Page 53 of The Hero Within
"You've only got two rounds in that chamber, sweetheart." The man grinned at her, pacing back and forth, almost as if he was taunting her. "And there's three of us."
"There's silver in the bullets, so whoever I hit first is going down." Eden deliberately swung the shotgun toward him. "And I don't think I like your tone, so it might be you."
"Put the gun down," said the muscly woman. "You won't be hurt."
"Forgive me if I'm not very trusting." Eden stared along the barrel, and swallowed. Her gaze dropped to the stranger's chest. No amulet. Full night was still an hour away, the moon not quite fully in the sky yet, but.... Letting go of the shotgun was probably not a great idea. "Why the hell haven't you gone warg?"
The man glanced toward the dark-skinned woman.
"Why the hell haven't your friends gone warg?" the woman returned.
"Because they're not monsters."
"Maybe we're not either?"
"Put the gun down, before I take it off you," the man said, his voice dark and low.
The second she lost that gun Eden was vulnerable. "I think not."
"Then we're at an impasse." His weight shifted forward, onto the balls of his feet.
"No, now we're at an impasse," came Colton's voice as he melded out of the shadows. Another man leaned stiffly against him, with Colton's arm locked tightly around his head, tilting it to the side. Colton held the tip of his knife to the flickering beat of the stranger's jugular. "I'm assuming this is one of yours."
The stranger's eyes narrowed, and his glance slid sideways.
"If you're looking for the others, three of them aren't coming," Colton muttered. "They had a sudden pressing appointment with the sandman."
"Are they dead?"
"No."
A faint smile graced the stranger's face. "You're good."
"Thanks."
"But we're better," said another voice, and suddenly there was CJ, forced to his knees as another pair of men materialized out of the night. One of them pressed his shotgun directly to CJ's temples.
"Drop the knife," said the stranger. "Or we'll kill the boy."
Colton's eyes narrowed. "If I drop the knife, what's to say you won't kill the boy anyway?"
"Pinkie promise," said the stranger with a smile. "If you're a good little warg, nobody needs to get hurt."
"Just do it, Colton," she cried, the shotgun getting heavy in her hands. Eden crawled to her knees, holding the shotgun up in surrender.See?She swallowed. "Let CJ go."
"Eden," Colton warned. "They're wargs."
"Noticed that, thanks."
It didn't change her decision. If there'd been any sign of hairy rage erupting out of any of them she'd have never let go, but they were human. Potentially open to negotiating. And they could have killed any of the three of them, but they hadn't.
"Eden," Colton warned.
Eden set the shotgun down, and slowly pushed to her feet, hands in the air.
"Kick it toward me."
"No. I'm human and you're not. You know you can get to me before I can lift the gun. I did what you wanted as a show of respect." She locked eyes on the man holding the shotgun to CJ's head. "Now you lower your weapons. You said we wouldn't get hurt."
