Page 40 of Witness Protection

Chapter Nine

Hawk rushed toward Sophia, scooping her up at his side and hauling her to the basement. Once downstairs, he patted her down. A bullet had grazed her arm, but she was fine otherwise.

“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know yet. I think Vlad’s switched sides.”

She shook her head. “That’s not possible.”

“Baby, anything’s possible in this game. Stay here. I have to deal with this.”

He ran back up the stairs, blasting the windows and entrance once on the main floor. Cayden was gone. Likely dead.

Shadows crept along the outside of the building. Whoever Vlad had brought with him meant business. It pissed him off that they had probably been part of Vasily’s crew. He’d known Vladimir his entire life. He was the last man standing, and Hawk never expected him to sell out. If he needed money, Sophia would have gladly given it to him.

Hawk made his way to one of the back entrances, then rounded the building so he could get them from behind before they got inside. Hawk wasn’t sure what the fuck was going on, but they weren’t going to get to that basement if he had any part of it.

Sophia had been taken from him once, and it wouldn’t happen again.

As he turned the corner, he practically slammed into Cayden Walsh. Vasily’s murderer. They both backed up and drew their weapons, arms straight, only feet apart.

Neither of them moved.

“You have my cat.”

Hawk shrugged one shoulder. “You have my ward.”

“Maybe you’re not the man for the job considering how easy it was for me to take her.”

He had him there. Hawk had screwed up and was paying the price now.

“You kept her alive. So, why’d you take her?” he asked. “And who hired you to assassinate Vasily Morenov?”

“No one hired me,” said Cayden. “That was all me. Vasily wasn’t the man you thought he was.”

He didn’t have time to give him the third degree. If Sophia wasn’t in danger, he’d enjoy destroying Cayden Walsh nice and slow. Make him feel the same pain he’d inflicted on him by taking Vasily and throwing his life into turmoil. He also had a laundry list of questions he wanted to ask, but now wasn’t the time.

“I’m taking the girl.”

“I know,” said Cayden.

He narrowed his eyes. This wasn’t what he expected from Sophia’s kidnapper. “You won’t get in my way?”

“I planned to return her in the morning. But I’m not so sure anymore. Those are your men in there trying to send her to hell, no?”

“I’d never hurt her.”

“Neither would I,” said Cayden.

There stared at one another. He had to get back to Sophia before Vlad’s men.

“Back the fuck off.”

They both reversed course, each aiming at each other’s heads until on different corners of the building. Once out of sight, Hawk immediately rushed along the wall toward the entrance. Timing was everything. He could see Vlad almost at the basement door through the broken glass. He fired inside, but that only revealed his location to the firing squad.

Hawk dropped down to his back, reloaded his pistol and kept firing between his legs, hitting two right away. He recognized Jimmy, one of Vasily’s hitmen, and shot him in the chest three times before changing clips. There were too many. He’d never be able to get to Sophia in time.

Panic crept into his heart at the thought of losing her. Failing her. Vlad wouldn’t take her alive, and he damn well knew it.

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