Page 108 of Hero's Prize

“Shit. Are you sure?”

“Sure enough that I’m trying to figure out if I should go back and get my gun from my truck or if I should continue the hike to the cabin.”

“Does he know you’re coming?”

“I don’t think so. Ella was trying to get me a message in code.”

“I was going to tell you this later, but the deeper we dug into Tony, the worse this whole thing looks. Lincoln found some pretty scary shit. The guy is obsessed with you and clearly unstable.”

And now he had Ella.

“I’m going in. I’m not leaving her alone with him one second longer than I have to.”

“We’re too far to be of any help, but I’m on my way. I’ll call BeauPrince, Fairytale’s sheriff, and get him out there. Some of his brothers are former military and security also.”

Plus, the Prince brothers knew this area like the back of their hand. “Yeah, I know some of them. I’ll take all the help I can get, but I’m not?—”

He didn’t finish his sentence because a gunshot rang out.

The entire world stopped for Colton, and he bolted toward the cabin. Damn it, he was still too far, and he didn’t know if shouting her name would do harm or good.

He ran faster than he had in his entire life, ignoring the branches that scraped his skin and slapped him in the face. He knew he was in danger of an injury since he couldn’t see where he was going at all without a light, but he pushed forward at top speed anyway.

An injury wouldn’t fucking matter if Ella was dead.

The cabin came into view, and relief flooded his system as the door burst open and Ella rushed out. But his relief was short-lived as Tony’s frame filled the doorway, gun lifted and pointed toward Ella.

“You’ll be dying for something more important than either of us, Ella!” Tony yelled. “I’m truly sorry it had to be this way.”

“Not as sorry as you’re going to be!” Colton yelled the words as he ran the last few yards toward the door. He caught a glimpse of Tony’s surprised face as he dove through the air and tackled the man.

The gun went off again right before Colton made contact. “No!”

Oh fuck, had the bullet gotten her? Colton had no way of knowing, and all he could hear was his own enraged growl and the sound of his fists hitting Tony over and over.

He didn’t stop, not when the other man fell unconscious and not when burning pain started eating through his system.

He couldn’t stop. He had to protect Ella.

Ella was the only thing that mattered. If Ella didn’t make it out of this, his life wouldn’t be worth living anyway.

Ella.

Ella.

“Colton, stop.”

A soft hand touched his shoulder, but he couldn’t stop. He had to protect her.

He grabbed Tony by the shirt collar and pulled his unconscious form off the ground, vaguely surprised by how heavy he was.

He hit him again. Colton’s vision was getting blurry, but he hit him again.

“Colton, it’s Ella. Look at me.”

Ella.

Ella.

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