Page 24 of Cooper's Command

The truck shimmied, then shot off, bumping down a ditch before crashing into a small tree. Steam billowed from beneath the hood, the tires spinning uselessly when the driver tried to reverse.

Cooper hit the gas and the vehicle surged forward as the other truck skidded to a halt, half spinning to face them. Some asshole hung out the side, rifle aimed their way. Nova managed to send a few shots just shy of his head, encouraging him to duckand giving Cooper enough time to race past them — regain their lead. Not that it lasted.

Less than a minute, and the creep was tailgating him again, jerking them forward whenever he managed to connect with Cooper’s bumper. Nova changed out her mag, shaking her head when it slid into place. What Cooper assumed was her way of indicating it was her last.

She’d been carrying three plus the one in her pistol. And by the looks of it, she’d already switched to her spare Sig. None of which boded well for her catching a break. What was bound to be her shell casings all over the DEA office and the path from there to here.

Nova glanced at him, firing off another round. “These bastards have run flats. I’ve put more than a few through the rubber but no luck. And they’re sticking too close to get any quality shots at the grill or the driver.”

“Guess that means we’ll either have to lose them or spin this baby around.”

“Cooper…”

“Hold on.”

She slipped inside as he hit the gas, taking the next corner way too fast — turning into that spin when his rear tires inevitably fishtailed. He managed to slow it for a split second with his door facing the tangos. It wasn’t much, but he got off a round — hit the driver in the shoulder.

The vehicle banked over, swerving back and forth across the road before the driver jerked forward, collapsing over the steering wheel and sending the truck careening off the road and into the ditch — tipping the whole rig on its side. Cooper chanced a glance over his shoulder, grinning when Bellamy and Rusty’s trucks appeared behind him, Ethan just settling back into Rusty’s passenger side with his rifle.

Of course, now he’d owe the jackasses.

Cooper slowed down a bit. Not to the point he wasn’t still going some insane speed, but enough he wasn’t worried he might hit a rut and roll his truck. He gave Nova’s thigh a nudge, motioning for her to buckle up, again. “We’re clear.”

Nova maintained her vigil for another minute before finally settling into her seat and clipping in. “You’re all crazy, you know that? You should have let me take care of those assholes. Done all the shooting. There’s no way we can hide the fact you and your buddies dropped those guys.”

“Was that before or after they killed you?”

Nova huffed. “Let’s hope you’re still joking when your photo is beside mine on the wanted poster.”

“Better than just yours on an obituary. Which brings us to the part where you start talking and you don’t stop until I know everything. Preferably before the sun rises and we’re all exposed — so I know if it’s safe to take you to Hawk’s.”

Nova glanced at the horizon, a hint of red starting to claw its way across the sky before she rested her head against the seat back — closed her eyes. “Can I just catch my breath for a minute? It’s been one hell of a night.”

Cooper frowned. While he didn’t doubt she was exhausted, there was a tightness in her voice he hadn’t heard before. “Hey, are you okay?”

She didn’t even open her eyes. “Aces.”

Was she breathing rougher than before? Shallower? And was her skin paler or was it a trick of the gray light.

He glanced at where her hand rested on the console, her weapon on the verge of slipping free. “What’s on your hand?”

She cracked an eyelid, but didn’t answer, grimacing as she took a labored breath.

Cooper reached for her, cursing the watery slide of his fingers across her skin. “You’re hit? Shit. Why the hell didn’t you tell me? This changes everything.” He hit the accelerator. “Did it justhappen, now, or have you been bleeding since your showdown at the office?”

She snorted as if her dying was remotely funny. “Let’s just say that the showdown with Simmons wasn’t my finest hour.”

“Is that your way of saying Simmons shot you?”

“He didn’t even yell freeze, just barreled in guns blazing like some old Wild West movie while I was giving Paulin CPR. I’m just lucky he doesn’t log that many hours at the range.”

“Not funny. Show me.” Cooper reached for her side, hit something hard, then removed a notebook, the front covered in her blood.

She inhaled, eyes rolling slightly as she gave him a weak nod. “Don’t lose that.”

“Is this why they’re after you?” He placed it on the console and grabbed her shirt, again, cursing when the right side squeezed a puddle onto the mat. “Your shirt’s soaked. Have you even tried to stem the bleeding?”

“I was a bit busy.”

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