Page 108 of Triple Power Play 3
I point my toes to the floor and stretch out my legs. “Let me go. I’ll run there.”
He releases me, one hand reaching behind his back. “Lock and barricade the door.”
Four gunshots erupt in quick succession, accompanied by an explosion of glass crashing onto the hardwood. The blast is piercing and violent, unlike anything I’ve ever heard. My breath hitches, and I skid to a halt. I whirl around with my hands firmly clasped over my ears.
Desi blocks the mouth of the hallway, gun raised. He glances over his shoulder. “Go, Aurora!”
Despite the ringing in my ears, I understand him clearly. Sock-footed, I race into the security room and slam the door, my feet nearly sliding from underneath me.
I stare at the keypad, my thoughts fuzzy and in disarray, and for a moment, I’m unsure of what to do.
“Hit the padlock icon, baby!” comes a raspy voice from above.
My quivering fingers locate the button, and the locking mechanism clicks into place.
“Jax!” I gaze at the ceiling, although I can’t see him. “We’re under attack? All of us?”
“Yes.” He lets out ashuddering breath. “Push one of the leather chairs in front of the door and get under the desk.”
Hopping from one foot to the other, I pull off my socks for traction and follow his instructions, using all my strength.
Before I climb under the desk, I look up and ask, “Are you alright?”
There’s a heavy pause, and my stomach churns, a tear sliding down my cheek.
It’s Ethan who answers, his voice raw with restrained emotion. “We’re alright, baby girl. Be safe for me. We’ll be there soon.”
49
ETHAN
“I want a babymoon.”Aurora’s soft voice resonates in my mind, the memory of us snuggled in bed unexpectedly emerging.
The sun streamed through the sheer curtains, casting rays of light across the hardwood while leaving us in its shadow. Jax was in the gym, putting in an early morning workout, but I was too content to get up just yet.
“Like a light-up moon that hangs in the nursery?” I kiss her forehead and weave my fingers through her long, thick hair. “Order one, and we’ll get it installed.”
“No.” She giggled and gazed at me with those wicked eyes. “Like a honeymoon. A vacation you take before the baby is born to spend time together.”
I mentally checked dates but couldn’t find availability for a vacation until February. I doubted she’d want to travel during her last month of pregnancy.
“I’m not sure we have time for that, baby girl. We can plan something for this summer. We’ll take EJ; we have plenty of help.”
“Okay,” she whispered and kissed my chest.
I heard the disappointment in her tone and ignored it, shrugging it off as part of our chaotic lives. I made it up to her with my lips and tongue, but I swear on everything holy, if we make it through this night, I’m taking her on a damn babymoon.
Jax falls to his knees beside me, burying his face in my shoulder, sobbing silently. His arm wraps around the front of me, fingers gripping my neck desperately while his other hand holds the phone in his lap.
I press my head to his. “Be strong for me, just a little longer. Channel that hurt and fear into anger.”
He clenches and unclenches his jaw, the muscle furrowing against my clammy skin.
“Come on, baby. I need you to keep us safe. After this, we’ll go wherever you wanna go. You wanna go to New York? We’ll go to New York. No one will ever hurt us again. I promise you.”
“Units are four minutes out. Several more headed to the house,” Reece adds, his eyes half-lidded. “This was premeditated. Hugo knew you wouldn’t allow him to threaten Aurora.Maybe he was following you. Maybe he came here to cause a distraction, to draw me out, hoping to get Aurora alone. She’s their insurance policy—the only way to disrupt the investigation. You just happened to be here, and they took their shot. Either way, they were going to dosomething. It was only a matter of time. We all put protections in place, and they won’t expect the twins or Charlie to defend her.”
There’s a puddle of blood underneath him, and his left arm, the one between us, lies limp. He tried to stand when we connected to the home security app and heard the commotion. Blood dripped steadily from his fingers, and he lost his balance, grabbing the metal shelving before he lowered himself back to the floor.
