him, knocking him backward. Panic nearly swamped her when he pinned John to the floor.
“You have to die, Wolf.” He pulled a knife from his belt. “Need to set an example, stop you before you ruin everything we made.”
Maura kept moving, closing the distance between them. Her body punished her for every inch.
Darwin raised his hand, aimed the blade at John’s chest.
She shoved herself upright, yanked her other shoe out of her pocket—and with a hoarse cry smacked Darwin across the back of the head as he thrust the knife down.
Darwin slumped forward. John caught the arcing blade with his left hand. Inches from his chest. Dropping her shoe, Maura braced her shoulder against the unconscious man, and pushed until he rolled sideways.
“John—”
Bloody fingers spread across the marble floor as he levered himself up. She wrapped her left arm around his waist. He shook so hard against her she could feel it in her bones.
Between them they found the strength to sit, John’s impaled hand trembling where it rested on his thigh. He looked at her, then reached out with his good hand, gently brushing her temple. She gasped at the contact.
“You are bleeding again.” He caught her hand when she tried to investigate, pressed his lips to the jumping pulse at her wrist. “Thank you, Maura.”
Heat flushed her cheeks.
Letting her go, he pried open his fingers, grabbed the knife hilt and jerked the blade free. Fresh blood pooled in his palm. “I want you to go now.”
“John—”
“I will be fine.”
“Fine—you look like death four days cold. I’m not going to leave you here—”
“You will go. Now.”
“I won’t―”
“No arguments.”
“I won’t leave without you.”
John stood, pulled her up with him and toward the door.
“Yes, you will.” He tightened his grip on her arm when she resisted. “I’ll not let the pain of my world touch you again. It does not belong to you, and you do not belong here.”
Anguish broke across his voice, halted her struggle. She looked up, met the vivid blue eyes.
“John―”
He hauled her to the door. It opened at the touch of his hand, revealed three white, empty, undamaged walls. The mangled chair was gone, as if it had never been there. No gold light reached for her, no grasping, sucking air. Nothing but a dead end. She wasn’t going home.
A charge-up whine echoed behind them. Before they could react a stream of fire burst against the pristine steel just above John’s shoulder. With a desperate shout he threw her at the narrow doorway just as a second blast streaked past her left ear, close enough to scorch her cheek. She caught herself on the back wall, impact jarring all the way to her feet. Furious, sharp with pain, Darwin’s gravel voice drove through her.
“Move an inch, Wolf, and the next one cuts her in half.”
Maura turned in time to see Darwin step forward, shove his pistol against John’s left knee and fire.
“John!”
Stumbling out of the cubicle, she dropped down beside him. Blood pumped out of his leg. She applied pressure, felt him jerk under her hands. A long, pale scarf appeared in front of her.
“Tie it up. I don’t want him dying. Not yet.”
“You bastard.” The strength of her anger surprised her, steadied her hands as she wrapped John’s knee. Finished, she kept pressure on the wound, glanced up at Darwin. “I’m the one who knocked you out.”
The ice-grey eyes narrowed, but not before she saw the flare of rage, shame almost hidden behind it.
“Seems I cut you short, little girl. Never thought you had the nerve.” He moved toward her. Maura saw him flinch, saw the blood creep down his neck. “His life is mine now.”
One hand snatched out, caught her wrist and dragged her to her feet.
She wrenched at the grip, ignored her screaming body. Without John she had no ally against this man who handed out death like candy―without John she had nothing―
Gold light exploded out of the cubicle, spun them around.
“You have to die, Wolf.” He pulled a knife from his belt. “Need to set an example, stop you before you ruin everything we made.”
Maura kept moving, closing the distance between them. Her body punished her for every inch.
Darwin raised his hand, aimed the blade at John’s chest.
She shoved herself upright, yanked her other shoe out of her pocket—and with a hoarse cry smacked Darwin across the back of the head as he thrust the knife down.
Darwin slumped forward. John caught the arcing blade with his left hand. Inches from his chest. Dropping her shoe, Maura braced her shoulder against the unconscious man, and pushed until he rolled sideways.
“John—”
Bloody fingers spread across the marble floor as he levered himself up. She wrapped her left arm around his waist. He shook so hard against her she could feel it in her bones.
Between them they found the strength to sit, John’s impaled hand trembling where it rested on his thigh. He looked at her, then reached out with his good hand, gently brushing her temple. She gasped at the contact.
“You are bleeding again.” He caught her hand when she tried to investigate, pressed his lips to the jumping pulse at her wrist. “Thank you, Maura.”
Heat flushed her cheeks.
Letting her go, he pried open his fingers, grabbed the knife hilt and jerked the blade free. Fresh blood pooled in his palm. “I want you to go now.”
“John—”
“I will be fine.”
“Fine—you look like death four days cold. I’m not going to leave you here—”
“You will go. Now.”
“I won’t―”
“No arguments.”
“I won’t leave without you.”
John stood, pulled her up with him and toward the door.
“Yes, you will.” He tightened his grip on her arm when she resisted. “I’ll not let the pain of my world touch you again. It does not belong to you, and you do not belong here.”
Anguish broke across his voice, halted her struggle. She looked up, met the vivid blue eyes.
“John―”
He hauled her to the door. It opened at the touch of his hand, revealed three white, empty, undamaged walls. The mangled chair was gone, as if it had never been there. No gold light reached for her, no grasping, sucking air. Nothing but a dead end. She wasn’t going home.
A charge-up whine echoed behind them. Before they could react a stream of fire burst against the pristine steel just above John’s shoulder. With a desperate shout he threw her at the narrow doorway just as a second blast streaked past her left ear, close enough to scorch her cheek. She caught herself on the back wall, impact jarring all the way to her feet. Furious, sharp with pain, Darwin’s gravel voice drove through her.
“Move an inch, Wolf, and the next one cuts her in half.”
Maura turned in time to see Darwin step forward, shove his pistol against John’s left knee and fire.
“John!”
Stumbling out of the cubicle, she dropped down beside him. Blood pumped out of his leg. She applied pressure, felt him jerk under her hands. A long, pale scarf appeared in front of her.
“Tie it up. I don’t want him dying. Not yet.”
“You bastard.” The strength of her anger surprised her, steadied her hands as she wrapped John’s knee. Finished, she kept pressure on the wound, glanced up at Darwin. “I’m the one who knocked you out.”
The ice-grey eyes narrowed, but not before she saw the flare of rage, shame almost hidden behind it.
“Seems I cut you short, little girl. Never thought you had the nerve.” He moved toward her. Maura saw him flinch, saw the blood creep down his neck. “His life is mine now.”
One hand snatched out, caught her wrist and dragged her to her feet.
She wrenched at the grip, ignored her screaming body. Without John she had no ally against this man who handed out death like candy―without John she had nothing―
Gold light exploded out of the cubicle, spun them around.
Similar Books
