Page 49 of Fast Fury

He spun away, his heart in pieces. The thought of going through life without even histututhere for him was like a knife to the chest, but if it kept her and Kai safe, that was all that mattered.

“Hani.”

He’d only taken two steps toward the door when movement caught his attention from the shadows to the left of his place.

A woman. Her unblinking gaze fixed on him in a way that made the hair on his nape stand on end. She was lifting her arm, had something in her hand.

Gun.

“This is for my daughter,” she rasped out before he could move or say anything, and raised the weapon.

Hani sucked in a breath and reached back for the weapon in his waistband as he spun back toward Kai. “Get down!” he yelled, hand closing over the grip of his pistol.

Kai took a step toward him instead of away, face set in a hard expression. Heroic bastard was going to try to shield him.

No!Hani launched at him just as the shots rang out from behind.

It felt like a sledgehammer slammed into his back. Once, twice. Three times.

Deep, burning agony ripped through him, stealing his breath. He hit the cool concrete facedown. The woman was still shooting.

Strong hands grabbed the back of his jacket and dragged him behind the bed of his truck. Hani gasped and bucked.Can’t breathe.Four more shots pinged off the back of it. Then silence.

Kai pulled Hani’s weapon from his hand. Hani lay there sprawled out on his belly, struggling to breathe. But there was no air. Only pain. A white, fiery anguish while he battled to suck oxygen into his burning lungs. He panicked. Thrashed.

Strong hands turned him over. Propped him up. Held his face.

“Hani. Hani, look at me.”

He struggled to focus his eyes. He tasted blood in his mouth, smelled the metallic edge to it as it bubbled out of his nose. A horrible wheezing sound happened every time he inhaled, choking on his own blood.

Kai’s face was inches from his, those dark eyes so like his own, desperate. “Hani. Hold on. I’ve got help on the way.” With one hand he held a cell phone to his ear.

Hani fought to stay alert, his breathing a tiny bit easier now that he was upright. The shooter. Where was she?

Kai had pulled off his shirt and was pressing it to the exit wounds on Hani’s chest. The pressure hurt. He looked down at himself, at the river of blood pouring out of his body, already pooling around his lap.

I’m dying.

A bolt of terror ripped through him. He grabbed for one of Kai’s wrists, clung desperately. He was too young to die. And he didn’t want to go like this. “C-can’t…breathe,” he choked.

“You’re doing fine, man. I’m right here, I’m not leaving.” Kai scanned the area where the woman had just been.

Hani pictured her face. He’d seen her around lately, couldn’t remember where. Was she the woman who’d been asking about him?

Kai was speaking to someone on the phone, relaying Hani’s situation and address. Still here. Trying to save him even after what Hani had said and done. Trying to save him even though the shooter was still out there somewhere. Might be coming back for another attack.

The bounty.

Oh, Jesus, no. He shook his head, the slight motion sapping his rapidly dwindling energy reserves. “G-go,” he begged Kai.

Kai set the phone down and applied more pressure on the shirt against Hani’s chest. “Not going anywhere. Just stay with me. Nice, slow breaths.” His voice was steady. Calm, giving Hani a moment’s hope that he had a chance. “Ambulance will be here in a few minutes.”

The tiny flame of hope inside him snuffed out, leaving an icy darkness in its wake. He would be dead by then. And Kai…the woman might kill Kai too.

Hani had to save his cousin before it was too late.

KAI’S HEART SLAMMED out of control as he knelt in front of Hani, applying pressure to the wounds in his cousin’s chest, and keeping an eye out for the armed female. She’d disappeared between Hani’s townhome and the one next door, and Kai had been too busy trying to save his cousin to track her.

---