by Susan Bliler
Bellis’ tongue darted out to lick his lips. “Does your status offend you?”
“No.”
Lie.
“Why would it? I’m not expecting to be spared, Demon, and I could give two shits about whether they think I’m cute or not.” She shook her head and let her eyes fall closed. “Stupid fucking Keepers.” She muttered, almost as if to herself, “Wouldn’t have to give me the speech about not ‘luring’ a Keeper in if it weren’t an actual possibility. Should’ve just kept his mouth shut.”
Bellis’ gaze shot to Keo. and when a muscle in the Keeper’s jaw twitched, he knew Sam was right. Stupid fucking Keepers. He looked back at Sam who kept her eyes closed. She was damn good at reading situations and people. It made him wonder how long she’d been in the game. It must have been a long time, and that knowledge angered him. What would a woman, hell a person, have to endure to turn them into this?
Glancing back at Keo, he caught the Keeper staring at Sam. It pissed him off. An unwarranted flare of jealousy surged up, and he shocked himself when he growled at Keo, “She’s not viable, Keeper. That gonna be a problem?”
Keo’s gaze jerked to Bellis and his jaw clenched again. Instead of responding, Keo turned his head to look out the small back window and the black ribbon of highway unfurling behind them.
When Bellis looked back at Sam one of her eyes was cracked open and she was smirking at him. “Is it gonna be a problem for you, Demon?”
Bellis snorted and ignored her.
After about an hour the view out the back window and the rocking motion of the vehicle indicating numerous curves in the road indicated the Keepers had chosen the route through the forest. Good.
Beside him Sam’s eyes finally opened and she arched her back in an attempt to stretch. He felt a little bad, because with her cuffs linked to the bar in the floor, she couldn’t lift her arms at all.
“You know,” she began, smiling at Keo.
Bellis knew that smile. It meant she was about to give the Keeper shit. She didn’t get the chance.
Out of nowhere something slammed into the side of the truck, throwing Keo across the small space and onto Bellis. The Walker snarled and shoved the Keeper off.
The vehicle rocked but stayed upright, and now he could hear the Keepers in front barking orders to someone. He assumed it was the Walker team that was accompanying the convoy to the North Fortress.
Sam’s startled gaze shot to him. “Uncuff me,” she commanded.
Bellis shook his head.
“Come on! I’ll get my fucking arms ripped off!”
Tough. Bellis crawled to the back of the truck and looked behind them. There was a fast approaching vehicle headed their way with what looked like someone standing, their upper body poking out of the sunroof. Bellis narrowed his eyes and realized the person held something that looked like an AR braced at their shoulder and pointed at the truck. “Fuck!”
It wasn’t an AR. The muzzle was wide. It was a fucking grenade launcher!
He saw a recoil and smoke a second before he realized they’d fired. “COVER!” he bellowed and threw his body over Sam’s, which was stupid as shit. She was the enemy, the expendable, and most likely the reason they were currently under attack, but old habits die hard and it wasn’t in him to not protect a female.
There was a loud blast and the back of the truck raised up off the ground, the doors exploding inward as the vehicle skidded and veered off the road as it slammed back to the blacktop.
Chapter 7
There was no question that they were under attack, and thank the Gods the vehicle behind them had been too far for the grenade launcher to do any real damage. But now Bellis wondered if the Megalya were trying to get Sam back, or simply permanently silence her.
“Get off me!” she gritted from beneath him.
Pulling back off Sam he glared at her when her terrified blue eyes met his. He couldn’t stop the animalistic rasp to his voice when he growled, “Did you know?”
“No!” Her eyes narrowed and she frowned up at Bellis. Her words rang with honesty, and it’d have to do, because the vehicle slammed to a halt and Bellis had to brace himself to keep from pitching forward. Sam groaned, and he looked down to see her arms pulled taut, her hands beginning to turn blue at the end of the length of chains that held her pinned to the floor.
“Fuck!” Not even bothering with the key, he reached down and gripped the chain before Keo’s hand gripped his forearm.
“What are you doing?” The Keeper growled.
“Getting us the fuck outta here!” Bellis jerked on the chain, and it gave just as the back doors were pried open. He, Keo, and Sam tensed, but it was the Keepers who’d been driving.
“Into the forest,” one of them barked, as Bellis grabbed Sam by the waist and hauled her up.
Stepping out of the truck he saw that their vehicle was parked in a thick stand of trees below a steep embankment, the road above out of sight. He could hear a rapidly approaching vehicle. “Spread out!” he commanded. He pulled Sam behind him by the chain still cuffed to her wrists as he rushed for the forest. Luckily, the Keepers knew enough to cover them, but the dumb bastards thought they were a hell of a lot better protectors than they were. They held no weapons, and Bellis snarled. Even Skin Walker Sentries knew enough to carry firearms. He glanced up at the road. Where the fuck is my team?
He knew a Walker team was accompanying them to the North Fortress, and all he could hope was that they were parked somewhere up on the road, lying in wait for their attackers.
Sam followed quickly behind him, and he was surprised she didn’t attempt to stall out or hold him up. Keo followed closely behind her, stopping just long enough to open his arms wide and drop his head back. A bright white light centered in his chest, drawing both his and Sam’s attention. Something shimmered in the center of his chest, and then a massive cheetah exploded from him. The animal didn’t hesitate to turn and run in the direction from which they’d come.
Bellis didn’t know Keo’s plan, and he didn’t care. He had to move Sam. The Megalya weren’t getting her back, and they weren’t going to kill her on Bellis’ watch either.
Breaking off, Keo veered left as Bellis pulled Sam to the right where the trees got thicker. Gunfire erupted behind them, and he prayed it was the Skin Walker team firing on the Megalya and not the Megalya firing on the unarmed Keepers or their Soul Sentries.
As they raced across the snow covered forest floor, Sam kept pace surprisingly well. Only once did she attempt to tug him in a different direction when she saw a cave she argued would be, “Good cover.” It’s exactly why Bellis avoided it, anyone else would think it good cover as well. He led her a few hundred feet past the cave and shoved Sam down behind a large boulder before kneeling beside her. One large hand covered the lower half of her face as he turned to pull her back into him. He couldn’t trust her not to give away their position.
Waiting, Bellis tried to slow the beating of his heart as he strained to listen. A few shots popped off, but then there was silence. It was odd being this worked up in a firefight. It’d never happened before, and he realized his concern now wasn’t for himself, but for the dainty package currently squirming in his hold.
Footsteps approached, and Bellis tensed while Sam went still in his arms. Peering around the boulder, he relaxed a little when he instantly recognized the redhaired behemoth shouldering a rifle and scanning the forest.
Bellis waited until York lowered his rifle before he stood with Sam and stepped out from their hiding spot.
York’s eyes instantly locked on him, and the Sentry’s hand shot up and closed into a quick fist, indicating that Bellis should hold his position. It let Bellis know that there was enemy still unaccounted for.
He watched as York lifted his nose and scented the air. More footsteps could be heard, and then James and Shane were stepping up to form a line on either side of York.
Bellis pulled Sam back down and waited. It was hell. He wanted to be out hunting, but di
dn’t trust relinquishing Sam to another.
A twig snapped too close behind Bellis and Sam and he spun, prepared to shift and attack. Keo’s cheetah stepped out of the trees and sniffed at Bellis before circling around and planting his big hairy body in front of Sam.
More noise behind him drew his attention, and he assumed it was Keo by the way his cheetah didn’t even bother turning. Bellis did though, and at the same instant his eyes locked on Keo behind him, a shot rang out.
Several things happened in the next instant, all of it a blur. Keo’s eyes rounded, his cheetah screeched, and Bellis was jerked forward when Sam lunged. He’d assumed it was an attempt at escape, but the noise that followed said otherwise.
There’s a certain sound a bullet makes when it hits flesh and bone and that sound froze his blood in his veins. Scrambling to grab Sam by the hips, he pulled her back until she splayed across his chest and he hurriedly crabwalked backward to get them back behind the boulder. There was blood on the ground, and on Keo’s cheetah who wasn’t moving.
“Sam!” Bellis barked, but she wasn’t moving either.
Gunfire erupted, and he knew York and the team were engaging, but he didn’t give a fuck right now. Rolling, he laid Sam on the ground, his hands traveling frantically over her body as he searched for injury.
Keo jumped over them and went for his cheetah. Dragging the animal back behind the boulder his tone was panicked as he shouted, “Bronx!” The animal chuffed loudly and stood, turning to butt his head against Sam’s still-lifeless body.
“She saved Bronx,” Keo told Bellis in dazed astonishment. “She covered his body with her own. Is she hurt?”
Fuck yes, she was hurt! “Sonofa…” Bellis ripped his shirt over his head and pressed it to the bleeding wound on Sam’s side.
“She saved Bronx,” Keo repeated, and Bellis growled.
“Get eyes on the fucking shooter, Keeper! And if that fucking animal is going to be a distraction, then put him the fuck away!” He was angrier than he should have been, but he was pissed at how confident he’d been about keeping Sam safe on his watch, only to have her now bleeding in his arms. They should have been prepared, should have known the Megalya would come for her.
Another explosion sounded, and Bellis threw his body over Sam’s. He gritted his teeth at the urge to race into battle.
Sam stirred beneath him and suddenly gasped in a breath and tried to sit up.
“Easy.” Bellis held her down. “You’re hurt, and we’re still under attack.”
One hand planted on Sam’s chest to keep her down, he leaned forward to peek around the boulder. The Walkers had spread out and were firing in the direction of the road. He watched Keo and Bronx cut through the trees and wondered what the Keeper planned on doing without any weapons.
A sound behind Bellis made him tense and his eyes rounded as he turned to look at Sam. She was still lying flat on her back, and she was…laughing!
“You do know we are still under fire?”
Sam only laughed harder, and he couldn’t help the grin that tweaked his lip at her reaction.
“Shit!” Sam snorted, lifting a hand to swipe at the tears in the corners of her eyes before shoving at Bellis’ hand. He pulled the hand back and Sam sat up with a grimace, inhaling sharply.
“Sam?”
She looked down at her side and pulled Bellis’ shirt back to inspect her wound. “I’ll live, just knocked the wind outta me is all.”
Bellis looked back toward the firefight. “I’m glad one of us is amused by this.”
There was a smile in her voice when she responded. “You don’t know them like I do. This is so typical fucking Megalya.”
When Bellis turned to look at her she explained. “Send ‘em into the forest to retrieve one person. They encounter a small army, and the only person they end up shooting is the one person they were going after and weren’t supposed to shoot.” She shook her head and sighed heavily. “Idiots!”
Bellis smirked as he watched her get to her knees. “We’re gonna make a break for those trees.” He jerked his chin over her shoulder. “You think you can make it?”
“You think I can’t?” she challenged, with a glint in her eyes.
Good girl! Bellis grabbed her arm. “On three.” He looked back to the fighting and counted, “One, two…” But Sam didn’t wait. She started moving on two, so when he saw a Megalya step forward with the grenade launcher pointed at them, he reached out to try and yank her back behind the boulder, but she was already a few steps up the hill. Bellis’ head whipped around and he looked at his empty hand that had been holding Sam. She stalled in her escape because Bellis didn’t say three, and when she turned to look at him, she was standing fully erect. A perfect fucking target!
“Get the fuck down!” Bellis yelled the words and lunged, but the ground behind Sam exploded, sending her flying. “Fuck!” he snarled, abandoning his position behind the boulder, racing to Sam as she disappeared in the cloud of smoke and debris.
Chapter 8
Bellis found Sam unconscious on the ground, a stream of blood running from her nose and one ear. Fisting her shirt, he bent to scoop her up, tossing her over his shoulder as he barked out order. “COVER!”
The Walker team below instantly responded, covering him as he ran up into the trees with Sam hanging limply over his shoulder. It wasn’t lost on him that she wasn’t moving, and he cursed as he pushed to run faster. He hadn’t even checked to ensure she was breathing before he snatched her up.
His booted feet sunk into the moist earth and he kept right on running. Hearing a helicopter approaching, relief was swift. Apparently, Walker lives were more important to Monroe than his concern over the government’s sudden interest in StoneCrow.
Bellis saw the chopper hovering higher up the mountain and raced for it. Through the trees he could make out a clearing and he double-timed it, knowing that’s where the chopper was looking to set down.
Wind whipped around him as he neared, and just feet from the helicopter, Bellis fisted the back of Sam’s shirt to pull her into the cradle of his arms. He held her head against his chest and jumped into the cabin of the helicopter. Without hesitation it lifted off the ground.
“THEY’VE GOT A GRENADE LAUNCHER,” he yelled, needing to inform Tito so he could get them out of firing range quickly.
Bishop, who was co-piloting, nodded, and they lifted from the ground, both doors still wide open, making it hard to hear and concentrate as Bellis fought to keep his balance on his knees. He frantically studied Sam’s face, but there was no smile now. Her eyes were closed and she was deathly pale. Crouched over her, he heard when the distant gunfire ceased. The Megalya knew their target was gone.
Bishop turned and glanced over his shoulder, his expression turning grim when he looked at Sam.
“Get us to the infirmary!” Bellis barked, and tensed when Bishop looked from him to Tito and then back. “What?”
“King doesn’t want her back there. We’re taking you to the North Fortress. Don’t worry. King sent Jenny in the Blackbird. She should already be there.”
“Fffffuck!” Bellis cursed, looking back at Sam and lifting a strong hand to her throat. His heart slammed to a halt when his fingers felt no movement. It was impossible with the floor of the helicopter vibrating with the whir of its blades. Lifting his fingers to Sam’s mouth, Bellis knew he felt no breath. “FUCK!” He unzipped the front of Sam’s suit, ignoring the stirring in his gut as her flesh was exposed. “Fuck!” he repeated, and linked his fingers together, one palm over the other as they flattened between her breasts. He gave several rapid compressions to her chest before he bent and sealed his lips over hers, pinching her nose and tilting her head back. He forced several of his breaths into her lungs before he righted and continued chest compressions.
He heard Bishop say, “She’s not breathing!” He hoped Bishop was relaying information to his mate and StoneCrow’s Chief of Surgery, Jenny Atkinson, who apparently was already on her way to meet them
at the North Fortress.
The chopper dipped, and they rapidly descended. He prayed it meant they were nearly there. Unable to confirm, Bellis concentrated on alternating between breathing life into Sam’s mouth and pushing on her chest in an attempt to kick-start her heart.
His tongue tasted coppery from the blood that still seeped from Sam’s mouth. It was sweet, and made his heart accelerate. He straightened to compress her chest once more and growled, “Breathe goddamn it!”
“SIR?”
Bellis didn’t look up, he knew from Tito’s tone and the hard landing that they’d arrived at the North Fortress. Bishop was out of his seatbelt in an instant, flinging his door open as he called out to someone waiting outside the helicopter.
The whir of the blades slowed as the engine was shut down. Bellis lifted to do more compressions, but this time he glanced over his shoulder. Jenny, neon-orange backboard in hand, was rushing him with Bishop at her side.
Jenny slid the board onto the floor of the helicopter as Bellis stopped his compressions and breathing to roll Sam’s body to one side. Jenny slid the board beneath her and quickly strapped her legs down before climbing into the helicopter, securing Sam’s head and waist, and then barking, “MOVE!”
Bellis did as directed, while Jenny straddled Sam’s body, taking over compressions.
Bishop was already tugging on the end of the board and it took Bellis only a moment to understand. He grabbed the other end as it slid nearer the door of the helicopter. He had one end fully in hand while Bishop held the other. They rushed toward the fortress with Jenny still straddled over Sam. Thank the Gods the backboard was wide enough for Jenny to continue to work.
The inside of the fortress was—in their haste—just a dark blur. It was a place Monroe had built for Fatal and his Keepers, because they couldn’t reside with the Skin Walkers at StoneCrow or Apex. He knew Jenny had helped in the construction and design of the Keepers’ own on-site infirmary. Her mate, Bishop, must have accompanied her on site visits, because he knew exactly where they were going.
