Page 105 of Alluring Darkness

I resist the urge to hold my breath.

They move.

As if on some hidden signal, all four Hunters step out of their hiding places at the exact same time. The other team doesn’t even have time to whirl around before it’s too late. A cry of alarm rips from one of the guys as the five of them find themselves with a gun to the back of the head. Or rather, four of them do. The fifth has a knife across the throat from behind.

My heart pounds in my chest, and a throbbing starts at my core, as I stare at the scene before me, completely transfixed.

“Tough luck,” Jace says, a mocking note to his voice as he pushes the muzzle harder into the back of his captive’s skull. “Hands.”

The guy immediately raises his hands. As does the woman who Rico is holding a gun to. The man with the blade across his throat growls something underneath his breath, which just makes Kaden force the knife higher up under his chin, tilting his head back and exposing his throat. Only then does he reluctantly raise his hands.

I watch Eli.

Since I’m standing here completely useless, there are only four of them to the five on the opposing team. But Eli solved that by pulling two guns on the remaining couple. With one gun in each hand, he presses them against the back of their heads while he stares them down from behind. Both of them raise their hands.

Heat floods my cheeks and my pussy throbs. Fuck, he’s hot when he’s armed and in control.

“Kaden,” Eli says.

His brother clicks his tongue and then begins walking his captive over to Rico. The guy exchanges a look with Rico’s prisoner, but she shakes her head at him as if telling him not to fight.

Rico pulls out another gun and levels it at the guy’s forehead. Once it’s in place, Kaden removes his blade.

I watch with complete interest as Kaden then pulls rope from his pack and starts tying everyone up while the others keep their guns pointed at them. Kaden works swiftly and efficiently. One person at each tree.

They discreetly test the strength of the knots when they think no one is looking, but the ropes don’t give an inch. Kaden is skilled at that. Which I know from personal experience.

When two of the five are secure, I finally release a long breath. Eli technically told me to wait, but there is no need for me to keep out of sight any longer. They already have their captives at gunpoint, so there is nothing for me to screw up.

Rolling my shoulders back, I take a step forward.

A hand is slapped across my mouth from behind.

I try to cry out, but any sound is muffled by the leather glove pressing against my mouth and holding it firmly closed.

Panic pulses through my body as a strong arm is wrapped around my middle and I’m hoisted up. I kick my legs in the air but there is nothing I can do to stop it as the unknown attacker hauls me away.

42

ELI

Anger simmers around Gregory like vibrations in the air. His brown eyes are locked on me and he grinds his teeth so hard that I think he might do permanent damage to them. But he’s tied firmly to that tree, so staring daggers at me is all he can do.

“When I get out of these ropes—” he begins.

Kaden snorts. “Good luck with that.”

“I will fucking—”

Jace knees him in the side of the head. “Show some fucking respect.”

Gregory’s head snaps to the side, and he blinks furiously against the pain. Or to clear his head. Or both. Shaking his head, he spends another few seconds blinking repeatedly.

I glance to my left where Kaden is finishing tying up the last guy. Rico stands next to him, holding a gun to the guy’s head just in case.

At last, Gregory lets out a long sigh of defeat. I shift my attention back to him. Where there was fury on his face before, there is now only annoyed resignation.

Gregory is a third-year too. Though, as opposed to me, he is in the bottom half of the rankings. He isn’t a threat, and he has never done anything to piss me off, so I technically don’t have an issue with him. But since when do I need a reason to be a dick?

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