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.

Damn.

Just damn.

Blinding pain sliced through my chest and I blinked back sudden tears because damn again.

I was too far in, too far gone.

I was in.

I loved him.

I chose this world because subconsciously I chose him.

When I made this decision, I didn’t know, but I made it. I was cementing it right now. I was choosing. Raize. It was Raize. It had always been Raize.

It was first about a girl given the name Brooke, then it became about Raize.

I took a breath because my chest was so tight right now.

I was so far in that I knew if I looked behind me, I couldn’t see the starting line.

A shout sounded from inside the house, followed by a gunshot.

More gunshots.

Gunfire.

More shouting.

A guy broke out from the house, running to the garage.

He was directly in my line of fire, and this was the line.

I couldn’t let him get free.

He was trying to get away. Maybe he didn’t have a phone and he was going in search of one. Maybe he was going to the car. Whatever it was, he couldn’t get away. I had to stop him.

I raised my gun.

I aimed.

I shot.

Yes. There were no more lines here. None whatsoever.

I missed the first shot, and he kept going. He didn’t know that shot was for him. He didn’t know he should duck or hide or shoot back.

I aimed. I shot again.

I got him, hitting him in the shoulder.

Abram crashed out the door, running after him.

The guy started to go down, but Abram had his gun up.

I turned, knowing I was also choosing not to see another man die in front of my eyes.

Was that a cowardly thing to do?

I knew he would go down and I knew Abram would make the killing shot, and I still couldn’t breathe any easier. I didn’t know. I didn’t care at this moment.

I looked back.

Abram was staring right at me, waiting. His hand holding his gun was still half-raised.

He started toward me, but then Raize yelled from the house and he turned, going back.

I stood there, not knowing what to do. But, I guess, there was nothing else to do. So I stayed and I waited, and I had my gun ready in case anyone else got free.

That was when my phone buzzed.

Raize: Come in.

I took off running, my chest still so tight until I heard Gus barking.

I hit the door and raced inside, and then I could breathe.

Cavers and Jake were both peeling tape from their mouths.

Raize came out from a back room, saw me, and let Gus dart around him. He came right for me, his collar and leash still attached. As soon as I had my wiggling pup in my arms, I burst into tears.

“Take him for a walk.”

I nodded, my throat swelling up and I’d walk Gus for an entire day if that’s how long they needed. I didn’t see the men, but I knew they were in there and they were dead.

We went outside. I felt like my lungs could expand again, but everything was swirling inside of me. Emotions. Sensations. Thoughts. Memories. All of it was compounding me.

Because of that, I wasn’t watching where I was going with Gus.

I wasn’t thinking.

I was assuming we were safe.

I let Gus choose what direction we took.

So because of all of that, we were away from the house, down a walking path. I had no idea what direction we’d taken.

I had no idea how long we were gone.

All I knew is that we got to a clearing.

There was a car.

Gus burst forward, smelling something, and I heard the sound of a gun’s safety being taken off.

“Nice to see you again, Miss Marakov.”

“I wanted you to have a friend, my sweet little girl.”

63

Not Miss Marakov

“Miss Marakov.” Marco was leaning against the side of one of the SUVs, and he looked down, his shoulders shaking. A dry chuckle came from him. He had his hands folded over one another in front of him, the bottom hand holding a gun, but the safety was on. “I am assuming that your presence here,” he motioned to Gus with his gun before his other hand folded over it, returning back in front of him, “is an indication that my men are dead inside.”