Page 53 of Declan's Hope

"Let go!" She pushed at the muscled arms and attempted to throw her head back to bash whoever this was but didn’t make contact. She struggled harder against the unyielding hold as she was pulled through the door. Her last glimpse of the drama on the porch was the black-clad newcomer tackling Salazar’s man away from Mercy.

"Hope," a familiar voice shouted as she beat at the arms around her. She froze.

"Mr. Sheppard?"

"Don’t you hurt my daughter!"

Hope sagged into Mr. Sheppard’s hold while her gaze flew toward the open doorway. The stranger had his hands full trying to get Kara and Mercy inside. Kara seemed to be cooperating. The little girl had her arms wrapped around his neck where he held her high on his chest in one arm.

But Mercy?

She was having none of it.

"I’m trying to help you," the man yelled, holding Mercy around the waist with his other arm and hauling her kicking and punching as he staggered with them into the entryway.

"Help this," a wild-eyed Mercy yelled back as she twisted her body and brought her knee up to his crotch.

Hope winced.

Direct hit.

"Ahh…" The man doubled over, then wheezed out a low, "Fuck me," while letting Mercy loose. But he kept his hold on Kara still hanging onto him.

"Hey, Mister?"

The stranger lifted his head toward Kara, his pained features coming into full view.

"You shouldn’t say the F word," she said, shaking her head as Mercy desperately pulled at her.

"I’ll take that under advisement," he said, letting Kara go. The man groaned, breathing out a pained, "What?" while resting his hands on his thighs where he hunched over. "No. Your sister just kneed me in the nuts."

A panting Mercy snatched Kara up and held her tightly on her hip with one arm and backed away from him, with her free hand out. "You just stay…" Then she froze, her breaths sawing in and out. "Sister?"

"Mercy," Hope called out.

Mercy’s gaze flashed to Hope, then behind her where Mr. Sheppard had stepped away from her and talked to himself. So, in other words, to the rest of the team.

Outside, an eerie quiet reigned.

"My class," Hope cried, sprinting for the door with Mr. Sheppard shouting from behind her, "Is it clear?"

Hope sidestepped over the body of Salazar and ran down the steps toward where the bus had been driven a good fifty yards away. A couple more bodies lay around, but not as many as she had imagined. Those of Salazar’s men who hadn’t been downed were on their knees with their hands behind their backs in front of the house, with two more people dressed in black and masked holding weapons on them. If she had to guess, she’d say it was Solace and Cal.

"Hope!"

Hope skidded to a stop on the pavement and threw her gaze toward the shout of her name. "Destiny?"

It was, indeed, Destiny, dressed in gear like those of the team she’d seen, her head covered with the same kind of mask, and running her way—in tennis shoes, no less.

Hope would have met her halfway, but she needed to see to her class. "This way," she called out, waving toward the bus, then took off once more. The closer she got, the more she could see the slow smiles taking over the children’s faces. But they soon broke out in a cheer as she rounded the bus—running smack dab into a muscled wall with twinkling moss green eyes standing in front of it.

Garrett.

"Those are some good students you’ve got," he said as, breathless, Hope pressed a hand to her chest. "I especially like that Toby kid."

"I could see where you would."

His eyes hardened as he swiped the mask up over his mouth and nose, then fisted his hands on his hips. "I told you to stay put."

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