Page 135 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
But it's too late. Naomi answers the call, her expression morphing from fear to resolve.
"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I have to go." She turns and runs.
Suddenly, the warehouse erupts in chaos. Windows shatter as smoke grenades pour in. I pull Alina against me, one hand cradling her head as I drop us behind cover. Gunfire erupts around us, the sound deafening in the enclosed space.
"A fucking setup," I growl, drawing my weapon.
Alina's body is pressed flush against mine behind the metal shelving unit, her heartbeat hammering against my chest. Her breath comes in quick, short bursts against my neck, and despite the immediate danger, my body responds to her proximity with inappropriate heat.
"Frost, status report!" I bark into my comm, using my free hand to check Alina for injuries, fingers skimming over her with possessive urgency.
Asher's voice comes through, tense but controlled. "Multiple hostiles converging on your position. I count at least eight, heavily armed. They've got the exits covered."
"Shit." I glance down at Alina, struck by the fierce determination in her eyes. No fear—just resolve. "You okay?"
She nods, her jaw set. "What's the play?"
Good girl.Warmth spreads through my chest, seeing how composed she remains. The pride I feel is matched only by the desperate need to get her out of this alive.
"Alright team, converge on our position. We're punching through the east exit. Chaos, I need a distraction."
"One big boom, coming right up!" Xander's voice holds a hint of manic glee.
I turn to Alina, cupping her face in my hand—a brief, stolen moment of connection before all hell breaks loose. "When the explosion hits, we move. Fast and low. You remember your training?"
Her eyes meet mine, fierce and focused. "Like it was beaten into me yesterday."
My thumb brushes her lower lip. "That's my girl."
The warehouse shakes as Xander's explosive goes off. I leap into action, Alina right on my heels. We sprint through the chaos, smoke, and gunfire. I take down two hostiles with precise headshots, my body operating on pure instinct—kill anything that threatens her.
We're almost to the exit when I hear Alina cry out in pain. The sound cuts through me like a physical blow, stopping my heart for a split second before it pounds back to life with furious intensity. I whirl around to see her stumbling, clutching her arm. Blood seeps between her fingers.
"I'm fine," she grits out. "Just a graze. Keep moving!"
Red bleeds into the edges of my vision. Someone dared to hurt what's mine. The thought surfaces with terrifying clarity, drowning out the tactical part of my brain with the need to destroy whoever fired that shot.
With effort, I force myself to concentrate on getting her out alive. I grab her uninjured arm and pull her along, using my body as a shield. The feel of her against my side both grounds me and fuels a desperate rage.
We burst out into the night air, the rest of the team providing covering fire as we make our escape. Once we're clear, I pull her into a shadowed doorway, my hands immediately moving to examine her wound.
"Let me see," I demand, my voice a rough growl. I gently pry her hand away from the wound, relief washing through me when I see it really is just a graze.
"It's not bad, really. I've had worse paper cuts." She tries to lighten the moment.
I don't smile. "Someone shot you." My voice comes out dangerously quiet. I press my forehead to hers, breathing in her scent, letting the reality that she's alive calm the storm inside me. "I'm going to kill every last one of them."
Alina catches my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze. "Hey. I'm okay. We're okay. The mission comes first, remember?"
I nod, letting out a shaky breath. "Yeah." My fingers trace the outline of her face, reassuring myself she's really here, safe in my arms. "But this changes things. Steele knows we're onto him. And Naomi—"
"She betrayed us," Alina finishes, her expression grim.
"Or she was compromised from the start," I add, the implications settling heavily between us.
Alina's eyes narrow, that familiar determination shining through. "So what do we do now?"
I straighten up, my mind already formulating our next steps. "Now? We go back to the drawing board. And we hit Steele where it hurts."
