Page 46 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
A gunshot cracks the air. One of Ghost's attackers crumples. The other hesitates for a split second. It's all he needs.
Another gunshot cracks through the air. I flinch involuntarily as Ghost takes down the second attacker with ruthless precision. The man crumples to the ground, lifeless, a bullet hole in his forehead.
The restaurant, already in panic, descends into complete mayhem. The remaining diners drop to the floor, some crawling under tables. Others rush blindly for exits, trampling over each other in their desperation to escape.
Dishes shatter, abandoned in the rush. A waiter ducks behind the counter, eyes wide with terror.
My heart thunders through my chest while I glance in Ghost's direction. His icy blue eyes show no emotion—just a cold, deadly focus as he lowers his still-smoking gun. The clinical efficiency of the kill should terrify me.
My attacker tries to run, pushing past a frozen busboy. Ghost's gun barks once more. The bullet catches him in the back of the skull.
His body hits the floor with a dull thud, blood pooling beneath him on the tile. The busboy stumbles backward, knocking over a cart of food, his face ashen with shock.
I'm panting, trying to catch my breath. Ghost stands in the center of the carnage, his gun still smoking. His cold eyes meet mine, and a wave of cold creeps through my body.
His deadly precision both terrifies and fascinates me.
Part of me wants to run, but another part feels strangely safe, protected even, by his lethal skills. As his cold eyes lock with mine, an unexpected heat flushes through my body.
I'm ashamed to admit it, but seeing him take out those men to defend me is oddly... arousing.
Ghost moves towards me and his hand wraps around my wrist, pulling me toward the kitchen's back exit. My heart races as we burst into the alley, the cool night air a shock after the stuffy restaurant, partly from the danger and partly from... whatever just happened in that closet.
"This way," Ghost mutters, tugging me along.
I stumble to keep up with his long strides.
"Nitro, what's our route?" Ghost speaks into his comm, his voice low and tense.
I strain to hear the response, but Ghost's face tells me all I need to know. His jaw clenches, eyes scanning our surroundings with predatory intensity.
"Where are we going?" I ask as we duck into another alley.
"Extraction point," Ghost replies, eyes constantly scanning our surroundings. "Nitro's guiding us to a secure vehicle."
"Great, another mystery location. Any chance you'll actually tell me the plan this time?" The sarcasm slips out despite the danger.
Ghost shoots me a look that would make most people cower. "The plan is keeping you alive, which would be a lot easier if you'd stop questioning every move I make."
His voice drops lower. "Though I'm starting to think you like pushing me just to see what happens when I push back."
Heat crawls up my neck at the implication, but I lift my chin defiantly. "I like knowing what I'm walking into."
"Right now? More trouble if we don't move faster." His hand slides from my wrist to lace his fingers throughmine, tugging me forward. The intimate gesture catches me off guard more than if he'd simply grabbed me again.
As if on cue, Ghost's hand moves to his ear. He nods, listening to instructions I can't hear.
"Copy that," he says, then turns to me. "Two more blocks. You good to run?"
I nod, pushing aside my confusion and focusing on the immediate situation. We take off at a brisk jog, weaving through back alleys and side streets. Ghost moves with fluid grace, while I do my best to keep up without tripping over my own feet.
This would be so much easier if I wasn't so distracted by him.
We emerge onto a quieter street. A nondescript van idles at the curb, its engine a low rumble in the night.
Ghost ushers me toward it, his hand again on the small of my back. It should annoy me more than it does, but it's starting to feel comforting.
The van's side door slides open. Two men I don't recognize sit inside, their expressions grim.
