Page 85 of Witness Protection

Men shouted in Italian, rushing up the main stairs. The muffled sounds on their radios sounded with instructions to kill the intruders. Vasily demanded he become fluent in numerous languages. It did come in handy.

“Fuck!” Cayden gritted out.

He was down. Shot in the leg. Hawk was halfway up the second staircase.

“Just go. Get Sophia.”

Hawk took a couple steps, but his conscience wouldn’t let him go farther. He rushed back down, hoisting Cayden up onto his good leg, and supporting much of his weight as they walked up the last staircase together.

They were waiting for them on the third floor. Hawk leaned Cayden against the wall so he could ensure no more men came upstairs. Then he pulled out his big gun, the shotgun he had strapped to his back. He blasted his way through the guards, their bodies flying back from the impact.

The heavily guarded door had to be where they were keeping her. He leaned back and kicked the door open with one blow. Wood slinters rained down.

“Hawk!”

Sophia rushed over to him, but he used a hand to halt her. “Wait.”

He took down another man rushing him from the long hallway, then motioned for her to take his hand. It felt like that night all over again. Vasily’s assassination. Only things were so different now.

Where was Antonio Jr.?

He wouldn’t give up his prize easily. If they got out of here alive, they’d need to go into hiding until they killed that prick.

They made their way back toward the staircase, Sophia clinging to him. He didn’t have time to savor having her back. Not until they were out of danger.

“Cayden!” She squatted down when she found him sitting on the top stairs, a pool of blood under his thigh. His face was blanching of color.

“Sophia, stay close to me.” He pulled his belt off his pants and bent down to create a tourniquet around Cayden’s thigh. Then he forced Cayden to his feet, and helped him down the stairs, both aiming their guns in every new direction.

“Guess you were right about the daylight,” said Cayden.

It could have been a hell of a lot worse.

“Hey, tell me that once we’re out of here in once piece.”

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