Page 94 of Pulse

Her heart thundered in her ears. “Liv, I’m sorry,” she said as she slammed into her friend, tackling her to the pavement.

Liv screamed, and Talia grunted as they hit the ground. Gravel ground into her bare knees with a painful sting. No doubt Liv took the brunt of it, but they were alive.

For the moment.

She grabbed a struggling Liv around the waist and dragged her behind the car to safety.

“Talia, please let me go. I have to get to him. Please, please, please. We can’t leave him there.” Her eyes were wide with panic, and her clothes were a mess of dirt and gravel. A long scrape from the asphalt covered her upper arm.

“We won’t leave him, Liv, I promise,” she said as she held Liv against the wheel well. “Spec knows what to do. Your man is former special forces. He needs you safe so he can focus on getting himself to safety.”

“Okay, yeah.” Liv shook her head. “I hate it, but I get it.”

Talia sat back on her heels with a gasp. “Holy shit, Liv, I think you’ve been shot.”

“What?” Liv blinked. Blood poured down her face from a gash that traveled from her forehead to her temple. Based on where it was, it seemed like it would have hit dead center in her forehead had Talia not knocked her to the ground. She lifted her hand to her head as her eyes glazed over.

“Don’t touch it.” Talia wriggled out of her cardigan. “Here, press this to the wound.”

“Talia, I don’t care.” Liv tried to swat the sweater away. “I need to check on Spec.”

“Liv, baby, you okay?” Spec’s shout made Liv burst into tears.

“He’s all right, Liv, see? And listen… the shooting stopped.” Their eyes met. Liv looked like an extra from an action movie as she held the sweater to her bloody head. “She’s safe,” Talia shouted back. Telling Spec Liv had been grazed by a bullet would not be a smart move. Her injury wasn’t life-threatening, so he could find out that tidbit later. “Is it over?”

“Not sure,” Spec hollered back.

The night was as quiet now as it had been when she left the building, except for Liv’s choked breathing.

“Okay,” she said, grabbing Liv’s shoulders. “I’m going to try to get to Spec. You need to promise me you’ll stay here, okay?”

“No, Talia…”

“Honey, I have no idea how much blood loss is too much, but you’re bleeding a fuck ton. You need to stay here so I don’t have to drag you back if you pass out from blood loss. I won’t be able to help Spec if I have to help you too.” A low blow, maybe, but she’d say whatever she needed to keep Liv out of harm’s way.

Liv’s shoulders slumped. “Okay.”

“Call Curly.”

Liv nodded. “Be careful.” They shared a quick hug, and then Talia crawled around the side of the car toward Spec. She made it about five feet before the first bullet hit the asphalt, so close that gravel spray pelted her cheek.

“Talia, what the fuck are you doing? Get back,” Spec roared.

“I’m coming to help you, you asshole,” she growled as she crawled toward him as fast as she could while her palms and knees screamed in agony.

“Get back behind the fucking car!”

A loud rumble had their gazes whipping toward the road where Pulse headed their way on his motorcycle.

“No,” Talia whispered. She wanted to jump up, wave her arms, and shout at him to turn back, but she’d be shot dead for sure. Instead, she had no choice but to watch with her heart inher throat as the man she loved turned into the parking lot amid a spray of bullets. His shout rang out at the same time his bike tilted.

Talia screamed as the motorcycle hit the ground. Pulse scrambled away on all fours as bullets hailed around him like lethal raindrops. The screech of metal on concrete had her wincing as the bike slid across the parking lot, showering the air with a spray of sparks. Pulse made it behind a large pad-mounted transformer directly across from them. He sat with his back to the large metal box, panting and wild-eyed.

“Spec?” Liv called.

“I’m okay, baby. Don’t fucking move from behind that car.”

Talia couldn’t tear her gaze from Pulse. “You hit?” he asked, panic in his voice.

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