Page 39 of Witness Protection

He took her hand, leading her up the stairs behind him. “I’ll kill him.”

“Hawk, no!” She attempted to tug her hand back. “He didn’t hurt me. I promised him you’d leave him alone.”

“I never made that promise.”

The fucker had brainwashed her. Cayden had killed her father, kidnapped her, and now had her showing him mercy? It didn’t make sense. Not after how torn she’d been about the murders back at the hotel. She was young, impressionable, and not thinking straight.

Shots fired upstairs.

He let go of Sophia and grabbed a second handgun, holding both out straight as he walked up the stairs. Did Cayden kill the fucking delivery boy?

“Stay here, Sophia.”

When he got to the main level, windows broke as more shots rained inside. He fired back blindly. Cayden was crouched down behind a machine, shooting at a different target at the front entrance. A body lay halfway inside the factory, blood pooling. Hawk made his way across the room. Then he saw who Cayden was shooting at—Vlad.

“Vlad, get the fuck out!” He was going to get himself killed. Hawk specifically told him to stay out of this. The bastard must have traced his car.

“Don’t shoot,” Sophia called out. “Don’t hurt him, Hawk!”

He turned his head. She was following him, walking into the damn factory. “Get back, Sophia! Get the fuck back!” More windows shattered. Who had Vlad brought with him? A fucking army?

“Sophia, get down! Go downstairs!” Cayden shouted, then fired again at the entrance. Why did he care if his hostage was shot or not? After hearing Sophia, Hawk kept checking on her between aiming and shooting.

Vlad was behind the brick wall, occasionally firing inside.

A bullet whizzed by Hawk’s head. He refocused, tucking his handguns away and pulling out his Benelli M4 that he had strapped to his back. “Call them off, Vlad!”

His old friend stepped into sight, then aimed in his direction, firing off several shots. Sophia screamed. When he turned his head, she was crouched down hugging herself. There was blood.

Vlad looked him right in the eyes and fired again.

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