Page 51 of No Going Back

“And as soon as you do that, your leverage is gone. You wouldn’t last two seconds.” Sean’s voice remained calm and Branna would give anything to know what he was thinking.

Prince’s grip tightened, and she worried he’d shoot her there, but Sean was right. Had his words been to remind her that Prince needed her alive if he wanted to escape?

“She’s leaving with me. Get out of my way.”

“No.”

The flat refusal had Prince growling in her ear and yanking her even closer. She had to clamp her teeth together to keep in the scream.

“Last chance to move, asshole. You’ve got three seconds.”

Sean didn’t move so much as a muscle.

“Two.”

She didn’t want to die. She had to do something.

“One.”

CHAPTER 17

Prepare to Phail

“Three.”

Nothing in his life had ever been as difficult as holding still. Unless Hawley was a complete idiot, he had to know killing Branna would get him killed.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do it, especially if he was as high as he appeared to be.

It also didn’t mean he wouldn’t shoot her somewhere other than her head. If he wanted to prove he was serious, he could shoot her somewhere that wouldn’t kill her immediately. He would think Sean would let him go to prevent another shot.

He’d think wrong.

All Sean needed was a fraction of a second. The barrel of the gun had to move off of her head and body.

With his muscles ready to move, once the momentum of the barrel was heading away from Branna, he could disarm Hawley before the asshole could take another breath.

So far, Branna had done everything right. She’d kept as still and quiet as possible. Hawley’s attention was on Sean, not on her.

“Two.”

Sean saw the pressure ease off Branna’s temple. Hawley was going to change his aim.

And the idiot thought he had time.

Think again, asshole.

The instant the gun’s trajectory cleared Branna’s head, her body sagged, and she dropped as Sean moved in.

Hawley’s eyes widened as he tried to change the position of the gun and yank Branna back to him.

Sean shoved himself between the jerk and Branna and clamped his hands on the arm with the gun. He smashed his head into Hawley’s and the man let out a grunt.

His body sagged, and Sean grabbed the gun out of his hand and tossed it out of reach. Then he jerked the asshole around and smashed him into the wall.

He leaned in and used his body weight to trap Hawley in place. “You didn’t take your chance. Today looks like a good day to die.”

Hawley whimpered, actually whimpered. His Branna had been a fuck-ton braver with a gun at her temple. And he needed to see her, check her over.

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