened before—no matter what happened today—no matter what would happen in the future—whether he was by my side or at a distance, his love would never leave me alone.

“Always.”

“Go get your prey.”

Our eyes locked, and I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop the words, even though they came at the worst time.

“I love you.” And then I was gone—shoving open my door and sprinting out with a scream for help like I was trying to make a break for it.

Just as we’d hoped, the guard outside the garage door quickly put in the code to close it, locking him and whoever else might be out there.

“Get her!” a voice that had to be Carson’s yelled, more annoyed than anything.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing a brutish man charging after me in the direction of the man in the center. Carson.

With one after me, that left three others between Rob and Tynan.

I looked ahead of me, the far aisle of shipping containers looming like the entrance to another world.

Behind me, I heard car doors, then Carson’s voice again, “What the—” And then a single gunshot pierced the space, followed by a grunt and then the thud of a body hitting the ground.

I looked back. The man chasing me lay like a black silk stain on the warehouse floor.

For a second, it struck me that the sound seemed to come from somewhere to my left—from another part of the building. But I didn’t have any longer to consider it before the giant hollow shell of the warehouse ricocheted with bullets.

I should’ve kept running, but as soon as I hit the shelter of the shipping containers, I flattened my back to the side and peered around the corner. I had to make sure he was okay.

Chest heaving, I watched with my heart in my throat as Tynan and Rob took shelter behind their open car doors and fired at Carson’s men.

“We need some backup in here,” Rob yelled into our comms.

“Thirty seconds,” came Creed’s response.

But the relief never came. From my end of the room, I saw more men creeping out from the other side of the car. He’d had more men inside the building.

I didn’t think of anything except warning them—protecting them—when I yelled, “On your left!”

Rob and Tynan looked just in time to fire. Five more men pinned them down with gunfire from the left side of the car.

The only person who didn’t look was Carson; I felt his eyes on me like caustic acid on my skin.

“Shit,” I muttered, seeing him come toward me, leaving the rest of his men—six of them now—to deal with Tynan and Rob.

I pulled my knife from where it was tucked into my hair, holding it steady by my side. I knew I should’ve moved deeper into the cover of the containers, but I couldn’t. My feet were rooted to the spot where I could see him.

I could run while they were outnumbered. But I couldn’t leave him.

Carson’s lip started to curl as he got closer, his steps picking up a predatory pace, but I barely moved back, watching as Rob rounded to Ty’s side of the car, the two of them working in tandem.

Where the fuck was Creed?

My heart galloped in my chest, my eyes zigzagging across the other side of the building, desperate for them to appear.

And then as the goon on the far right with the automatic rifle jerked and dropped to the ground, behind him, Creed’s unmistakable form appeared.

Thank God.

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