Page 91 of The Stone Family Warrior

“Stop!” Mr. Banks shouted. A single gun fired multiple times. Liberty looked up and saw Mr. Banks holding his gun in the air and yelling like a wild man. “I said everyone stop. This is not what I wanted.”

“Trent!” Hunter hurried to Trent’s side, as Trent had fallen to the ground.

Before Liberty could even think about what she was doing, she left the group of women and rushed toward Trent.

Brooks threw his hand out, putting himself between Banks and her. But it was useless to command her. All she could hear was the glass and Ian crying and Will yelling at her to do something.

She fell next to Trent and saw blood. “Trent!”

Hunter and Marshall were on either side of him and turned him on his back.

Trent’s eyes were open. “I’m okay. I took it in the right shoulder. I’m okay.”

Hunter and Marshall yanked stuff out of their pockets, including a pocketknife that Marshall expertly opened as Hunter turned Trent onto his left side. The men worked quickly, cutting open Trent’s shirt.

“Are we seriously digging a bullet out of someone again?” Mr. Banks demanded.

Brooks still stood with his gun pointed at Banks’s head. “How about we dig a bullet out of your head?” His tone was gravelly, and Liberty felt like half of her was underwater and the other half was in a dream. Nothing sounded right, and everything went slow and then sped up too fast.

She reached for Trent’s hand and squeezed it, squeezing her eyes shut at the same time and praying.

“Okay.” Trent squeezed her hand in return. “I’m fine. My brother has this.”

She opened her eyes.

His brothers did have it. Marshall expertly forced his pocketknife into Trent’s flesh and then popped the bullet out as if this were an everyday occurrence.

Hunter pulled out what looked like athletic tape and some cream. He applied the cream and the tape over it. “He’s good.”

The men helped Trent up, and Liberty was mystified at the Stone way of life. It didn’t feel real. Not real at all.

She looked around. No one else was dead.

She noted that somewhere in the gunfire, Trey had backed up and was now guarding the women and children. He also wore the look of a stone-cold killer. He put his hand up. “Banks, I’m taking the women and children back to the helicopters. You let us go, and I will let you live. But if you shoot another one of my family, I guarantee you will have a bullet in your head.”

Liberty would’ve taken that threat seriously. In fact, she wouldn’t even need that threat. But Banks only shook his head and flicked a hand at them. “Cocky. You Stones are so cocky. Leave. Go.” He gave Trey and the rest of the women and children an aghast look. “I’m not a killer.”

Trent put his arm around Liberty and pulled her close to him. “Go with them.”

Liberty was confused, not wanting to leave his side, but she turned and saw Trey waiting as the women rushed away from them.

“Wait,” Banks called out.

Liberty turned back to face him.

Banks jabbed his finger at her. “I actually think she should stay. She told me she would die for Trent. Let’s see if she’s brave enough to make good on that promise.”

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