Part 30 (2/2)

A growl escaped his mouth and in less than a second, he stood poised to pull Tess from Dane's clutches. She was pinned beneath him, her back arched over the side of the couch. Even though she'd been shot, she fought with everything she had.

”Let her go, Dane.”

His words drew Dane's attention and a startled look spread across his furry face. Tess took advantage, got a knee to Dane's groin and pushed his chest hard. She threw her legs over her head, doing a back somersault onto the couch and putting distance between the two of them.

”Why the h.e.l.l did you get up?” she shouted, standing on her knees and taking quick inventory of the room.

”Why the h.e.l.l didn't you use mercury?”

Her eyes darted back to him. She didn't have to answer. His night vision zeroed in on his new favorite color and her eyes told him everything. She loves me.

”Get out of here, Hugh. Let me take care of this.”

Dane body-slammed him before he could tell her he had no intention of going anywhere without her. They hit the carpet hard, Hugh on his back, the landing an unpleasant reminder he still needed to recover from the gunshot.

Hugh forced Dane to the side and readied his claws and fangs for battle. Dammit, Dane. He didn't want to hurt his pack mate, no matter their differences, but there wasn't any other way. Dane wouldn't agree to any sort of truce or just disappear. He had too much pride, too much fight in him, for that.

They staggered to their feet and circled each other. The only way to kill a Night Runner with bare hands was to break his neck. Would it come to that?

A split second later Dane made a move. His aggression was to Hugh's advantage. Hugh grabbed his arm, turned away and pulled Dane over his shoulder, throwing him to the floor. Dane landed on his back and quickly tried to get up but Hugh nailed him with a right hook that drove him back to the carpet.

”What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you? Why the f.u.c.k are you doing this?” Hugh pressed his knee into Dane's gut to pin him down.

”You and I will never make the same choices,” Dane spat. He reached for Hugh's thigh and dug in his claws.

Hugh yanked his leg away, the tips of Dane's claws ripping his jeans and puncturing his skin. Hugh struggled with what to do next. Did he go for the jugular? Or continue wrestling until he tired Dane out? The thought of things ending this way bothered him more than they probably should, but he couldn't help it.

”Hugh, look out!” Tess shouted from behind him.

Too late. A lamp clobbered him on the side of the head, the electrical cord about to go around his neck. Hugh backpedaled out of reach, stopping when his back hit the side of the coffee table. The blow to the head stung and his vision blurred until he blinked away the pain. He reached behind him, hoisted the table over his head and sent it cras.h.i.+ng down on top of Dane. The wood table broke and splintered, but only slowed Dane down for a moment.

In the next second, Dane looked ready to pounce. But not at him.

”Oh, no you don't,” Tess cried out.

What was she talking about?

He wanted to turn his head to look at her, but didn't dare take his eyes off Dane. The wolfen growled and dove for a spot on the floor behind him and to the left. Hugh twisted to see what the commotion was about and caught a glimpse of s.h.i.+ny metal as Tess lunged for the same spot.

Her gun.

It wouldn't do her any good against Dane. She'd slow him down if she pegged a few rounds into him in quick succession, but Dane could do serious damage to Tess.

She got her hand on the weapon first, but Dane clawed her arm. More blood spilled, dripping to the floor. Dane threw his other arm up and grabbed her injured shoulder. She cried out, pain registering in the squint of her eyes, but she didn't release her hold on the gun.

Without delay, Tess swung her foot out from underneath her. Her heel landed squarely in Dane's Adams apple. He gagged and tumbled backwards. ”Don't you f.u.c.king lay another paw on me again,” she said.

Dane clutched his neck and slowly rose to his feet with a wobble that resembled a drunken sailor. But the gesture didn't fool Hugh. Dane wanted to buy himself time. Why?

”Don't move,” came a masculine voice.

That's why. Hugh looked over his shoulder and caught sight of the man who hadn't stayed down nearly long enough.

”I'm not,” said Tess, her outstretched arms holding the gun and aiming it at Dane.

”Fool me once-”

”Shut up,” Tess said to Christian while keeping her sights on Dane. ”You've got no f.u.c.king idea what I'm capable of. What I do and don't do.”

Hugh took a good look at Christian before inching his way closer to the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He heard the even beat of the man's heart, smelled his expensive cologne, but a tiny bead of sweat dotted his temple. The man wasn't immune. Wasn't as cool as he wanted to seem.

But he did hold a gun. And it was trained on Tess. s.h.i.+t. Could she see it?

Only a fraction of light lit the room now. Fragments of reflected color from the cityscape slashed through the window here and there. Shadows cast doubt on exact body locations.

”You forget who trained you. Who made you what you are,” Christian said. ”I'm responsible for your capabilities, Tess. There's not a move you make that I don't take credit for.”

”That's bulls.h.i.+t. I make my own decisions.”

”And you've decided the wolfen's life is more important than your friends? More important than the organization that saved you from destroying yourself?”

”I don't give a s.h.i.+t about myself.” She remained focused on Dane. From Hugh's point of view, a sliver of white light bisected his body.

”Precisely.”

Christian swiveled his arms the necessary distance to meet Hugh's chest, now a mere couch length from the mouth of the gun.

Hugh suspected the man's bullets wouldn't have the same effect on him as Tess's. With lightning speed, he raced to Dane's side to make getting an accurate shot more difficult. He hoped like h.e.l.l the guy valued Dane's life. At least, it would cause a distraction and give Tess time to figure out a way to protect herself. Or so he hoped.

He grabbed Dane by the s.h.i.+rt collar and lifted a knee to the s.h.i.+fter's groin. Dane retaliated with his own knee, but Hugh held onto him, not wanting any extra s.p.a.ce between them.

”No!” Tess shouted, either catching the glint of her boss's gun when it moved in Hugh's direction, or not wanting Hugh in the way of her taking a shot at Dane.

Too late to wonder.

Two shots rang out, a split second separating the deafening sounds. Hugh was forced backwards, Dane's weight pressing him several feet back as he absorbed the impact. Hugh kept his arms around Dane's torso as he grappled with what happened. Dane wasn't moving. Wasn't breathing. His body slumped against Hugh's like dead weight.

Tess's boss had taken his shot. And missed.

Hugh laid Dane down on the floor and knelt beside him as his head swam with sadness. For Dane's mother and father, his sister. For the pack. Despite Dane's flaws, he had people who loved him, people who would feel his loss. He knew firsthand what death did to survivors. This wasn't supposed to happen, dammit, but his priority had been protecting himself so he could get Tess out of the suite alive. She ruled his every action and he didn't regret that. That was what a Night Runner did for his mate. The sting of it costing another life didn't lessen with that knowledge, though.

Tess.

He looked up, frantic to see her.

Across the room, Christian sat in a pool of blood. His eyes were open but there was nothing there. The second shot that rang must have hit him, not Dane.

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