Fucking shit.
“Brace, Luke, he’s worked her over.”
“The gunshot?”
“Unknown, but she’s not bleeding, not from a bullet anyway, and neither is he.”
Not from a bullet.
That should’ve quelled some of my anger but it didn’t. That fucker had still made her bleed.
“He’s waiting for one of her brothers,” I told Drake. “He’ll take one of them out or her in front of them.”
“It won’t come to that.”
“You’re goddamn right it won’t.”
I caught sight of Ethan running down the street.
“I don’t care what needs to be—”
“You don’t need to say it, Luke. You helped me pull my woman out of hell. I got your back on this. Hold your shit together and you’ll have her back soon.”
I got dead air. I shoved my phone in my pocket and ducked under the yellow police tape at the same time Ethan made it to the cop who thought he was going to stop me.
“George, he’s good.” Ethan motioned in my direction.
George stepped to the side and fell in step with Ethan as he started to jog back to Shiloh’s.
“Hutchinson got the drop on Sunny. She’s alert and she’s pissed. Hutchinson is demanding to see River. I don’t know why he picked that brother but seeing as he’s not available that’s not gonna happen.”
If Hutchinson gave her the option of which brother she wanted there to watch her execution she would’ve chosen River knowing he was in another state.
I didn’t explain this to Ethan.
“Is someone going to be able to lock down Echo and Phoenix?”
“You’re fucking kidding, right?”
Shiloh’s house came into sight and my steps faltered.
Not even twenty-four hours ago, I’d witnessed the exact same scenario. Only last night it hadn’t been my woman with the gun to her side.
“Jesus fuck.”
“Luke, lock it down. If you give Hutchinson the slightest indication she means something to you, he might use you as a substitute for one of her brothers. You gotta play this cool.”
Shiloh’s head turned and I sucked in a breath. Blood was trickling out of her nose, skimming her lips before it dripped from her chin. It had obviously been bleeding away, her shirt was dotted with red stains. There was a gash on her temple that was bleeding as well. My gaze dropped to her torso, then down to her legs.
She was standing.
And Ethan was correct. She looked pissed right the fuck off.
Her eyes found mine and I watched her clench her jaw.
Oh, yeah, she was mad.
Not scared.
Not afraid.
Furious.
I didn’t know what to do with this knowledge.
I knew what I was going to do when I got my hands wrapped around the motherfucker’s throat.
But at that moment, after having Shiloh in grave danger twice in under twenty-four hours I was emotionally paralyzed. Fear had manifested into enraged fury.
“And how are you playing it?” I ground out, my gaze snapping back to Shiloh’s.
“The negotiator is on his way,” Ethan told me.
“Shiloh’s not gonna wait for a negotiator to get here.”
“She’s—”
“Look at her, Ethan. Hutchinson didn’t bind her wrists or legs. How long’s she been outside?”
“He just brought her out five minutes ago, if that.”
“And how long’s that guy been yelling at Hutchinson to let her go?”
“He’s been here fifteen minutes.”
“So my take—she couldn’t get close enough to him in the house so she waited for him to bring her outside knowing he was gonna use her as a shield. She will not let her brothers watch this. If you think she looked pissed before I hit the scene, look at her now. She’s gonna make her move and she’s gonna do it soon.”
My hand went to my hip and yanked my gun clear of the holster. Ethan stepped closer, his body going tight, and he issued an unmistakable order. “Holster your weapon, Luke. You’re surrounded by cops.”
I held Shiloh’s eyes and I felt it. The air around us went wired. Hutchinson shouted something but I was beyond comprehending what he’d said. Ethan must’ve felt it, too, because his head turned from me and he shuffled until he was fully facing Hutchinson. Shiloh’s eyes flared then she winked and dipped her chin.
She fucking winked.
After that everything blurred. Shiloh’s right arm swung up, hitting Hutchinson under his armpit. Her left hand hammered down, hitting the wrist holding the gun. A shot rang out and the gun dropped. Shiloh sidestepped and dipped her hip, pulled Hutchinson forward using his right arm, and flipped him over her body.
The whole thing lasted three seconds max.
Hutchinson was on his back, Shiloh was on top of him, and they were grappling.
I wanted to go into battle knowing I was brave enough to fight the wolf even if it meant certain death. And if I was the one on the ground, bloody and mangled, I wanted to have it in me to claw and screech and draw my last breath fighting.
Jesus Christ.
Shiloh was shouting something and beating the absolute fuck out of Hutchinson. I took off, Ethan right behind me, and about a dozen cops descended like vultures to pull the two apart.
But not me.
If I didn’t want to check for myself my woman was safe I would’ve stood by and proudly watched.
But my need to hold her won out and by the time I hit the grass Shiloh had already been pulled to her feet.
Her face like granite, her eyes glittering with fury.
And that pride grew ten-fold.
Tough as fuck.
That was my girl.
Those gorgeous blue eyes came to mine, and before I could demand she come to me she ran directly into my arms. I took the brunt of the impact and wrapped my arms around her.
“You good?”
She nodded and wiped her face on my shirt. Then her head came up, as did her hands, and she grabbed my face.
“I’m not giving you up,” she declared.
“Come again?”
“It might be selfish, but I’m not letting you go. I’m not letting you walk away.”
“Not letting me walk away?”
What the hell is she talking about?
“I know my job freaks you out. And right now’s probably not the best time to talk about this but I’ve thought about it and I changed my mind. You deserve someone who won’t get called away and you deserve to have the sort of woman who won’t worry you. But I don’t care. I’m not letting you leave. No matter what, you’re stuck with me.”
“What the fuck?” I couldn’t stop the growl and if I wasn’t careful I’d start frothing at the mouth. “Told you, Shiloh, I’m not leaving you. So I’m un-fucking-clear what you’ve changed your mind about but you’re goddamn right you’re not leaving me.”
“I have a lot to tell you,” she stated the obvious.
“Yeah, you do, and just a warning—I’m pissed as all hell you’ve been dodging me all day. And you’re lucky you’re standing here instead of bleeding on the grass like that asshole.”
Shiloh’s eyes narrowed dangerously and her head tilted to the side.
“Aren’t you gonna ask me if I’m all right?”