Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Shadow wasn’t sure what Millie said to Katya, but she managed to get them started up the cliff when the first wave hit. Bullets whizzed by. He felt the wind off a few of them and marveled that he hadn’t been hit yet. One did kiss his upper arm, the burn making him grunt in pain, but not stopping him. He knew he’d hit more than one, but many others took cover, firing at him from the safety of bushes and trees. Too many.
When they charged, there had to have been eight or ten coming straight at him. Shadow heard a noise in his head, trying to give him instructions, but all he really heard was a buzzing background noise to the battle he was engaged in.
He gave a battle cry, launching himself at the closest enemy, killing him almost instantly with a crack of his neck. Two more he shot. Then a third before a fourth was on him. Shadow stabbed him several times in the kidney before getting in four stabs to the throat, dropping the guy.
Just as he was lunging for another guy, a shot rang out above him, dropping the guy nearest him. A pause, then another shot, dropping another attacker. Shadow continued to pick off men as they stepped into the clearing, but the rifle above him was getting just as many.
With an unholy roar, Shadow threw himself at another attacker. This time Shadow tackled him to the ground and pounded the guy. Grunts and yells filled the air, followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh. He got in a good punch to Shadow’s kidney before Shadow punched his face over and over. Blood splattered up his arms. Over his chest. His face. Then he threw back his head and roared again, the beast finally slipping his leash.
* * *
There were no more guards following them. She and Shadow had killed every single one who had followed them up to the clearing, but Millie was under no illusion they were all Victor had in that house. From what she could see, the party was dispersing at an alarming rate. Cars peeled out of the parking lot while shots were still firing inside the house. Shadow was still on the ground beating the living fuck out of the last guy, but they had to go. Now.
“Shadow,” she called, the mic no doubt picking up her voice and piping it into Shadow’s ear even as she yelled from the ledge. “Shadow!”
“He’s in some kind of rage,” Venus said.
“I’m going down,” Millie said, setting her rifle aside and readying the rope to rappel.
“Millie?” Katya huddled in a bush, cold and terrified. “Please don’t go.”
“I have to, sweetie. Shadow needs me.”
The girl looked from Shadow’s hulking form on the ground, then back to Millie. “You’ll come back?”
“Absolutely, sweet girl.” She leaned in to hug her sister. “I’ll be right back. You stay here. No matter what. Don’t make a sound until we come for you.”
“OK,” she acknowledged, nodding.
When Millie looked up, Shadow still hadn’t let up. But to be fair, the other guy was still fighting him. Somewhat. “Shadow!” No response.
Then she heard another voice on the channel she didn’t recognize. “Shadow! Snap out of it! You have to get the woman and the girl out of there!” The only response was Shadow roaring again before he continued to beat on the guy under him.
“I’m going to him.”
“No!” That same voice snapped. “He could kill you in this state! He’s got to come out of it on his own!”
“We don’t have time for him to come out on his own! It’s not going to be long before this place is swarming with Victor’s goons!” She didn’t wait for a response but strapped on her gear again and slid down the line to the ground.
“I’m telling you to let him be, girl! He’ll never forgive himself if he hurts you.”
“He can’t hurt me,” she snapped back. “I’m better fighter than he’ll ever be!”
“Millie,” Venus pleaded as Millie unhooked herself. “Maybe is not such good idea?”
“I know what I’m doing, Ulyana. For once in your life, trust me. I’m not reckless or stupid.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I just don’t want to lose my sister now that I’ve found her again. Either of them.”
“You won’t. I swear.”
Once she reached the ground, Millie readied her weapon, easing up beside Shadow. Not close enough he could reach her without moving purposefully in her direction. She wanted to be close enough to penetrate the haze of rage he was in but far enough away to prevent herself from being collateral damage.
“Shadow!” She yelled his name. He simply bellowed louder at the top of his lungs as he continued to beat the man beneath him. The guy had stopped moving, and Millie was sure he was dead. This was a post-traumatic rage if ever she saw one. She’d had them herself from time to time, though not this bad. It was like, any time she got really hurt, something beyond what she was afraid she could get out of, she panicked. If she panicked, she fought even harder. But that only scratched the surface of what Shadow was now going through. He needed to know he was not alone. “Shadow… moya lyubov’…”