I looked down. Raven’s eyelids were closed but not shut completely. I knew better than to think Julian and Marcus were dead. I simply needed to buy some time.
“Think you’re a big shot, aiming that gun at a defenseless woman?” I sneered. “You lazy, worthless piece of shit? Playing games, hiding under masks, and pretending to be different people? You call yourself a man?” I indicated Raven. “This is how you get a woman? Kidnap her? Brainwash her?” I shook my head. “She will never love you. No matter what you do.”
The tremor in his hands increased, and I knew he was losing both blood and patience. He swung the gun in my direction, the laser pointed at my heart. “Shut up.”
“Go on,” I urged. “Do it. You don’t have the balls.”
It happened all at once. He braced himself to shoot. I shifted just as Raven moved. She rolled and grabbed my gun from the ground beside her, aiming it blindly and pulling the trigger. Shock registered on Andy’s face as the bullet struck his knee. His arms flew up, his gun falling. He pirouetted, an ungraceful arc that spun him. Another gunshot sounded, and he fell to the ground, blood spurting from his chest. Raven collapsed onto the ground, my gun falling from her hand. Julian rushed in, Marcus on his heels.
“Keys,” I yelled. “I need keys.”
Marcus dug in Andy’s pockets, then hurried over, knelt beside me, and we lifted Raven’s hands, unlocking the metal cuffs. Red welts bloomed on her skin, the bruising already starting. Her neck matched, and her head and face showed signs of trauma. I was ill at the sight of her injuries. She stared blankly at the ceiling, not reacting.
“Egan, get here,” I snapped into the mic. “Drive right through the fence.”
“On my way.”
I met Marcus’s gaze as I lifted Raven back into my arms, wanting her off the cold ground.
“How is she going to get over this?” I murmured.
“With time and love,” he assured me. “She will.”
I shut my eyes as I gathered her close. “I have you, baby. You’re safe now.”
She didn’t respond.
* * *
There was a loud crash outside, and Egan appeared. He had blankets in his arms, and he hurried over, helping me wrap Raven in them. She was motionless, but from across the room, I heard Andy gasping for air, a couple of low moans escaping his mouth. I made a decision and carefully handed Raven to Egan. “Get her out of here. Take Julian. He’s been hit.”
“It’s a flesh wound,” Julian protested. “Barely a scratch. Fucker walloped me with a fry pan then took a potshot as I was weaving around. That hurts way worse than my arm. He was a lousy shot.”
“Take them, now.”
Egan stood, lifting Raven.
“We leave in ten. Tell Sofia our ETA.”
I stood and approached Andy. He was slowly bleeding out. Marcus joined me, meeting my eyes.
“You okay?” I asked, noticing a darkening bruise on his forehead.
“He tried to bean me too. Idiot. My head is too hard for that. He shot at me but hit the floor. I think I got a sliver in my leg. Julian’s right, he’s a lousy shot.”
“Lousy human being.”
I leaned over Andy. His eyes were open, his life slowly draining from him. His breathing was harsh. “Help,” he groaned.
“You think I’m the right person to ask for help?” I shook my head and bent low over him. “Here’s what is going to happen, Andy, Stewart, Jeff, John, whatever fucking name you want to go by right now. You’re gonna die, and I’m going to watch you. And while you’re rotting and burning in hell, writhing in agony for all of eternity, remember this. I will be loving Raven. Protecting her. She will be by my side until death parts us. I will touch her every day. Kiss her mouth. Make love to her. Watch our children grow—together. And you will simply be a small blip in her life. I am going to love her so hard she will forget you ever existed. In fact, the entire world will. I’ll make sure of it. So, this game you’ve been playing? You lost.”
My bullet ended his miserable existence. My satisfaction at ending the life of the man who tormented the woman I loved helped temper my rage.
Marcus nodded. “So that solves that. What do you want to do now?”
“Get Raven to Sofia, then I’ll come back with Egan. I want everything he had. I am going to trace every woman he ever hurt and make sure they know he is dead so they don’t have to live in fear. And I’m going to let Egan out of his cage. This house needs to be destroyed. He’s been dying to blow something up.”
Marcus shook his head. “Stay with Raven. She needs you.”