Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Kill, if people were between them and me.
Five minutes later, we arrived.
Jake never texted back.
ASH
I was a mix of emotions.
Fear. Anticipation. Readiness.
The same old, same old.
What number was this for me? Of fighting? With shooting?
I’d lost count by now.
And I knew Raize was turning his killer mode on. I could see it happen. He stripped himself of his humanity, keeping whatever was left that helped him become the murderer that he needed to be. Abram had been in that one fight with us, but I could tell he didn’t know how to take my changes when I got my gun ready.
He had two.
I had two.
I didn’t know how many Raize had or where his rifle was, but then it didn’t matter.
We were going into this fight.
We were either going in to get Jake, Cavers, and Gus out or we were going in to avenge them.
It was actually simple, and I was past freaking out about it. Me and mine or them.
It was becoming like that to me.
Raize didn’t turn into the driveway. He kept straight and took the first half road that led from the street. Once we parked, we moved fast.
Raize was out of the car and hurrying, getting his own guns ready. He had the rifle in the back of the Suburban, under a compartment, and he put it together, then slung it across his back. After that, he shut the door and we were off.
Raize first, leading the way.
I was second.
Abram brought up the rear.
The guys were going fast and quiet.
Me? I was fast, but not as quiet.
There was no way I could be like them. Raize changed paths, maybe because of my noise. We were hitting dense grass instead of leaves and sticks. Our feet were a constant and steady thump thump thump.
It was matching my heartbeat and I was trying to keep my breathing steady.
We drew up on a hill, overlooking the house and garage.
Nothing looked amiss.
Smoke traveled up from the chimney, but all of the hairs on the back of my neck were up. Straight up and I had chills running down my back.
Jake never responded. Jake would’ve responded.
They were inside, whoever they were.
Raize motioned for Abram with some hand motions. I wasn’t fluent in hand language, but Abram was. He gave a nod and took off to the left.
Raize gazed at me.
I gripped my gun tighter and waited, knowing he wanted to tell me to stay.
His eyes narrowed.
So did mine.
Then he sighed and started down a path.
I followed right behind.
I won that fight.
The closer we got to the house, the more those chills were doubling, but nothing looked out of the ordinary.
We got to the treeline. Two steps forward and we’d be in the open.
Raize stopped and drew me close. His mouth went to my ear. “They’ve got three men inside. There’s two in the garage.”
I had no clue how he knew this.
“I need you to stay here. You see them, you shoot them, but only if they can’t see you. Got me?”
I wondered how they were keeping Gus quiet.
Raize’s hand tightened on my arm. “I need an answer.”
If they hurt Gus…
“Ash.”
Right. I jerked my head in a nod.
My lines were gone. There were no lines here.
Raize pressed one last kiss to my forehead, swift but strong. He pushed me down so I was hiding behind a fallen tree, and then he took off going south.
I waited, my heart still pounding.
My palms were sweating.
Nothing happened at first.
Different world and I’d be enjoying the weather, the scenery. Montana was beautiful, but then a guy stepped out from the garage. He started going to the left, looking like he was going for a patrol.
Raize came around the corner behind him.
I watched, but no sound was made.
He stepped up, wrapped an arm around the guy’s mouth. His other hand made quick work, slashing the front of his neck, and then he clamped down on the guy. He held him in some kind of hold, paralyzing him so he couldn’t struggle. It didn’t last long.
Blood gushed from his throat and Raize lowered the body, leaving him to bleed out. He stepped over him, checking inside the garage before moving. The door was opened; he slipped inside. I could hear thuds, but no shot.
Raize came back out a minute later, more blood on him.
I took all this in, but a part of me was thinking.
Raize was good at what he did. I knew this. There was a reason he was Roman’s ‘field’ guy. But even if I hadn’t known that, I would’ve known Raize was extremely good at what he did.
But. There was a big but coming.
I had no doubt Raize would do fine.
He’d go into that house and take out whoever was in there, but there’d be a day when it wouldn’t work in his favor.
There’d be a day when he’d be on the other end of a knife or a gunshot.