Page 48 of Rivals & Revenge

"So," I said, stepping back, "What's next?"

"There's not much we can do until Jax gets back with us."

"You are putting a lot on his shoulders."

My chest tightened painfully. I had made it a point to do everything myself. I couldn’t imagine placing my life in someone else’s hands. Yet, Ahren seemed to do it so casually, first with Larissa and now with Jax.

He nodded. "Yeah. I know. He can handle it. Trust me," he laughed.

"For now, I think we should eat something. We just finished a heavy workout and our bodies need fuel. We can look over the picture while we eat."

"Makes sense. We need to keep our stamina up. Stay strong for Larissa." I said, trying to match his energy.

I walked to the refrigerator and started pulling out ingredients for dinner.

Ahren wordlessly pulled out the chef's knife and a large wooden board and began slicing the vegetables.

A thunderous crack rent the air, shaking the entire house and shattering our moment of domestic bliss.

"What the fuck was that!?"

Chapter 27

AHREN

The tip of the knife swiped across the carrot, slamming into the cutting board beneath it. "What the fuck was that?!" I growled, my eyes darting around expectantly.

Tierney dropped the steak on the counter, pulling the Walther from her waistband. Her eyes were hard as diamonds as they met mine. "You go high, I'll stay low."

The weight of the weapon in my hand grounded me, my mind and body both slipping into work mode as I nodded in agreement.

The lads hurried into the kitchen with a whine, their tails low against the floor. "Zeus. Apollo. Work." I commanded them. Both lifted their heads, ears raised—alert. Moments later, they both raced for the door, pawing at the floor until I opened it, releasing them into the yard.

"Be careful." I murmured, pulling her to me and pressing a lingering kiss on her lips, hoping it wouldn't be our last.

I forced myself to turn away, just as she crossed the threshold. A final glance at the blonde spitfire and I rushed for the stairs, taking them two at a time until I reached the lookout atop the house.

My stomach clenched as two shots rang out in rapid succession. I walked the perimeter, my Dragunov at the ready.

From this vantage point, I could see the entire western property line, including the gaping hole in the fence line and the charred crater that extended out in all directions. A flash of blonde hair caught my eye. I whipped around just in time to see Tierney raise her pistol, taking aim at something in the distance and firing off two more rounds.

The dogs barking drew my attention to two men climbing over the fence. I raised my weapon; two shots, and they dropped.

Rustling in the bushes behind Tierney pulled my attention. The protective instincts I thought had long since been extinguished flared to life as a dark figure crept toward her. I raised my gun, ready to fire.

She turned, firing into her would-be-attacker's face, then returned to her sweep of the area. Cold. Calculated. Sexy as fuck.

For the next twenty minutes, we swept the area, but no one else came. Tierney looked up, her eyes finding mine, and she nodded, her hand signaling toward the house, and I nodded my agreement.

I slung my rifle over one shoulder as I started down the stairs. My boots were heavy against the hardwood steps, but the last thing on my mind was stealth. These fuckers just attacked my home.

If we were going to figure out this mess with Connor's kidnapping, we needed to figure out a way to call off the order and buy us some breathing room.

She stepped into the room, sliding her pistol into her waistband before crossing her arms over her chest. Her delicate features, set in hard lines that didn't suit her.

"Bombs." She blew out a sharp breath, blowing an errant hair from her face. "You forgot to add bombs to your list of weaknesses."

My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together. I knew she was just on edge and needing to work out some of her frustrations. Still, it set my teeth on edge. I hadn't been able to protect her.

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