Page 75 of Lane

“Inside,” Raiden rushed to say. “Get up.” He grabbed my arms and moved me, assisting me to my feet.

Sheldon helped Raiden form a wall until Alton and I were hauled inside. The door slammed shut, the lock engaged, not that it would do much against bullets.

Raiden opened the basement door, quickly ushering us down the stairs. I had no idea where I was going, but I trusted him withmy life and Alton’s. We were urged into a reinforced room, just the two of us, while Raiden and Sheldon stayed on the other side.

Before Raiden shut the door, he said, “I know you’re more than capable, Lane, but right now, I have to protect you and Alton above everything else.” The door closed and I was plunged into darkness until Alton flipped a switch.

Bright light flooded the room that wasn’t much bigger than a walk-in closet. There was food stacked on shelves along one wall as well as bottles of water. This wasn’t a room anyone could stay in for too long, but it would do in case of an emergency.

Turning, I gripped Alton by the biceps and looked him over from head to toe. I spun him and made sure he wasn’t hurt. “You’re okay? Were you hit anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine.” His voice was surprisingly steady. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “I’m good.” My hands shook as I took him into my arms, needing him as close as possible. If I hadn’t thrown him to the ground… I couldn’t think about it.

He returned my embrace, his hands soothing over my back. “I’m all right, promise.”

“Why aren’t you freaking out more?” I looked into his blue eyes. They were wide but he didn’t seem afraid.

“I haven’t always been like this. When my sister was in trouble, I was a mess.” He’d told us about what happened and how he’d met Jordan. “Over the years I’d resigned myself to the fact that, eventually, I would have someone trying to kill me. I’m surprised it took this long. It’ll probably hit me later. I was more worried about you and Raiden.”

“The only reason they did it today is because of me.”

Alton cupped my cheeks gently. “You don’t know that for certain. Even if they were after you, I still wouldn’t change anything. Being with you is a risk I’ll gladly take.”

“What if I don’t want your life on the line?”

“You already told me you love me and we’re living together. It’s too late now.”

“God.” I dropped my forehead to his. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Ditto.”

We stood like that for a bit, just breathing each other in, as my heart calmed in my chest. I wasn’t sure how much time went by before the door opened, and Sheldon was on the other side with Barrett at his back.

“You need to stitch up your man’s side, Doc,” Sheldon said. “It’s just a graze but he’s been out here bleeding, not giving a fuck about himself.”

Alton bolted from the room, rushing past Sheldon to find Raiden sitting on an old chair in the basement. Reghan was crouched in front of him, holding a cloth to the wound. “Let me see,” Alton said. Reghan pulled the fabric away and the bleeding started again. “Can we go upstairs?”

Barrett nodded. “It’s clear.”

I followed them upstairs, pissed that Raiden waited to say anything about his injury. I also understood why and would have done the same thing if I’d been on the other side of the door with Raiden and Alton inside.

In the medical room, Alton had Raiden lie down and went to work numbing the area. I focused on Raiden’s face, at the pinched pain in it. He was hurt because he put himself over Alton and me.

There was a distinct noise Jordan’s shoes made on any hard floor surface. That was how I knew he was going to enter the room in three, two, one…

“What the fuck?” he growled when he saw Raiden on the table. “How bad?”

“It’s a graze,” Sheldon answered. “Nothing serious.”

Jordan stopped at my side, since Alton was working on the other. “You’re good?” he asked Raiden.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Sheldon gave me the vehicle description. At this point, it’s probably hidden or ditched somewhere. Barrett is outside asking the neighbors for video footage. We checked what Alton has, but it doesn’t show much of the people. They had their faces covered. There’s only one person who can be behind this.” We’d already heard Ethan was dead, as were those who were with him. With Jack gone, that left the fake family and whoever worked for him.

“Anyone else turning on you?” I asked.

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