Page 79 of Crossover

A searing pain ripped through my left bicep, and the warmth of blood seeped beneath my jacket.Shit.The realization that I’d been shot had barely registered when my assailant emerged from behind his cover, his lean, six-foot frame clad in a camouflage outfit and a black bulletproof vest. He took aim again, the black Glock semiautomatic clasped in his hand, its barrel glinting menacingly in the dim light.

Time seemed to slow as I raised my weapon, the cool metal of the trigger resisting briefly before yielding to my touch. The shot rang out, echoing, and a fragment of bark exploded near his ear, drawing his attention to the tree for a fleeting second. Seizing the opportunity, I fired another round, the recoil rippling through my arm.

His wrist jerked—sadly, the one without the weapon—and he pivoted sharply before disappearing into the dense fog while the acrid scent of gunpowder lingered in the air, mingling with the earthy aroma of the forest. Whether he fled completely or took up another position to finish his elimination attempt, I couldn’t be sure.

With my gun raised at shoulder height, I kept my steely gaze fixed ahead, my anger serving as fuel in my veins as I charged after him.

IVY

Another gunshot reverberated through my bones as I lay on the cold ground. Mentally, I took an inventory of my body, searching for any pain. Any sign of blood. But there was none.

I stood up, looking back over my shoulder at the parking lot, down at the keys in my hand. Safety was only fifty feet away. But as I turned toward the darkening forest, a chill blanketed my skin. Grayson was still in there, fighting for his life.

I strained my ears for any sign of movement and studied the edge of the forest in desperation, willing Grayson to emerge. But the haunting silence pressed down on me from all sides.

And suddenly, another gunshot shattered the tense calm.

I stumbled back, my heart spasming in my ribs, and after a few seconds, that black sedan didn’t feel like a lifeline to me; it felt like my escape would be a death sentence to Grayson.

What if that wasn’t Grayson doing the shooting? Whoever had been following us in the forest was skilled enough to evade detection and smart enough to use the fog to their advantage. And what if they had an accomplice? What if there were more than one of them out there?

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. What had I been thinking, leaving Grayson to fend for himself? Images ofhim lying on the ground, bleeding out, flashed through my mind, and a cold panic seized my chest. I couldn’t lose him, not after everything we’d been through. Not after everything he’d done to protect me and my mom.

And I would not leave him to die for us; I’d risk my life to help him.

Determination shot a fresh wave of adrenaline through my body as I fumbled with the key fob and pulled out the long silver stick that doubled as an old-fashioned key. Wrapping my fingers around it, I closed my fist, so it protruded like a makeshift weapon. Not a great one, but it was all I had, and it was better than facing the enemy unarmed.

Taking a deep breath, I plunged into the forest, my senses on high alert. The fog seemed to swallow me whole, muffling the sounds of my footsteps as I picked my way through the undergrowth, straining to see through the mist. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional snap of a twig beneath my feet.

Please, don’t let me be too late.

I ducked under branches and stepped over dangerous roots protruding from the soil, my stomach plummeting further with each passing second. Shouldn’t I have heard something by now? Grayson’s voice calling out to me that everything was okay? I heard nothing but chilling silence.

Until…distant twigs snapped in succession. Leaves crunched.

I froze, needles surging through my veins as I tried to place the direction and distance of the footsteps.

Someone is running. Maybe even two people…

And whoever it was, was headed right for me.

Run,my sixth sense screamed.

But it was too late. A dark silhouette materialized in the distance, and I knew with sinking certainty that it wasn’t Grayson.

I spun and sprinted away, my thoughts condemning me and my actions. My lungs burned, and my muscles screamed as I tried to put as much distance between me and the enemy as possible. But suddenly, my foot caught on a gnarled root, and I crashed to the ground. I scrambled to my feet quickly, but now, the sea of trees all looked the same, like mirrors in a fun house, the fog creating an illusion of an infinite space, from which there was no end.

And no clear path away from the hunter, no clear path out.

Footsteps closing in, I wove between the trees, desperation clawing at my skin.

Please let this be the right way.

Just as I darted past a massive oak, a strong arm snaked around my waist, yanking me back against a solid chest, and a hand clamped over my mouth.

“Shhhh. It’s me.”

The tension in my body ebbed, replaced by a flood of relief. For a heartbeat, I allowed myself to sink into his embrace, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest against my back. His arm remained firmly around my waist, a silent promise of protection, until slowly, carefully, he turned me to face him.

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