Page 96 of Her Remarkable Protector

Tommy moves without hesitation, throwing himself in front of Damon just as the shot is fired. The impact sends him stumbling, his body absorbing the blow meant for the man who has done nothing but take from the world. Blood spreads across his chest, his eyes filled with a twisted sense of duty as he collapses. The blind loyalty of a Stoneborn.

Raising himself behind Tommy’s lifeless form, Damon levels his gun at me. “Honor! One more shot and he’s really dead!” he warns.

Her aim doesn’t relent. I know exactly what she’s capable of, but it’s Damon’s face that catches my attention—it’s the look he gets right before he pivots.

In a split second he changes target.

Honor!

“No!” I swing myself in agonizing pain. I push against the chains, their tension turning my reach for Damon into a swaying struggle, my legs wrapped around his torso that he can’t move his arms. The Chapel fills with the sound of my scream, piercing through like a bad choir.

I ignore the burning pain, treating it like a minor thing as I persist in restraining him. I grit my teeth along with the sensation of my muscles tightening and constricting.

With my own arms bound, I can’t fully immobilize him. His arms are trapped, but his wrists and hands remain free—including the one gripping the gun, aimed squarely at Honor. Desperation fuels my next move as I release one of my legs and deliver a lashing kick, hoping to knock the gun away. But he jerks me hard, yanking me away from the chains that keep me suspended

“Shoot him, Honor!” I strain. She’s fighting to get a steady shot while Damon and I are wrestling, a writhing mass of sweaty bodies. “Just shoot!”

Damon keeps fighting me and firing. Despite his erratic shots, the bullets still manage to fly close enough, forcing Honor to take cover.

God help me.I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. It’s a matter of time before Damon sets himself free. Then?—

A crack.

All resistance ceases as his body goes limp.

“Chase!” A voice booms through the chaos.

Ethan. My God, that kid. He makes his entrance with a literal bang—first mission, first triumph, and he’s already making it count.

Honor steps out from behind her cover, charging toward Ethan with wide-eyed surprise. It’s clear they haven’t coordinated.

“I told you to stay with Oakley and Laramie!” she snaps.

“They’re safe,” Ethan assures her. “Hux is watching over them, and his wife Savannah is there too. She’s a rancher, and let’s just say she’s expert in defending her territory.”

“Guys, a little help here!” I call out, my muscles pushed far beyond their limits.

Ethan darts to my side, his eyes scanning me with a mix of shock and disbelief. “What the hell, Chase? How are you even still alive?” He wrestles with the cuffs. “I need a key!”

Honor scans the room, then strides over to Damon’s motionless form on the floor. She kneels, rifling through his pockets before pulling out a set of keys.

“Try these!” she shouts, tossing them to Ethan.

Ethan catches the keys and starts working on the cuffs.

“Can you even see what you’re doing in those sunglasses?” I mutter.

But before I can finish the jab, he finds the right key and releases me. My arms drop, and I collapse to my knees, agony ripping through every joint.

Damn, that hurts.

Honor and Ethan are by my side in an instant, each gripping an arm to steady me. Together, they ease me down, helping me sit as comfortably as the circumstances allow.

“What happened to the others?” I ask. “There must be at least four more of Damon’s men.”

“I took them out. There’s no one else, I checked,” Ethan replies, a hint of pride in his voice.

“So Hux let you go instead of himself?”

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