Page 84 of Holiday Hostage
I rode out the echoes of passion and held on to his shoulders.
He softened slowly, the kiss growing tender and sweet. His lips grazed mine in slow, lingering sips.
“You have to go. None of us will survive if you stay.”
Agony tore through me.
“What do you mean?” But I knew, didn’t I?
I was a liability.
As long as they were torn between protecting me and themselves, my presence put them at risk. Tarron’s death proved that.
“Go, Payton.” Reed’s voice held enough anger to light the world on fire.
He pushed me toward his father, gave the man a back-slapping hug, and stalked toward the blown-out windows.
“Once we set up cover fire, you have to run. As fast as you can. You hear me?”
Tucker grabbed hold of me when I tried to follow Reed. “We understand.”
The hell I did.
My head and my heart struggled with reality.
If I stayed, I would put them in danger.
But how could I leave them?
They were the missing pieces of my heart.
I’d rather die with them than run away.
Get it together. The harshness of my own thoughts staggered me.
Maverick and Reed crouched on either side of the windows. They shared a solemn look, and at Mav’s nod, they opened fire.
Tucker wrenched open the front door and hauled me through it like I was nothing more than a sack of potatoes.
I tripped and nearly fell, my body weight crashing toward the ground.
Tucker’s hold kept me aloft, and I churned my feet in the thick powder, struggling for purchase.
I stopped looking where we were going and walked with my head turned as far as it would go.
Desperate for one last look at Mav and Reed, I gripped Tucker’s arm around my waist and managed to turn so I walked sideways.
“You’re making this harder for everyone.” Tucker’s jaw set in a rigid line.
He shook his head when he caught my gaping mouth and the staggered breaths that puffed in white clouds.
“I get it. Trust me. But you need to do what they said. We have to get out of here. Let them do what they’re trained to do. You don’t think I want to be back there, fighting at my son’s side?”
Honestly, I hadn’t really thought about that.
Shame threatened to slow me further, and I tried to play on his emotions, knowing damned well I was creating more problems.
“We could help. Give me a gun. We’ll sneak around behind the mercenaries.”
