“Nah, I think we will keep her. You seem to care about her. I think we will enjoy playing with her a bit first,” Erick says, nuzzling Eden’s neck. Her eyes turn to rage, matching my own.
Patience.
Don’t let him goad you into doing anything stupid, I tell myself.
I sigh. “Fine. Take her. She’s nothing to me.” I put my weapon down pretending I’m done fighting.
Clive laughs. “You can’t fool us. You love her. You won’t let any harm come to her.”
I swallow. I don’t love her. But damn, do I care about her more than I should.
“Fine. You got me. Now make a trade.”
Clive raises his eyebrows. “What kind of trade?”
“Me for her.”
He laughs. “No way, what use are you to us?”
My men are in position. The only man that ran out with me was Dierk, and that’s because he was acting as my usual security. Clive and Erick and the dozen men they brought with them don’t know that I have more men here.
“What do I have to do to get her back?” I ask slowly and deliberately, giving Eden a look that she needs to break free now, as I give my team the cue words to attack.
Erick’s hand drops just a tiny bit as he grows tired of holding the gun. Eden takes the opportunity to knock the gun out of his hand while she elbows him hard in the nose. He lets go of her immediately, grabbing his nose. She runs toward me as shots from my men ring out around us.
I start shooting as well; I won’t ever leave my men to fight a battle for me.
“Get her out of her,” I say to Dierk as Eden reaches me. I grab her hand and sling her over into Dierk’s arms. He grabs her arms and starts pulling her. He’ll get her inside.
I have a job to do. I need to kill these bastards and keep my men and Eden safe.
I glance to my right to make sure that Eden is safe after Erick & Clive’s men start returning shots, but Dierk has barely made it to the door and Eden is in his arms, fighting him the whole way. I give him a look and then turn my attention back to Erick who now has his sights set on me.
He fires, but I’m faster. I hit him hard in the chest watching him fall to the ground. Most likely dead, or he will be soon enough.
I hear Eden scream, and I feel the bullet in the back of my arm. I try to spin to turn and shoot my attacker before he gets another shot off but I know I won’t be fast enough. I can only hope that he doesn’t have great aim and hits me in my extremities instead of my head or chest.
The shot has gone off, but I make it all the way around before I realize what happened.
Eden.
She took the bullet for me and is lying on the ground at my feet.
I aim my gun at the guy that shot us both, and hit him in the head, watching him drop dead instantly.
And then I fall to the ground, scooping Eden up in my arms before I run. I never run. I stay and fight with my men. Maybe I would have in the past, but not now that I’m their leader.
But tonight is different. Eden could be dying in my arms, and I need to save her.
I run as fast as I can to my car, toss her in and then start driving, not thinking about anything other than getting her to a hospital as fast as I can. She took a bullet that could have easily killed me. She saved me.
I stroke her lifeless face as I drive. I’m pretty sure she stole more than a bullet meant for me. She stole my heart.
Erick may not be right about many things. But he was right when he said that I love her. I do. I love Eden. I would do anything for her.
I only hope I get the chance to tell her and earn hers in return. Because there is no way, an angel like her could love the devil in me. I need to give her her freedom and hope it’s enough to keep her.
19