Page 89 of Rogue Hope
“Stand down, Zara,” Reynolds growled, blood trickling from his split lip. “This is bigger than your misplaced loyalty to Knight Tactical.”
“This was never about loyalty.” She drove her knee upward, connecting with his thigh rather than her intended target. “This is about justice.”
Finn flew past, tackling the guard who had been moving to intercept Kenji. They crashed into weight tower, sending handbells rolling.
Zara leveraged Reynolds’ momentary distraction to break free, rolling away and coming up in a defensive stance. Her vision tunneled, dark spots dancing at the periphery as her body struggled to compensate for the exertion.
Reynolds reached inside his jacket, and Zara’s heart stuttered when his hand emerged holding a compact pistol.
“Enough!” His composed mentor persona shattered, replaced by the cold calculation of Cipher. “I gave you every opportunity. Every chance to make the right choice.”
Reynolds shifted the weapon, aiming deliberately at her shoulder. “I only need you conscious for the biometrics, not comfortable,” he said coldly.
Even if she dodged, in the confined space and with her compromised mobility, she wouldn’t escape the shot. She tensed, praying Kenji and Finn would still be able to fight their way out of this.
But the impact never came.
Instead, Finn flew in front of her, blocking her vision. The gunshot cracked like thunder in the confined space.
Finn jerked and crumpled to the floor, hands to his chest.
“No!” The word tore from Zara’s throat, primal and raw.
Before Reynolds could fire again, Kenji appeared behind him, driving the butt of a confiscated weapon into the base of his skull. Reynolds staggered, and Zara surged forward, channeling every ounce of her CIA combat training despite the agony radiating through her body.
Her strike connected with his wrist, sending the gun skittering across the floor. She followed with an elbow to his sternum, then a swift, brutal knee to his groin that doubled him over. As he folded, she brought her joined hands down on the back of his neck, driving him to the floor with finality.
Around them, the remaining guards ran.
Kenji landed on Harrison’s back, yanking the man’s hands behind his back and pulling off his belt to secure the prisoner.
But Zara barely registered the victory. Her attention had already locked onto Finn’s crumpled form, blood spreading across his shirt in an ever-widening stain.
She dropped to her knees beside him, ignoring the jolt of pain that shot through her legs at the impact. Her hands moved automatically, applying pressure to the wound in his upper chest.
“Stupid,” she hissed, tears burning her eyes as she pressed down.
Finn’s eyes fluttered open, his face ashen but his lips curving into that infuriating, wonderful half-smile that had haunted her dreams for seven years.
“Always. Are we square now?” he whispered, his voice alarmingly faint.
Something broke inside Zara then, some final wall crumbling as she looked down at this man who had betrayed her, pursued her, protected her, and now possibly sacrificed himself for her.
“We’re more than square, Finn,” she said, her voice cracking as tears spilled freely now.
His eyes widened briefly, a flash of wonder and disbelief before they fluttered closed, his body going slack beneath her bloodied hands.
“No, no, no. Stay with me, Finn. Stay with me,” she pleaded, barely aware of Kenji securing Reynolds with zip ties before rushing to her side.
“Let me,” Kenji said gently, his medical training taking precedence as he quickly assessed Finn’s wound. “Upper right quadrant. Missed the heart, might have clipped the lung.” He pressed a folded jacket against the wound, his movements efficient despite his own injuries. “He needs a hospital, but this is survivable with immediate care.” He grabbed Zara’s hands, pressing her palms against the jacket. “Hold that tight. I need my med kit.”
Zara nodded, unable to form words as relief warred with terror. She pressed hard against his wound, her tears staining his pale cheek.
Lord, keep him safe. Keep him alive.
The air stirred behind her. Not Kenji.
Hands still pressed against the jacket, she whirled around. First Ronan, then Axel, Griff, and Maya burst through the door, weapons drawn, faces set with grim determination.
