Page 14 of Their Mate
In that instant, the wall behind us exploded in a puff of brick dust as a bullet punched clean through where my head had been seconds before.
“Move!” Edward hissed, shoving me ahead, instinct propelling me forward. Adrenaline surged through me, narrowing my world into a frantic blur. Another suppressed whistle followed,the bullet pinging loudly off a dumpster, sending sparks dancing into the darkness.
Edward guided us to a small alcove beneath a narrow fire escape, pressing us tight against the building. He glanced upward, tactical mind rapidly calculating our next move.
“Sniper’s good,” Edward growled quietly. “We’re pinned if we stay down here.”
Jamie cursed under his breath. “Then what?”
Edward narrowed his eyes. “Split focus. Aidan, Declan, move east, give them something else to worry about. Buchanan, you’re with Logan and me. We take the fire escape up, fast, get to the rooftops.”
I met Edward’s tense stare and nodded once. “Understood.”
Aidan and Declan exchanged a quick look before sprinting into motion, dashing swiftly across the street. Shots sliced through the silence, pinging dangerously close to their heels.
“Go now!” Edward barked, seizing the opportunity as the shooter redirected attention. I lunged forward, grabbing hold of the rusted iron ladder, scrambling upward ahead of Jamie, breath heavy, pulse pounding in my ears. Edward followed behind us.
The fire escape groaned beneath our combined weight, rattling ominously with each rushed step. A bullet glanced off the metal railing just inches from Edward’s fingers, sending sparks dancing into the air. He grunted, unfazed, and pressed upward faster.
We vaulted over the final rail and onto the flat rooftop, breath rasping hard in the cold night air. The ruined city stretched outaround us, rooftops shadowed under the muted glow of sparse moonlight.
Jamie crouched beside me, knife in his hand, eyes narrowed as he looked out. “See anything?”
Edward knelt, carefully peering through the shadows, every muscle in his body coiled with lethal readiness. His voice was a harsh whisper, battle-honed and ever ready. “Northwest rooftop. Three buildings away. Slight reflection—scope glare.”
I followed his gaze, catching the brief glint of moonlight on metal and glass. My jaw clenched tightly. “Can you take them from here?”
Edward shook his head once, eyes never leaving his target. “Too far for a clean shot, even for me. We need to close distance.”
Jamie’s breath hissed quietly through clenched teeth. “That’s risky. One slip, and?—”
Edward’s voice cut him off, coldly resolute. “We won’t slip.”
Another bullet cracked through the air near Aidan and Declan’s position, echoing faintly.
Edward’s eyes flashed. “We move now, or not at all.”
I took a slow breath, the stakes razor-sharp in my mind. “Let’s end this.”
Edward nodded, eyes meeting mine with fierce approval. “Low and silent. Follow my lead.”
Together, we moved swiftly, ducking along the roofline and jumping across the divide to the next one. Our boots barely made a sound against the damp rooftop tiles. Time slowed, each heartbeat echoing through me like thunder. The sniper turnedswiftly, swinging the rifle toward us, moonlight spilling across their face. And just like that, I froze.
It wasn’t the deadly glint of the weapon pointed at me that halted my steps.
It washer.
The sniper was a woman, and she was unlike anyone I’d ever seen.
Dark brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, shimmering softly like polished mahogany beneath the moonlight. Her face was a striking combination of elegant angles and fierce determination, high cheekbones accentuated by the moon and shadows, lips parted slightly as she steadied herself. My heart stuttered painfully as my gaze caught on her eyes. They were a piercing, intense blue, clear and vivid as sapphires, narrowed with lethal focus and unflinching resolve.
Her expression was intense, her jaw set with an iron will, wild and beautiful in the defiance etched so clearly across her features. I could see every detail of her face with my heightened senses. I wouldn’t have been able to make them out if I was still human.
I was spellbound.
It was only a fraction of a second, but in that instant, those sapphire eyes swung toward me, meeting mine across the distance. Something electric passed between us, a shock that crackled down my spine, twisting in my gut. Surprise and anger flashed through her expression. A heartbeat later, her rifle snapped around, aiming straight at me.
Instinct surged through me, bringing my senses back to reality.
