Page 127 of A Captive Situation

Lane’s reaction was swift, his eyes widening, jerking straight to her like she was a magnet for him.

Lane’s men turned their guns on her, except for the two defending themselves against Clara and Bess. I didn’t know the other two, but judging by the resemblance of the petite woman, I was guessing that was Sawyer’s mom. Her and the last woman weren’t doing anything. Clara was trying to karate chop a guy with her hands. Her knee rose up in aKarate Kidrendition while Bess was swinging the nunchucks. She had no idea how to use them so they were mostly banging up her arms as she was dodging them herself. Sawyer’s mom jumped in to give the guy’s shin a kick.

The fourth still wasn’t doing anything, except when one of them men turned a gun on the other women, a mean glint gleamed in her eyes and she charged him. She was using her body like a bowling ball. That was ... That was a different fighting technique. He didn’t see her coming and she took him down. She was turning to repeat the process on another guy when Lane’s voice cleared the room. “Stop.Now.”

It was low but filled with authority. Everyone froze, adhering to his order.

Lane stalked forward, snarling at his men, “No guns pointed at her. Point them down.Now.” Anger was brimming over his face, the first real emotion I had seen on him. Most of his men realized their mistakes and corrected themselves, but two weren’t so fast.

Lane growled, shooting both in the head.

Their bodies fell to the ground.

The rest of his men scrambled, dropping their guns in their haste.

Also, fuck, he was a good shot too.

“Oh no.” Sawyer began crying. These weren’t soft or simple tears. They were soul-encumbered, big and fat tears that were rolling down her face. “My family.”

She started to go for them, but I caught her arm. “Give me your gun, babe.”

She shuddered, and I pulled her into my arms. Pressing her forehead into the crook of my neck and shoulder. I felt her push the gun into my hand and without letting her go, I put the safety back on and stuffed it inside my back pocket. Sawyer’s hands grazed mine as she helped put the flap back over it, then tugged my shirt on top. After that, she wrapped both her arms tight around me.

We were taking a moment.

“Round them up. Now!” Lane barked.

His men began going for Sawyer’s family, but they stopped when Green spoke up. “No.”

I moved Sawyer out of the way, easing her toward her aunts. As I did, I could see Green and Lane embroiled in an intense stare-off, not that different from the murder-off the three of us had been in a few seconds earlier.

His eyes narrowed, holding hers.

Her order had been just that, an order. She didn’t say it with a hitch in her voice. There was no uncertainty in her. She wasn’t scared. Shesaid it as if theywoulddo as she said. Confidence rolled off her. She cocked her chin up, her eyes flashing a challenge as she continued to hold Lane’s gaze.

She added, her voice dipping low, “I said no, Creight.”

His face went cold. “Quo—”

“Do not fucking call me that, and I’m firm on this. Let. Them.Go.” She drew her chin up even higher, defiance sparking from her gaze. Her hands went into her pockets, an almost contradiction of her assertiveness, but it didn’t make her seem as if she were challenging him. She was outright commanding him.

Who was this girl to my psychopathic cousin?

“Let them go, Creighton. I won’t say it again.”

The rest of us were forgotten. Seeing that, knowing that, I kept edging backward. Lane couldn’t look away from Green anymore and that needed to be capitalized on.

He countered, taking a step toward her, “Them for you.”

She sucked in a ragged breath, her eyes bleak. “No.”

“Quokka—”

She threw a hand in the air, palm toward him. “I will lose my shit if you say that name one more time.” She tucked her chin now, losing some of that assertiveness.

Seeing her switch, Lane put his gun away. He gentled his tone. “Blake. I want you—”

Her chin jerked back up, and she snapped, “I don’t give a shit what you want. They all go free, and I mean it. Not one of them will be harmed. The people each of them love will not be harmed. This fight with Sawyer, with your own cousin, will end now.”

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