Page 249 of At the Edge of Surrender

Thank fuck, he had the key, and his hands were shaking out of control as he fumbled to get the right one. He slid it into the heavy-duty padlock.

The lock gave, and he tore it out of the slot then shoved the door upward to the sound of screams and pleas. Torment hit him as hard as a rogue wave.

The desolating type.

Their fear so distinct he couldn’t breathe.

Their heads covered without a clue as to what was going on.

He jumped into the back and hauled up the first girl he could reach. She screeched in terror.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he rushed, not taking the time to explain what was happening. He jumped down with her curled in his arms, hating that he basically tossed her to the side of the road where there was an embankment of grass, but knowing he had zero time to waste.

He did the same with the next and the next.

Before he was dragging up the one who’d fought him.

“It’s okay,” he promised again, his breaths jagged from the exertion.

She gasped as he jumped down with her, and he set her beside the rest. He turned quickly and ran back for the cargo box.

Only gunshots started to ring out, and he dove to the ground, hands going to the back of his head like it would be enough to protect himself. Bullets pinged against the metal siding of the truck and kicked up pebbles of pavement where they struck the ground.

Fuck.

Asshole was still alive.

Adrenaline surged through his veins, and Kane grappled for his gun that was tucked in the waistband at the back of his jeans, and heflipped around onto his back so he could take a shot as Tyke rounded the end of the truck.

But the asshole was still firing.

Shot after shot.

Kane rolled back onto his stomach and frantically crawled to get out of the spray of bullets. His breaths short and rasping as he ducked behind the embankment on the opposite side of the road.

Air wheezed as he flung around to try to get in a shot, but he wasn’t sure he could take Tyke down without risking hitting one of the girls.

Agitation burned a hole through him, and he swiveled his gun from left to right as he aimed.

Sirens suddenly shouted in the distance.

Kane could feel the deviant’s uncertainty. His attention darted between the four girls who were screaming in the middle of the mayhem and dust and the back of the truck that was still gaping open with three girls remaining inside.

The sirens grew closer, and hope bloomed inside of Kane, and he lifted up on his knees so he could fire.

He couldn’t get it off before Tyke popped off two wayward shots in Kane’s direction just as he jumped up and hauled back down the door. He slammed it shut and twisted the latch.

He didn’t take the time to put the lock back into place.

Tyke raced for the driver’s side.

Violence screamed inside of Kane. He couldn’t let this bastard get away.

No matter the consequences.

He jumped to his feet and took off after him, lifting his gun and taking aim. He fired. It pinged on the back passenger door on the driver’s side, just over the top of the scumbag’s head.

Tyke whirled, firing again.

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