Page 90 of Wilde and Untamed
thirty-three
“What was that?”
Elliot opened his eyes and looked across the room at Mia, who had startled awake, her blanket pulled up to her chin, her eyes wide as she stared at the door.
“I-I think something’s happening.”
Elliot straightened, his shoulder and back protesting from sleeping half-propped against the wall with Rue tucked in his arms.
As he moved, Rue stirred. “What?—?”
Bang!
The explosion shook the whole building, rattling every piece of equipment in the room. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the lights flickered.
Moretti groaned from his cot, clutching his bandaged head as the building shook. He tried to sit up, but Irina pressed a hand to his shoulder, murmuring for him to stay down.
More pops sounded in quick succession. Gunfire.
Elliot’s mind snapped into tactical mode, adrenaline flooding his system as he gently but quickly shifted Rue off his chest.His shoulder screamed in protest, but he ignored it. Whatever Praetorian was up to, they needed to be ready.
“What the fuck?” Noah jumped to his feet, all but vibrating with the need to act, fight, do… something.
Elliot got that. The same need coursed through his veins, but they couldn’t do anything except stand there and shield the others from whatever might come through that door.
Then he heard it—a long, rolling “Whooooo-eeeey!”—and every coiled muscle in him relaxed. Sabin. No mistaking that Cajun battle cry. He should’ve realized it sooner—that explosion had Dom written all over it.
He turned to Rue and grinned. “It’s my family.”
“Yes!” She punched a fist in the air. “About time!”
Mia stared at them both. “Your family blows up buildings?”
“When necessary.” He winced. “And sometimes when not.”
Noah grunted. “Some family you got, Wilde.”
The door to their makeshift prison burst open, and Jess appeared, weapon drawn. “Get against the wall! Now!”
Nobody moved.
She discharged the weapon into the wall behind a groggy Camille’s head.
Noah dove for Camille, folding her into his arms as she screamed.
“You bitch,” he snarled.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jess said. “I’ve been called worse. Against the wall. Now! Or next time, I don’t miss.”
Noah pulled Camille to her feet and guided her to the wall. Koos rose languidly to his feet and helped Mia scramble off her cot, then used his big body to shield her. Irina backed up, too, but stayed close to Tyler.
Elliot stepped in front of Rue and held up his hands as Jess swung the gun toward them.
“You’re going to lose,” he said. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that it was true, especially now that he knew his family was here.
“Maybe this fight, but not the war.” She jerked her chin, and Keene slid in behind her, a satchel already slung over his shoulder. He didn’t spare them a glance, his eyes locked on the quarantine corner where Tyler lay gasping for breath.
“Make them stay back,” Keene snapped. “I need a sample before your little fortress falls.”
