Page 52 of Love Under Protection

I turn the corner and can see shadows and hear a woman screaming.

“NYPD, stop and put your hands up.”

The woman screams again. I continue moving towards toward the noise.

“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” a male voice warns.

“NYPD step out with your hands up. Let the woman go.”

The male suspect steps into the light, holding onto the female. His gun is pointed right at me.

“Took you long enough. I thought you were better than that. Didn’t hear the whore scream?” he sneers at me.

It takes a split second to take in every detail when I get a good look at the suspect and the victim he’s holding on to. I recognize them both almost instantly.

Pure, white-hot rage runs through me at seeing her tear-soaked face shadowed in fear.

Raylynn.

Her asshole ex obviously didn’t heed my warning. The motherfucker is back, and he’s got my girl. Right here in the middle of the street.

“Get the fuck away from her,” I warn when he yanks her head back and she yelps.

“Not a chance in hell. This time she’s coming with me. You were too late.”

His gun his still aimed directly at my chest.

“One more warning, put down the gun or I will shoot.”

Sawyer sneers, “Not if I shoot first.”

I’ve got one clear shot, so I take it, praying that Raylynn doesn’t move. At the same time that my gun fires, something hits me in my chest and knocks the wind out of me.

“Harley!” Raylynn screams and runs toward me. Her embrace knocks me off my feet and sends us both to the ground.

Sirens scream out around us, and other officers begin to flood the area.

“Babe. I need you to get up,” I gasp. “I need to breathe.”

Liam’s ugly mug fills my line of sight, and he helps Raylynn stand.

“You need to stay still,” a female voice barks when I try to sit up.

“Fucking EMS,” I grunt.

“You were hit square in the chest, dumbass. We’re going to have to take you in to get looked at.”

They’re busy loading me onto a backboard and onto the stretcher while Liam tries to get Raylynn to go with him, no doubt, to answer questions.

“Liam,” I call out.

“No bullshit, Wags, I’m trying to get her out of this damn alley so we can get her checked out and take a statement, then I’ll hand-deliver her to you,” he yells back.

What a fucking night. So much for a quiet eight-hour shift.

Someone owes me some goddamn answers about how this asshole got back in my city, too.

Chapter 29

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