Page 5 of Shea's Hero

“Help!” I scream. “Help!”

The man yelps. Curses. Spits, “You bitch!”

There are other voices, but I block them out. It’s just me and these two men. Maybe I’m crazy for trying to fight them, but I’m not stopping.

As the other man lunges at us, I swing the chair again. The wood cracks. Splinters.

“Stop her!” one of the men shouts.

But I’m a dervish. I grab another chair, somehow managing to fling it at them.

I’m screaming, “Go away, go away, leave us alone!”

A fist flies out, clipping my cheek. Pain explodes in my face. My eye waters. Blurs.

Oh, please. I can’t let them take Jade.

Then an angry shout. “Get the FUCK away from them!”

Niall!

It’s like the eye of a hurricane.

Everything stops.

The two dark-clad men spin around and sprint back to the van. Leap inside. A second later, it peels away.

Niall runs over, wild-eyed, terror all over his face. He grabs Jade with one arm, then me with the other, pulling us both into his chest. His heart is pounding so hard I can feel it.

Right behind him, Cole and Zane rush out of the pub and over to us. Elle launches herself into Zane’s arms and buries her face in his shirt.

Cole’s features are like stone. His voice vibrates with intensity. “What happened?”

“I… The men…” Jade’s trembling so hard her teeth are chattering.

“A van. It stopped in front. Two men got out. They…” I shudder. “They were… running at us. I… I didn’t know…”

Why can’t I talk normally?

“Let’s get them inside,” Cole says. “Nora and Jackson are with Maya.”

Jackson?My scattered brain doesn’t want to work.

Oh. Right. Nora’s husband. Another Blade and Arrow team member.

On numb legs, I let Niall guide us back into the pub. As he hurries us inside, he says to Cole, “Shea’s hurt. Her face. And Jade… she needs to be checked out. She’s—” His voice catches. “I need to make sure she’s okay.”

Moments later, Zane follows us. “We need the surveillance footage. Do you think it’s too late to chase the van down?”

Cole replies, “If either of them saw the plates?—”

He glances at me, and I give a tiny shake of my head. “No. I didn’t… think to look. I was just… Jade… the chair…”

“It’s okay.” Cole follows us in. “Even if there were plates, I’m sure they were stolen.”

Niall leads me and Jade to a table and helps Jade sit down. Before he can help me, I collapse into my own. As I reach up to touch my throbbing cheek, I realize my hand is shaking.

A small crowd clusters around us—Niall, Zane, Cole, Nora, Jackson, Maya, Elle, and the crying woman, whose name I’m pretty sure is Penny. Pale and red-eyed, Penny says miserably, “I’m sorry I didn’t run over to help. My friends… they said to go inside and get the guys instead. But… I’m so sorry.”

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