Warrior's Hope (Dark Protectors #16)(10)

“You’ll never hack it,” Paxton said, challenging Hope, wanting to see more color in her face. She was starting to shiver in the cold, and he didn’t like that. Her anger would cause her to warm up a little. He was happy to provide her with a focus.

“That’s what you think,” Liam said, yanking him by the arm toward the side of the alley. “We’re going around back, and we’re going to avoid the market. I want to hurt you, Paxton,” he said, his voice low. “So please give me the chance to put a bullet between your ears. And you know what? This little knife you just gave me? We both know I could use it to take off your head.”

Paxton heard the truth in his ex-friend’s tone. “Even so,” he snorted, “you can’t take off my head. You all know the king will want to talk to me about this.”

Liam brightened. “You’re right. Dage hasn’t had a good kill in a while. I’m sure he’ll take you apart limb by limb, and then he’ll kill you.”

A small sound of distress came from Hope and shot through Paxton like another bullet. She most certainly didn’t mean to make the sound, and it was killing him that he was hurting her.

She made a quick call on her phone to arrange transport as they maneuvered through the alleys behind the quaint townhouses of Nuremberg. A light snow started to fall, and he glanced again at Hope. “Somebody find her a heavier jacket.”

Collin slowly turned his head and looked at Paxton, no real expression on his face, but a what the fuck are you thinking? glint in his eye.

Paxton couldn’t explain even if he’d wanted to. The breeze picked up, and his instincts went on full alert. “You get that?” he asked.

“Shit,” Collin said.

“We have incoming,” Liam said to Hope. “Get behind me. Get behind me now.”

She obeyed instantly. While Hope was the only female vampire alive, for some reason she hadn’t gained immortal strength yet. When she was injured, she stayed injured longer than she should. Her fighting skills were pretty good for a human. Against an immortal right now, she wouldn’t win. However, as Paxton could attest, she was a hell of a shot.

Instinct had Paxton looking up. “Sniper to the east,” he bellowed, partially turning to shield Hope.

The first bullet hit Collin square in the chest and threw him several feet back before two Kurjans ran around the stucco building, guns in their hands. They were almost seven feet tall, their black hair tipped with red, skin ghost pale, and lips bloodred. Once, they’d been unable to venture into sunlight, but they had evolved, and the day was overcast. These two wore black uniforms with silver designations on their breasts.

Liam took a bullet to the shoulder, dropped, and stumbled to his feet, already firing toward the two. Hope fired at the one on the left, and Paxton ducked and rolled, trying to come up in front of her. She nearly shot him in the ass.

“Get out of the way,” she yelled. “You’re not trained.”

He never should’ve let Liam bind him. “Release my hands now,” he snapped.

“Why, because your friends are here?” she hissed.

The twins fired again at the Kurjans, and the two in front of them went down. Another bullet pinged from high above. “Sniper still active,” Pax yelled. “Hug the building.”

“They’re your people, aren’t they?” Hope pressed her back to the bricks.

“No, they’re not my people,” he said. “Undo my hands now.”

She rested her head back and took a deep breath. “No. Just let us handle things.”

“There are more coming,” Liam said, plastering his wounded brother against the building. “How bad are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Collin said, his face pale. Even though a bulletproof vest covered his wide chest, he’d been close enough to the laser that it would’ve hit hard and formed a strong enough metal disc that he probably had a couple of ribs broken. “Move,” he hissed.

Hope exhaled. “I’ll take lead.”

“The fuck you will,” Paxton said. “That’s it.” He dove on the ground, hitting his right shoulder and rolling in a perfect somersault to grab a knife out of the downed Kurjan’s boot. Quick motions had the zip ties sliced open and him standing, reaching for one of the unconscious soldier’s weapons. The farthest Kurjan started to stir, and Paxton kicked him square in the temple, making him flop down. “I’m on lead,” he growled.

“Oh, screw you.” Hope lifted her weapon.

He looked at her over his shoulder. “You shoot me again, baby, and you’re really going to regret it.”

Fire lit her eyes, turning them a violet blue that didn’t exist in the ordinary world.

“Are you kidding me? His hands are free.” Liam glared at Paxton and lifted his gun to aim. “He might figure out how to shoot that thing.”

“We need him for now. Let’s go,” his brother said through clenched teeth. Sweat dotted his brow, and healing vibrations cascaded from him.

“I know this city like the back of my hand,” Paxton said. “Hug the wall, and then we’re turning south.” They didn’t have any choice but to follow him—and he was just fine with that. Once he got them to safety, he’d have to figure out a way to gain his freedom. For now, he wasn’t going to let them die.