Page 34 of Breeding Justice

Her shoulders sagged for a brief second, and I could see through the bravado. She wasn’t fine—her shoulder was a mess, and every step looked like it cost her. But this was Justice. She wasn’t going to admit it unless her legs gave out.

“Good,” I said lightly, not pushing her. “Because I need you to back me up while Bash drags his caveman arse out of here.”

“Oi,” Bash growled, but the corner of his mouth twitched in the hint of a smile. “Save the jokes for later. We’ve got company.”

Behind him, the sound of boots pounded against concrete. Reinforcements. My grip tightened on the pipe, my body coiling for a fight.

“We’re not staying to chat,” I said. “This way.”

I led them down the corridor, Bash sticking close to Justice’s side, his hand never leaving the small of her back. They moved in sync, like they’d rehearsed this escape a hundred times. It was a hell of a thing to watch.

We made it to a junction, and I paused, scanning for movement. The faint wail of sirens echoed in the distance. Someone had tipped off the cops, which meant this was about to turn into a bloody free-for-all.

“This way,” I said, motioning to the left.

We pushed through another door and into what looked like a storage area, rows of rusted shelves casting long shadows in the dim light. Justice staggered, and Bash caught her, his face tightening with worry.

“Let me take her,” I said, stepping closer.

“I’ve got her,” Bash snapped, his tone all warning.

“Not the time to play alpha,” I shot back, but I kept my distance. His eyes burned with a fury that mirrored my own. He’d fight through hell for her, and I wasn’t about to argue with that.

Justice groaned, drawing both our attention. “Would you two save the pissing contest for later?” she muttered. “Let’s just get out of here.”

The door at the far end of the room burst open, and three men stormed in, guns drawn. My heart kicked into overdrive.

“Get down!” I shouted, shoving Justice behind one of the shelves. Bash spun, his own weapon already in his hand—when the hell had he picked that up?—and fired, dropping the first man before he could get a shot off.

I charged the second, swinging the pipe with all the force I could muster. It cracked against his wrist, sending the gun flying. He howled, but I didn’t stop, driving my knee into his gut and finishing him with a blow to the back of the head.

Bash took care of the third with a brutal efficiency that reminded me why he was the one everyone feared. The room fell silent again, save for the sound of our ragged breathing.

“We need to move,” I said, my voice tight. “Now.”

Justice nodded, her face pale but determined. Bash scooped up a gun from one of the fallen men and checked the clip before motioning for us to follow.

We slipped out into the alley, the humid night air hitting me like a wall. The faint glow of the city lights painted everything in shades of gold and blue, and for a moment, I just breathed.

Justice leaned heavily on Bash, her steps faltering. I moved to her other side, taking some of her weight despite her protests.

“Save it,” I muttered. “You’re a bloody wreck.”

“And you’re one to talk,” she shot back, but her voice lacked heat.

Bash glanced back at me, his expression grim. “This isn’t over.”

“Not by a long shot,” I said, my eyes scanning the shadows. “But for now, we’re alive.”

Yeah. The three of us were. None of us wanted to say the thing that was really on our minds—were Hassan and Zane also alive?

Was SJ safe?

And if he wasn’t…fuck. I didn’t even think about what we were going to do.

I just knew it wasn’t going to be good.

Chapter Fifteen: Skylar

---