Page 31 of When He Hunts

Kane’s laughter spilled from him again just as…

Ronan caught her arms. “I amnotthe good guy.”

She disagreed. “I’m living and breathing, and you’re protecting me. That makes you good in my book.”

“Sonofafucker, it damn well doesnot.It makes me—gun!” A bellow.

Then Ronan lifted her up and tossed her through the air. She landed on the couch with a bounce, and he barreled down on top of her.

Gunfire erupted.

Chapter Seven

Boom.Boom.Two fast and hard blasts. Luna screamed because she hadn’t even sensed the threat. She’d been too focused on Ronan and Kane.

“Too distracted,”Ronan rasped. “Didn’t see the bastard coming.” His hand slid under the couch.

“You didn’t kill her!” A shout. “You lying bastard! I saw her! She’s supposed to be dead, but she’s alive and she’s hugging you—the boss is gonna lose his mind when I tell him!”

She stared up at Ronan, utterly horrified. So scared her body trembled.

His nostrils flared. And…

“Drop the weapon!”A clipped order that came from Kane.

Only that order was immediately followed by gunfire, not by the sound of a gun being dropped.

She didn’t even have a chance to scream again because in that same instant, Ronan’s hand flew up from beneath the couch. He had a gun gripped in his hand, and he lunged off her.

“Stay down!” Ronan barked.

And he leapt away from the couch.

More gunfire erupted.

He’d raised his weapon, and he fired, too, and?—

Silence. Sudden and deafening in its intensity. Luna realized that she’d yanked her hands over her ears. Her heart drummed frantically in her chest. She waited, certain that more gunfire would come. Only, it didn’t.

“You’re hit.” From Ronan.

Her hands lowered. Was it safe to get off the couch?

“Flesh wound.” Kane’s flat voice. “I’ll recover.” A pause. “He won’t.”

He won’t.

“That was a damn fast shot, Ronan,” Kane added.

Her breath sawed in and out. “Ronan?”

“Fucking hell.” His disgusted voice.

“He was going to shoot you. There was no choice. He would have killed you—and her. You had to fire.” Kane’s voice still held no emotion. “And it’s not like the guy could have been allowed to leave. Not after he spotted Luna. He would have run back to his boss and told him that your girl was still alive.”

She twisted on the couch. “Is it safe now?”

“You don’t want to see this,” Ronan told her. “Stay down.”

---