Page 62 of Toxic Vengeance

Eden searched around. Were they in the clear? “I don’t see them—”

The Camaro shot out in front of them from another side street.

Zack cursed and jerked the wheel, but the Camaro rammed into their back right quarter panel, spinning them around. The squeal of tires and the deep blast of a rig’s horn was Eden’s only warning, then they slammed into the side of a semi cab.

Stars exploded before her eyes as the seatbelt snapped hard across her chest and hips, the back of her head hitting the headrest a split-second later.

“Eden,” Zack said urgently.

“I’m fine,” she said, reaching down to unbuckle the seatbelt. They were pinned in now, unable to drive away. Where was the Camaro? Where was—

Zack grabbed her around the ribs and yanked her sideways out of the car. “Get behind the engine block!”

They dove for cover behind the front of the hood just as shots rang out, pummeling the opposite side of the car. People were screaming now, leaping out of their vehicles and racing for the sidewalk, the frightened masses scattering in all directions.

“How far away?” Eden asked him as she scrambled up on one knee, poised behind the engine block. It would provide them a decent amount of cover for a bit longer, but they couldn’t stay here. Cut off from their teammates and all alone with a rifleman closing in, they were sitting ducks. “Did you see?”

“Out of pistol range.” His gray gaze met hers. “We’re gonna have to run for it and fight our way out.”

The gravity of it settled deep inside her. She’d been in danger before, had escaped death many times, but this moment was different. Before, she’d always been alone. Before, she’d never had anyone else to worry about. Now there was Zack. And she didn’t want him to die. Not like this, not in front of her, and not when he was in this mess because of her.

Eden tensed and ducked lower as a spray of bullets raked across the hood and punched into the side of the rig.

“You head around the front of the rig on three,” Zack told her, his face set, gaze intense. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Cold speared her gut at the way he said it. Like he had every intention of staying behind to make sure she got clear. Like he was prepared to sacrifice himself to ensure she lived. “Don’t you dare do anything stupid or heroic.”

“You go on three, and I’ll cover you. One.” He put a hand on the center of her back. “Two.” He shifted behind her, so close she could feel the warmth of his body, and she prayed it wasn’t the last time she would ever feel it. “Three.”

He shoved her forward, but she was already moving, sprinting around the front of the rig’s cab. Bullets plowed into the side of it, missing her by inches. Pedestrians screamed and panicked, clogging the sidewalk.

More shots rang out, hitting metal somewhere behind her. She shoved through a knot of people cowering in front of an alley and ran for cover behind the corner of the first building she came to. As soon as she was out of view she risked a glance behind her, looking for Zack.

He wasn’t there.

“Goddamnyou, Zack,” she whispered, terror flooding her. She stayed behind cover, coming up with a new plan. No way would she keep running if he was still back there, and she didn’t have time to try and contact Trinity and the others to ask for backup.

Dammit. She snuck another peek around the corner, but still couldn’t see him. Was he okay, or had he been shot?Oh, Jesus, please not that—

More shots rang out, telling her he was still alive, but pinned down somewhere. She eased forward, ready to break from cover and attempt a rescue mission, but caught a blur of motion at the edge of her peripheral vision. Her heart careened in her chest when she saw Zack dart out from behind another truck and race toward her.

“Go!” he yelled, waving her forward with one hand, pistol in the other. “Two shooters! They’ve split up, one on either side!”

She spun and ran down the alley, reassured when his racing footsteps echoed behind her seconds later. Another street loomed up ahead. She slowed as she reached the corner of the building, pressed her back to the side of it as Zack raced up beside her.

Lightning quick, Eden ducked around to check the alley. Bits of concrete exploded inches from her head.

Zack yanked her backward so hard she fell on her ass, heart hammering. Shit, that had been close. But those bullets hadn’t come from a rifle. The sound hadn’t been right.

He grabbed her head in his hands, searched her face. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Shooter’s to the right, hiding between the wall and a Dumpster. Pistol, not a rifle.”

He glanced behind them down the alley they’d just run up. “Other one’s going to come in behind us, try to box us in.”

Well, there was no way they were making it back the way they’d come with a rifle trained on them. That left them only one option if they didn’t want to stay here and wait to get shot. “We’ll take this shooter out, then run like hell before the one with the rifle shows up.” They had no idea where the other shooter was, but probably close. They might only have seconds to get out of here.

He stared at her for a second. “Okay. I’ll go high, you go low.”

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