Page 167 of Oathbreaker

“I’m not. I wouldn’t.”

“You have a lot of reasons to hate Hunter. He punched you in front of everyone. That would make anyone salty.”

“That was him doing his job. I deserved it because I shouldn’t have let you get away so easily. I fucked up that day. But I’ve sworn to protect you and your family, and I intend to keep that promise.”

What do I do, Hunter?

Taking a deep breath, I unlock the door. Stepping back, I point my gun at the opening as Rio stumbles in. He collapses on the floor when he’s a few steps inside.

“Oh, my God, you’re bleeding! Winter, he’s bleeding!” Ella cries as she takes frantic steps toward Rio, who nurses a ragged gunshot near his collarbone. I close the door quickly, locking us all inside.

Veronica rushes over, her medical training taking over. “Take the baby, Ella. Make a bed for her. Winter, where are the medical supplies?”

“In the cabinet over there,” I say. She rears back when I point in the direction with the barrel of the gun.

When she walks off, I lean over Rio and slowly press the gun to his head.

“What do you know about what’s happening out there?” My voice is deadly calm, steely in contrast to the chaos inside my brain.

August. I need to get to August.

“Fuck, I swear—” he hisses when I press the gun more firmly to his skull.

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Rio. Because from where I’m sitting, it’s real suspicious that you got off with just a little scrape when it looks like the rest of our security team is dead in my foyer, and August is missing.”

Rio’s eyes are glassy, and his jaw works as he clenches and unclenches his teeth.

“I don’t just work for your husband.” He shouts, biting his lip, when I press my shoe to his wound and apply pressure.

The room is silent, and I feel Veronica standing near me. The sting of alcohol wafts from the tools she holds.

“You all are in more danger than you realize. A group called The Legion wants you dead. I was placed here by a counter-group to bring information back and keep you safe. I’m from The Resistance.” He yells louder when I press harder on his wound.

The Resistance? The Legion? What the fuck is going on here? I shake my head, hoping to clear the confusion. I don’t have time for this.

I add even more pressure to his shoulder.

“So you’re a spy? You’ve been spying on my family.”

He groans; it’s a guttural and primal sound. I realize that even though he’s injured, he could stop this. He could easily overpower me, take my weapon, and kill us all.

Instead, I watch his trembling hands ball into fists at his sides, letting me hurt him.

“I’m here to keep you safe. Those fuckers pulled one over on me.” His breaths come in choppy pants, and his skin takes on a gray cast, but his anger is still unmistakable.

“Winter,” Veronica whispers. I don’t take my eyes off Rio’s.

“You can either believe me or not, but if you’re going to kill me, just do it now so I can get out of this fucking agony.” With that statement, he lets the tension go from his body and looks at me. Resignation rings true in his gaze.

I search his eyes, looking for any hint of desperation, and I scroll through my memories of Rio. I look for signs of deceit in my recollection.

I look at his hands as they shiver, restrained.

Breathing deep through my nose, I step back.

“Help him,” I say to Veronica. Rio releases a locked breath, and he passes out.

I take sure steps to the weapons cabinet, stuffing two more full magazines into my bra. I swing on a bulletproof vest. Then I head to the door.

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