Page 58 of Echoes of Danger

I watch Steel’s eyes. It’s almost as if he’s trying to tell me something. He moves his eyes to Paston and then to the gun currently at my temple.

I get it. But can I do it?

Sighing, I close my eyes and calm my shaking hands as much as possible.

Working on autopilot, I pivot, my heart pounding in my chest. The gun feels heavier in my hand, but the instinct to protect myself and the people I love overrides the pain shooting through my body. I aim directly at Paston, my finger squeezing the trigger without a single thought.

The sharp crack of the gunshot rings in the corridor, and Paston’s body jerks as the bullet slams into his shoulder. He lets out a sharp grunt, his hand immediately clutching the wound, his eyes wide in shock.

“You stupid…” Paston grits his teeth, clearly in pain, but he doesn’t fall.

I don’t give him a chance to recover. I take a step back, my heart still pounding as the weight of what I’ve done sinks in. “I’m not just going to stand here and wait to be a victim, Paston,” I say, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and defiance. “Not anymore.”

“Good girl, Del,” Steel says, taking the gun from my hand with a gentle but firm motion and taking aim at Paston. “You’re a very good girl. Now, hop on so we can get out of here.”

I don’t need to be told twice. As Steel turns and lowers himself to let me climb onto his back, I move quickly, my body screaming in protest, but I ignore it. We don’t have time for weakness. Not now.

The moment I settled on his back, the double doors Paston had been blocking open with a loud bang. My heart stutters as I look toward the entrance, fear bubbling in my chest once again.

“I’ll be damned,” Steel mutters, a mix of exhaustion and relief in his voice. “Never been happier to see your ugly mug, brother.”

The voice that follows is like a lifeline, a sound I never thought I’d be grateful to hear. “Where is she?”

I’m already shifting against Steel, my hands gripping his shoulders tighter as I brace for the next hurdle.

“She’s on my back, but don’t move her,” Steel says quickly, his voice rough with urgency. “She’s in pain, and her next movement needs to be a permanent one.”

I look around desperately to find the face that belongs to that voice. He steps further into the hallway, and our eyes meet. He looks tired. Older.

“Thank Fuck,” he sighs with relief. “Just hold on, baby, we’re getting you guys out of here. Follow me, Steel. We have a van heading our way now.”

“That man is still alive,” I mutter, the adrenaline slowly wearing off.

“I’ll take care of it,” Taylor says. “King already has the rest of them unconscious. Shall we keep this one alive?”

“Yes,” someone else says. “Take him to his son.”

“Got it, Pres.”

Without another word, Jacob moves forward, his arms ready to support me as Steel carefully moves around the room and out the double doors. I try to stay still, my body feeling like it’s made of glass, aching with every shift, but now, with Jacob here, the fear I felt fades slightly.

“Eli? Jessica?” I ask.

“They’re fine, baby,” Jacob says, his hand supporting my back. “Eli was about to break out and come for you himself, but I told him he had to help Blaze keep the family safe.”

“How’s he doing?” Steel asks as we walk into the night.

“Fucking pissed,” Jacob says. “Never seen this side of him before. He would have gone mad had something happened to you, brother.”

“He would have known had I been killed,” Steel says confidently as we approach a large building. We really were right in the city. Steel said he heard traffic. “Just as I would know hadsomething happened to him. Let’s get Del in the van, and I’ll give him a call.”

The lights from the building and street lights are slowly fading as my mind becomes fully aware of how much pain I’m in.

“Hurts,” I say, knowing only Steel can hear me. “Die.”

“Fuck,” Steel says. “We need to get her to the hospital. Where’s the damn van?”

“Hand her to me,” I hear Jacob say. “You drive. Venom, we need Doc.”

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