Page 13 of Their Mate
I narrowed my eyes at him, tension coiling through my muscles. “You plan on causing trouble, Buchanan?”
He shrugged lightly, unaffected by my suspicion. “Relax, Yorke. Not today, anyway. Got bigger problems right now.”
Declan stood quietly, his voice firm. “He’s right. After what we’ve seen in this city, I’m not counting on anything being easy.”
Aidan nodded slowly. “Then we stick together. We protect our own.”
Silence settled over us, unspoken understanding drifting between us.
Then Edward’s voice cut through the calm, eyes narrowing as his military-trained instincts flared visibly. He tilted his headslightly, like a soldier sensing the subtle shift in the air before a battle erupts. “Something feels off. It’s too quiet outside.”
My pulse quickened. “You think?—”
The words barely left my mouth before a force slammed violently into my side. Edward crashed into me, knocking me off my feet and throwing me toward the floor before I could do anything to stop him. I barely had time to gasp as my shoulder slammed into the cold wooden boards.
As I hit the floor, I heard the faint, suppressed whistle of a silenced sniper rifle. My heart lurched violently.
Behind me, glass shattered suddenly, spraying shards across the floor. Where I’d been standing moments earlier, the wall splintered, a bullet lodged deep into the aged wood.
Edward rolled to his feet with the trained grace of a veteran Special Forces operative, eyes razor-sharp, his voice snapping like a whip. “Sniper!”
Chaos erupted instantly. Aidan and Declan dove swiftly for cover behind the heavy oak bar. Jamie tipped a table on edge and pressed flat behind it, blade gripped tight. My heart hammered, breath catching as I crawled quickly toward Edward, eyes locked on his focused expression.
Edward crouched down, urgently scanning the rooftop line through the shattered window. “Stay low! Don’t give them another shot!”
I forced air into my lungs, adrenaline surging through me, every muscle flexed with tension. “Can you see them?”
Edward narrowed his eyes, breath even, voice steady. “Not yet. Military-grade silencer. Whoever’s shooting is trained—MI6 or delta-grade, at least.”
Jamie cursed quietly under his breath. “Not bloody good news.”
Edward shot him a sharp look. “We need to move. Now. We’re sitting ducks here.”
I felt something cold settle deep in my gut, thinking immediately of Zara upstairs. “My sister?—”
Edward cut me off abruptly, his voice calm but firm, seasoned with battlefield authority. “They don’t know yet, and right now, they’re safer unaware. They can take care of themselves. Our priority is neutralizing the sniper before anyone else gets hurt.”
Aidan hesitated only a fraction of a second before nodding decisively. “He’s right. We eliminate the threat first.”
Declan’s jaw tightened, eyes locked in determined agreement. “Quick and quiet. We’ll flank them, then flush them out.”
Edward gestured and instantly assumed command with practiced ease. “Stay low, move fast, and follow my lead. Let’s move.”
“Alright,” I murmured, my voice even despite the rapid pulse throbbing in my veins. “I’m with you.”
He met my gaze, a brief flash of approval in his steely eyes. Without another word, he led us swiftly toward the side door. It creaked softly as Edward nudged it open, his gaze sweeping the narrow, moonlit alley before waving us forward.
One by one, we slipped silently into the chilly Dublin night, shoulders hunched, bodies tense and ready. My heart was adrumbeat in my chest, every nerve on edge as we hugged the cold brick wall, pressing ourselves deep into shadow.
Edward crouched down at the front, scanning the rooftops diligently. He signaled us forward silently with a flick of his hand, leading our small group deeper into the darkness. A sudden whisper, harsh and tense, broke from his lips. “The sniper’s elevated. On a rooftop somewhere. Likely northwest. We need to get to higher ground.”
Aidan nodded tersely, eyes narrowed as he glanced upward, his stance rigid. “Clock tower down the street, maybe?”
Edward’s eyes tracked the dark silhouette towering in the distance. “Good vantage point. Move carefully, stay quiet, stick to cover.”
We assembled into a tight formation, moving quickly but carefully, darting from shadow to shadow. Declan hovered protectively at our rear, muscles visibly taut. Jamie’s wiry frame moved with lethal agility, eyes flickering cautiously around corners as he tightened his grip on his knife.
We barely made it thirty yards when Edward suddenly flung out his arm, halting us instantly, pressing our backs urgently against the rough brick wall. I held my breath as he tilted his head, listening intently.
