I was almost on them. I could feel her near me. And my stomach churned at the sound of a fist hitting flesh. But the ensuing howl wasn’t hers.
The lights came on, illuminating the ring. I was six feet from her. Hugo was on his knees in front of her, blood pouring from his leg, more from his nose.
“You fucking bitch,” he screeched and raised the hand that held the gun.
I didn’t think. Didn’t plan. Didn’t calculate. I acted.
“Nash!” Lina’s scream echoed in my head as I went airborne.
Hugo’s head turned toward me in slow motion, followed by his arm. But it was too late for him. I hit him with the force of a freight train, leading with the shotgun I carried. His handgun went off and we rolled into the sawdust. I rolled him, pinned him, and smashed my fist into his face. Once. Twice. Three times.
“Okay, hotshot.” Lina’s voice was soft and calm at my side. “I think you got him.”
But it wasn’t enough. Nothing short of ending him would be. I pulled my arm back again to let my fist fly, but her hands were on me.
“Morgan!” Nolan’s warning shout had both of us looking up in time to see Tate Dilton leveling his gun at us from ten yards away.
Dilton turned toward the running Nolan, and both men fired almost simultaneously.
I was aware of Nolan dropping to his knees, of Lina’s horrified scream as I grabbed her under the arms and dragged her behind a big blue tractor.
I pushed her down behind the tire and fired two shots over it to draw Dilton’s attention. Lina clawed at me and dragged me back down. Her touch brought me back into my body.
My breath was coming in vicious pants. Sweat was running down my back. My fist throbbed. My heart thundered in my chest.
“Nash,” she said, pressing herself against me. “Can you see Nolan?”
I scanned the arena and shook my head. “He must have found cover.” I glanced down, checking her for injuries. “You’re bleeding, baby.”
She held up her left arm where a piece of her sleeve was missing. The surrounding material was soaked with red. “I hit Hugo with the pressure washer in the face and pulled a Nash Morgan when he fired.”
I tore the sleeve off my shirt and tied it over her bicep. “What’s a Nash Morgan?”
She grinned at me and I’d never loved anyone more than I did in that moment. “I did just what you did when you walked up to that car. Saw the gun and turned sideways. The bullet barely grazed me. I don’t think it even qualifies as a flesh wound, but it stings like hell.”
“Jesus, Angel.”
“It’s a scratch,” she assured me.
“When did you stab him with a pitchfork?”
“After he shot at me.”
“He didn’t shoot at you. He shot you.” My vision was going red. “I think I need to shoot him,” I decided.
“If you shoot Hugo, I get to shoot Dilton. He’s the one who shot you,” she said.
“I know.” I chanced a peek around the tractor’s wheel and saw Dilton disappearing behind a mountain of plastic totes. Nolan was nowhere to be seen.
“You know?” she hissed.
“Memory came back when I got your voicemail.”
“Wait a minute. Why are you here? You’re supposed to be protecting Naomi and Waylay.”
“Lucian and a private security team are guarding them.”
“You two gonna talk all day or come out so I can shoot you in the head?” Dilton shouted.
A bullet zinged off the metal body of the tractor.
I pushed Lina lower and pointed at the tarped vehicle next to the tractor. It was shorter and lower. “Go,” I ordered.
She shook her head vigorously. “No.”
“Get your ass out of here, Angel.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she hissed, knocking me off balance.
I winced when my ass hit the knobby tread of the tire.
“What’s wrong?” she hissed. “Are you hit? If that guy shot you in your perfect ass, I’m going to kill him.”
“I’m not shot. I’ll explain later.”
A bullet whizzed over our heads, ruffling the edge of the tarp.
I caught a glint of blue as I fired back blindly.
“I’m not leaving you,” she said again.
“Angel.”
“What?”
I gripped her chin and turned her head. “Found your Porsche.”
Her mouth fell open and a high-pitched squeak came out.
“You get the car out of here. I’ll take care of unfinished business.”
She looked to the car, then back at me. “Damn it. I can’t do it. I’m not leaving you here.”
“You love me.”
Lina blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You fucking love me,” I told her.
“Oh? And I suppose you don’t love me?”
“I fucking love you back. So much that we’re not waitin’ until after.”
“What?”
“We’re getting married.”
“People are shooting at us and you want to propose?”
Another shot rang out. I rolled low and fired one back in Dilton’s direction.
“You got a problem with that?” I asked, pulling out a fresh magazine and slamming it into my gun.
“This is so typical of you. You wait until we’re in the middle of a heated situation to coerce me into doing what you want. There are about a thousand decisions we have to talk through. Where would we live? Whose job is more important? Who takes out the garbage?”
“And they all start with the first. Are you gonna marry me, Angel?”
“Ugh, fine. Yes. But when the adrenaline crash happens and you realize that you just stuck yourself with me from here until the end, that’s on you. I don’t wanna hear any whining.”
My heart leapt and I grinned at my beautiful girl. “I’m gonna kiss you real hard after.”
“You’re damn right you are,” she said.
I heard a whiff and a clunk. I pushed Lina flat to the ground as Duncan Hugo landed face-first in the sawdust at our feet. Knox appeared from the front of the tractor, shovel in hand. He had a cut on his forehead and bloody knuckles.
“Now we’re even,” he said.
“Dunc! You out there?” Dilton called.
Knox knelt next to Lina. “Nolan’s bleeding bad. Got him stashed under some hay wagon, but we need to get him out fast.”
I looked between my brother and my girl. “Get him out of here. I’ll take care of Dilton,” I said grimly.
“Nash, no.” Lina gripped my arm.
“Baby, I’ll be right behind you,” I promised her. “I’ve got a lot to live for.”
“And a ring to shop for,” she pointed out.
“Did you seriously propose on my fucking wedding day?” Knox demanded.
Lina slapped a hand to Knox’s chest and he winced. “Ow!”
“Jesus, what’s with you two?” she demanded.
My brother smirked. “You didn’t tell her?”
“I’ve been a little busy,” I said dryly. “Take her and Nolan and get them out. I need to end this.”
Knox nodded and picked up the unconscious Hugo’s gun. “See you outside.”