Page 35 of Hidden Dane
Brady was the first to defend his friend, but both men pulled the guy in that took a swing at Henry.
Dane blocked Emily from the fight, but then Henry rolled out on the sidewalk and Brady went with him to stay in the fight.
Emily held his shoulder but he pushed forward to help.
A fist connected to Dane’s chin and forced him back.
Dane jumped up, with a fast punch to the man’s nose. Ted. He hadn’t expected the man to have such a strong punch.
“Did you actually think you’d gotten free?” Ted asked.
This time Dane had a clearer shot to Ted’s chest and he punched harder to keep his nemesis back. “Ted, you lost. You’re now a wanted man on this continent. You’ve ruined your business reputation.”
Another man threw Ted a blunt metal baton and Ted took a swing at Dane’s head.
Dane went down to his knees as his head spun.
“My client will need those jewels. Once I complete my task, my reputation will be golden. Goodbye Uriel.”
A click of a gun echoed. Emily pulled on his back and said, “Dane!”
A burning pinch heated his arm as Emily tried to drag him behind the crumpled limo.
From the corner of his eye, Dane saw Ted above them. “Duck!” He pushed Emily out of the way and a second later, Ted knocked him down with the bat.
The bat clinked as it fell beside his head. His ears rang.
“I have it, Dane.” Emily held up the baseball bat.
Dane got to his feet and blocked another jab at his face. Ted reached out and grabbed the bat—and Emily, who wouldn’t let go, holding her in a headlock. “Give me one reason not to kill this one?”
Emily. Her frustrated expression just made her seem more angelic. She was his angel. Private collectors getting to keep the world’s riches hidden away didn’t matter nearly as much as her life. In an instant, Dane calmed and everything around him became slower as he said, “Because I have the jewels. She matters more to me.”
Ted jerked her backward as he said, “So you’ll give them up?”
“No. He won’t.” Emily struggled.
Her face went white as Ted squeezed her.
He held out the jewels for Ted to see as he said, “Em! Let her go, Ted.”
Clicks of a gun reverberated in the air and Ted let go of Emily as Ted’s legs buckled.
The man Henry and Brady fought with also stopped. Emily coughed but then pushed Ted’s arms off her like she was holding him up. “Run, Dane. Run.”
“Get out of the way,” Dane said, reaching for her as Brady and Henry’s opponent almost knocked Emily down as he bolted down the road and out of sight.
She hugged him and then stopped in horror, showing him the blood on her hand. “Dane, you’ve been shot too!”
“You’re safe?” He honestly didn’t care that his arm stung.
Emily held him as if he was about to fall down and said, “I won’t let you die on me.”
His gaze narrowed. They needed to go before the police arrived. The limo was crushed. Henry ran toward a nearby truck parked on the side of the road while Brady checked their limo driver. “That isn’t going to happen.”
Brady gave a thumbs up that the driver was okay. Dane asked, “Can you let up a little on hugging me? We need to go.”
Henry made hand signals for them to join him and Dane nodded, directing Emily to run.“ Henry’s procured motorcycles.”
