Page 100 of Ready or Not

“Let’s go,” Marina says, wrapping an arm around my lower back. She grabs Kate’s arm and drags us toward the bedroom Ranger and the others have been staying in. “Now, ladies.”

“He called in the bounty.” Kate stops dead in her tracks. “That means Andretti knows where I am. No, I can’t do it, Vale. I’ll die before I go back there.”

I hand Aurora to Marina and grab Kate’s arms. “It’s not going to come to that.”

“It will.” Kate nods. “I have to go.”

“We have to get into a closed environment and let the guys handle this,” I tell her, yanking even harder. I’ve never seen her falter. Let alone the level of fear on her face. “Listen, you cannot freeze right now. Come on.”

I tug again, and she stops dragging her feet.

“Fallon,” a voice I don’t recognize calls out. We both spin around, and there’s a man in all-black tactical gear standing in the open doorway.

I back up, yanking Kate with me as she yelps.

“You know the bounty pays double if you’re alive. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” He steps forward, but the echoing explosion of a gunshot has the side of his neck exploding.

Kate screams again, jumping at the sound, or maybe the grizzly sight. Blood pours from the wound as he staggers forward. Another shot hits him in the hip, and the handgun he was holding goes flying.

“See,” I say, swallowing thickly. “They’ve got us.” Shoving Kate behind me, I inch forward. The guy on the ground is bleeding all over the wood flooring. He’s definitely still alive, based on the twitching and gross sounds.

I wrap my dress around my thighs and grab his gun.

I technically haven’t shot one before, but I remember what Cooper said.

Take the shot if you have to.

Holt pops up in the doorway as I’m backing toward Kate. “God, that was too close.” He kicks the shit out of the guy on the ground. “Dammit, woman, get your ass in the bathroom. We need to know you’re safe, so we can handle business. Go!” His bark rolls through my body just like it did the first day on the driveway.

The open glass door explodes next to him as I’m turning to head for Aurora.

My entire body jolts as I turn back to check on Holt, but he rolls and crouches. His back and arms bounce as the booming echo of gunfire fills the air.

Holy fuck.

Is this what war is really like?

I want no part of it.

My stomach rolls, and I fight through the urge to vomit, taking off for the bathroom.

I need to get my eyes on my baby.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Vale

Itake the right into the set of attached bedrooms. It’s a weird design, with a door that opens to a tiny entryway with a table straight ahead and a door to the left and another to the right. Each one leads to a different bedroom, and they’re connected by the bathroom that’s straight ahead behind this wall.

I turn around to pull the door closed and scream when the lock on the front door explodes. It’s like five feet to my right, and pieces of wood flutter through the air as I blink in shock.

I need to get the entryway door shut and then lock both interior bedroom doors.

I try to aim the gun with my shaking hand while trying to yank the door handle closed.

Oh god, what if I shot someone and they’re one of our guys?

The front door slams open with so much force, I think it must have been kicked, but I can’t see who it is.

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