Page 69 of Captive Lies

I yanked the gag from my face. “Two of the SUVs broke off. It must bethem.”

“You okay?” Liam asked, grim eyes searchingmine.

“Fine.” I said. “You have a plan getting us out of here?” I grimaced as my earlier escape effort was causing my already-battered body a world ofpain.

The shooting ruckusstopped.

“Marco, you son of a bitch! You think you’re getting out ofhere?”

“Take cover!” One of Liam’s menyelled.

The rattle of a carbine sprayed into our storageunit.

“Fuck!” Liam hit my crouched body and flattenedme.

It lasted a few seconds when that toostopped.

“Shooters on the right!” Stefan yelled from outside as the gunfireresumed.

My friend felt heavy on top of me. “Liam, I can’t breathe,” Imumbled.

“Goddammit!” Someoneyelled.

Noises rang through a vacuum and all I could hear was mybreathing.

Liam’s groan sounded so far away and a sinking feeling roiled my gut as he rolled off me to the ground and on hisback.

Blood pooled underhim.

“Oh my God,” I whispered as I got to my knees and searched for the source of the bleeding. Eyes closed, his chest heaved with eachbreath.

I unzipped Liam’svest.

“Armor-piercing,” he said, choking on agasp.

“Oh, please, no!” It must have nicked the brachial artery on his shoulder. I pressed hard. “Stay with me,Liam.”

“Sweetheart,” he mumbled. “It’sokay.”

“Don’t you dare giveup.”

“It’s gonna beokay.”

“How, Liam?” I cried as the blood geysered out.How is it going to be okay?I glanced frantically around for something to staunch the bleeding, ignoring the gunfight and the bullets ricocheting crazily inside the storage unit that was rapidly becoming a deathtrap.

Somehow, Liam found the strength to sit up and we managed to get his vest and shirt off. I wrapped the bleeder with theshirt.

“Fight back.” He grabbed my gun and threw it at me. “Leave me be,” hegrowled.

I took one last look at him as he found purchase against the wall before I rejoined thefray.

“Dammit, where are they?” One of Liam’s menyelled.

I didn’t know what they meant, but I prayed it meant help wascoming.

* * *

The end camein a splitsecond.

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