Page 82 of When He Protects

But someone got inside. Someone could still be inside.

He bent and pulled out the gun that had been strapped to his ankle. “Esme, stay behind me.”

“I need a gun! This is a point I meant to bring up to you much, much sooner, but I need a gun.”

His right hand held his gun. His left reached for her. “Stay behind me.” He’d been so distracted when he entered the house. Fucking amateur mistake. Someone could have been downstairs, and he’d been so locked andobsessedwith Esme that he hadn’t even checked his surroundings.

He had to get her out. Her safety was priority one. He’d take her to Kane, then come back and search every inch of the house. But first, he had to get her out.

The hunters found her.Too fast. But, if the Feds had been involved…

Gray could have told his boss where we were. Even though I ordered Gray to keep the location private.Tyler had tried to go completely off everyone’s radar, but he hadn’t done the job well enough.

Someone was searching in the bedroom.

Looking for…the USB drive?

They were at the bottom of the stairs now. He stilled and swept his gaze around the lower level of the house. He didn’t see anyone. The house felt too damn still. And the hair at the nape of his neck had risen. His instincts were screaming.

Get out.

Get out.

He whirled around.

Esme’s eyes were wide. Scared. “Tyler?”

He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder, thenhe ran for the door. He had Esme secured over his shoulder, and the gun gripped in one hand.

“Tyler, what in the hell are you doing?” Esme cried out.

He yanked open the front door. Rushed out with her calling his name. He bounded off the porch steps. He hurtled forward.

And then he was flying—because the house behind him had just exploded. A thunderous detonation that blasted and destroyed and sent him and Esme hurtling through the air before they both slammed into the unforgiving earth.

Chapter Seventeen

“Tyler!”

His eyes cracked open.

Kane glared down at him. “Don’t you freaking ever scare me like that again, you understand?” Kane gripped his shoulders and shook him.Hard.“Fuck. Thought you were dead!”

His ears were ringing. His body aching. And fear nearly choked him as Tyler shot upright.

“No, dammit! The EMTs need to check you for spinal injuries.”

And some men in EMT uniforms were rushing toward him.

No time for that.

Kane began, “You can’t just get up?—”

Tyler just got the hell up.

“Or I guess you can,” Kane muttered. “Out cold one minute, charging like a bull the next. Whatever. Do you.” He slapped a hand on Tyler’s arm. “Just glad you’re not dead.”

“Esme.” His eyes were on the house. The still burningremnants of the safe house. Chunks of wood and debris were scattered all over the yard. Windows had shattered.

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