Page 66 of His Reluctant Savior

Only silence answered me.

God, was I too late? I slowly inched my way into the house, checking from room to room and every dark corner, but there wasno sign of them. When I stepped into the kitchen, I found shit strewn everywhere, a clear sign of struggle.

I suddenly stopped and squatted at the red spatter on the floor.

“Fuck…”

I swore to Dalton that I would protect him and Owen, but I had failed at everything. Now, I went in search of bodies, not really wanting to know, but I had to. As I searched and searched the large house, I couldn’t find anyone alive or dead.

I stepped outside to head to the barn but stopped at Easton, squatting and inspecting the gravel driveway. “They sped away. Two cars, one possibly an SUV or a van. It left deeper indents. Fast-moving tires have sprayed the gravel. But it’s not going toward the road. Instead, the tracks lead toward the back.” He looked at me and stood. “Is the family inside?”

“No, but there’s blood.”

“A lot of it?”

I shook my head. “Just a little. They must have been taken alive.”

“The cars have been moved into the barn. They’re here and no doubt still alive.”

My gut twisted, and the only thing that kept me calm was the likelihood of them still being alive, but by how much?

“I don’t know how many men there are, but enough of them showed up to subdue an entire family and Dalton while bypassing their security.” Easton stood and handed me the gun I’d lent him back.

“I only need myknives,” he explained.

“Fine. I’ll go around the front. See if you can get in through the back of the barn and take out as many as you can in silence. The more that die, the better chances we have at getting everyone out alive.”

Easton simply nodded.

“Buzz me once you get inside and take some of them out,” I said. “I need it as clear as possible because they’re going to see me coming in.”

“Done.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

I held out my gun in front of me, rushing toward the barn in silence, while Easton, walking next to me, had a couple of daggers. No doubt he had more stashed on him. He ran off in silence toward the back, and I inched my way toward the front, staying hidden in shadows and behind trees in case they had anyone on the lookout.

At first, it appeared everyone was inside, but a man stepped out from around the other side of the barn and stood sentry by the large, closed doors, holding a gun and smoking a cigarette.

I quickly fired a round into his head, the silencer keeping the sound to a mere pop. He instantly dropped to the ground. I rushed over to him, stepped on his lit cigarette so a fire wouldn’t start, and leaned against the barn doors to listen.

Words were muffled, but I could hear talking and children crying.

How did they bypass Mason’s security? The family must have called Dalton for him to come here. Why didn’t they call the police? Maybe they did, and the assailants told them to call off theemergency. Regardless, it was risky to do this here. Then again, it was risky to take seven people.

My phone vibrated in my ass, and I pulled it out to see Easton’s message that he had taken three men out, but he couldn’t reach or see the others, which meant that at least three remained alive, if not more.

Fuck, I hated to go in blindly. I didn’t do damn rescue operations, which required quick thinking and risk-taking.

I eased one of the barn doors open a crack and peeked inside. As soon as I did, my gut bottomed out. Bleeding with his head fallen forward was Dalton, tied to a chair in the center of the barn.

Then the rage hit.

I shot a text back to Easton that I planned to go in, and we were going to kill them all—all except one. The one hurting Dalton,myBoy Scout, would hurt and suffer after I got answers from him. Then he would be lucky to die finally.

Easing the barn door open, I aimed my gun and fired a round into the head of one man leaning against a beam. With a quick breath and clear mind, I let instincts take over before firing another round into a man in my periphery.

There were definitely more than three, and they finally realized they were under attack. Easton took out the last two men. I watched them drop dead with daggers in their faces before I popped a bullet into the kneecap of the man who had pulled out a gun to shoot my Boy Scout.

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