Chapter 34

It's clear the majority of the bags we brought with us were filled with guns and ammo. Watching Kane and Ward drop them on the living room floor makes my heart race.

"What's the plan?" Grady asks, pulling me close to his chest. "Ward filled us in on what Ranger said, but what do you and Cas plan to do?"

"Do we think they'll try to take out the gate?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his middle. "Or is there some other way they can make it onto the property? Is there a back gate?"

"The fence surrounds the property," Cas says. "There is back access to an easement for the utility companies, but the gate is the same as the front, except it's also padlocked."

"It's entirely possible they will try to divide and conquer, but they won't have the benefit of having seen the property until they breach." Kane digs in the bag. "Fuck, I've got to change. I don't even have pockets."

"I should too," Grady agrees, releasing me.

"Do the two of you want to hunker down upstairs?" Ward asks.

I exhale heavily as my hands shake. "If I know Kane, there will be a long-range weapon in there somewhere. It's been a lot of years, but I feel confident that I can pick off a few from the balcony." I look at Cas. "Will you stick with me?"

"I will gladly watch your backside." Cas winks, and my silly heart races.

"The three of us will take point," Ward says. "Having a warning makes this a relatively easy situation to manage." He comes over, pulling me into his arms. "Don't stress."

If only that was possible.

My entire body buzzes with frantic energy that I don't know how to manage.

"Ranger said three SUVs, right?" I ask Cas, studying the road through the scope of the rifle.

"Yes," he agrees.

"Then, we have a problem," I whisper. My heart tries to pound right out of my chest as my entire body trembles. Luckily, I'm mostly leaning against the railing because I'm afraid my knees will fail to hold me up.

"What? Why?"

"There are only two," I say, not bothering to keep my tone quiet as the first SUV slams into the gate.

Cas's house in Vegas was much better protected than this place. The gate buckles and the hinges give way as the SUV drives right over it.

Ward is somewhere inside, near the front door, but Kane and Grady are hiding out there in the tree line.

I exhale heavily, remembering how my father taught me to account for the nervous anxiety that would surely come if I ever found myself in this position.

In through your nose and out through your mouth. Then you take a deep breath and, depending on your style, you hold it or exhale extremely slowly based on your personal preference. It's like I can hear his voice echoing in my head.

I must be overly emotional because tears ache in my eyes. Thinking about my parents always hits me hard, so I do my best to bury that shit deep enough it won't burn when I breathe.

The driver's side window explodes before I've even got my eye back to the scope.

"Jesus Christ," Cas mutters.

The doors of the first SUV pop open, and more bodies than I can count climb out, one after another.

Grady made it clear he didn't think I should shoot anyone except Andretti—and only if I wanted to.

The others agreed, but I consider this exactly like the attack three years ago.

It's kill or be killed.

God, or be dragged back to their compound and forced to marry them.

Or possibly tortured for the rest of my lifetime.

None of those are appealing options.

My entire body floods with conviction as I browse the last of the faces. Ezrah isn't one of the men who popped out of the first SUV. Someone crouches next to the wheel well of the vehicle and fires toward Cas's house.

This place is so old, it absolutely has to be on the National Registry.

Don't these fuckers have any respect for history?

I aim for his chest and land a shot quickly, followed by another. Neither ends up exactly where I planned, but his body slumps forward.

"Was that Andretti?" Cas asks, sounding relieved.

"No." My aim swivels sideways as I catch sight of Kane tackling someone to the ground.

What the fuck is that about?

This is supposed to be an execution, not up-close-and-personal warfare.

The bond is so chaotic that I can't pick out any details or information on what's guiding their actions.

My heart races as a whole different group of bodies in tactical gear approach from the second SUV.

Several are wearing masks, making it impossible to tell if Ezrah is one of them. My finger twitches as I hold it over the trigger.

There are a lot of them.

This isn't the time to hesitate, Ranger taunts me in my head. It's like you want to lose a member of your pack. You're a Cavanaugh. Act like it.

Jesus Christ.

Why do traumatic moments always remind me of my family?

I think I need therapy.

Or Jesus.

I probably need both.

The sound of bullets firing from an unsilenced weapon makes me jolt. The first wave of their men were in stealth mode.

This is a nightmare.

I close my eyes for a half second and center myself. I open my aiming eye and come to terms with the fact I truly am exactly like my family.

"Good God," Cassian says as I take the last fully accessible shot.

I scan as much of the side yard as I can, but I don't pick up any movement.

Ward is nowhere to be seen, but Kane and Grady are in one piece as they approach the front porch.

"I'm pretty sure it was seven or eight that I took down, but Kane and Grady did the majority of the work." I pull the rifle off the banister and set it on the ground.

A vicious thump rings out as I stand. Cassian slumps to the floor, dangerously close to falling into the rickety banister.

"Hello, Sparrow." It's an Andretti voice. That means it's Ezrah Andretti that I spot when I turn to the doorway.

Goddammit.

I should have paid more attention to what they looked like when we were betrothed. He looks so much like Marco that an involuntary shiver runs down my spine.

That third vehicle. I got so caught up, I completely forgot to bring it up. It can't have been five minutes since the first SUV drove through the gate.

Ezrah's gun points directly at my skull.

"Ezrah." I force a smile. "I wasn't expecting to see you again." I edge toward Cas.

He's incapacitated.

My entire body aches to fall to my knees to check on him, but at least he's alive.

"Come to me slowly." Ezrah waves his free hand. "Try to fight me, and I don't care who his father is, I'll blow his brain across the lovely veranda."

I frown.

I'm pretty sure the word veranda only applies to ground level…

Now isn't the time for pondering his misuse of words.

I need a weapon and a way to end another Andretti.

Stat.

My legs tremble as I shuffle forward, continuing to block Cas with as much of my body as possible.

Ezrah grabs my arm as soon as I'm within reach, snatching me to him painfully. He twists my wrist behind my back until it feels like it might break and brings me in front of him.

The cool metal of his gun to my temple makes it clear how dire my circumstances are.

"It seems you're capable of following instructions, after all," he growls against my ear. "Walk."

My flats drag against the floor as he guides me through the bedroom and toward the door. My heart races, and I ache to turn back to check on Cas. He's okay. He might have a painful lump on his forehead, but it's highly unlikely that one whack with a handgun would take him out permanently.

Right?

I mean, he's still there in the bond.

It just feels like the same nothingness as when one of them is asleep.

If he were dead, I would be in excruciating pain…right?

My entire body trembles as Andretti leads me down the stairs. There's commotion in the kitchen, like someone is fighting, but I have no idea who or what.

"I was going to kill you on sight, but it appears you were told to expect us." Ezrah's hot breath fans over my cheek as he speaks. "You're my ticket to making it out of here alive. So, I guess that makes it your lucky day, but make no fucking mistake. You will pay for what you did to my little brother."

I push my lips together, trying to formulate a plan.

I need some type of weapon.

Any type, really.

Hell, I'd take a stick right now, but a gun would be ideal.

My eyes widen as we approach the open back door.

Grady peeks around the edge. "Ezrah. Long time no see, man."

"Raiden Michaels, you slimy piece of shit," Ezrah growls. "It just so happens, you and I will have to have our reckoning another time."

"What? No way." Grady chuckles. "Now is as good as any time. How about you let my woman go, and you and I can chat?"

"Fuck you," Ezrah hisses. "Drop your gun and back away now!"

His bark rolls through my system, but I don't have a gun to drop.

Grady chuckles darkly. "You really think that's going to matter? You act like I'm the only thing standing in the way of you and freedom."

Ezrah twists my wrist so far, I truly believe he's about to break my bones.

"Yup," Grady says.

One second, he's behind the wall, peeking around, and the next, he's fully blocking the doorway while aiming and pulling the trigger. But two gunshots explode in the air, right along with Ezrah's skull.

Blood splatters my face and eyes as I scream.

I don't even know why.

Maybe it's the sound.

It could be the warm gooey feeling now covering the right side of my face and chest.

Oh, fuck me, I think it's even on my tongue.

His body falls to the ground as I shake off his hold on my arm.

"Fucking hell," Kane says from behind me. "I thought you were going to let me handle it. What if we had shot each other?"

"We had this." Grady chuckles. "I took out his gun hand. You went for the brain. We totally rock as teammates."

My chest heaves as my vision goes spotty.

I've, honest to God, never seen someone pop out from cover and take a shot that fast.

If he was a few inches off, he could have hit me instead. Or if they mistimed their shots, Ezrah could have taken me out with him. Even if someone is dead, they can sometimes pull the trigger by reflex alone.

But they didn't fuck it up. They landed those shots like a team that's been working together for years.

I knew Ezrah wasn't walking out of here with me. If I couldn't find a way to get myself free, I trusted Ward, Grady, and Kane to take him out on our way to his vehicle.

I twist my hand on the wrist Ezrah almost broke, and it hurts.

Like really freaking badly.

Oh, God!

Cassian.

"Fuckfuckfuck," I gasp, tripping over Ezrah's feet. "We have to check on Ward and Cas."

"Right here, lass," Ward says. He's got an arm under Cas's, and he's helping him hobble in our direction.

"Well, shit, princess." Grady chuckles, looking at Cas. "How'd that happen?"

Cas groans as I jump over Ezrah's legs.

"He jumped right in the way and took the hit for me," I lie. "Seriously, he saved my ass. I think Ezrah wanted to tote me out unconscious, so I couldn't fight back."

I'm still so numb, I pray they can't pick up the fib in the bond.

Cas is a lot of things, but he's not as vicious as the others. And, to be fair, I kinda like that about him. Like, he balances out the rest of our crazy in some way. Also, any one of us could have been caught unaware.

Ward's head tilts, but he doesn't say a word. "There's no doubt. We would rather take a hit so you don't have to."

"Are you okay?" I ask Cas, lifting my fingers to check his head wound. My hand is covered in Ezrah's blood, and I pull it down without making contact.

"I will be." Cas nods and groans. "Do we have any ice? My head is killing me."

"I'll grab some." Kane strides off.

"You were magnificent." Ward smiles at me. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," I mutter, still really unsure of how I'm truly feeling.

"You need a shower," Ward says. "I'll stay with Cas."

"Come on." Grady comes to my side and holds out an arm. "We need to pack up and get the fuck out of here."