His voice makes me lift my eyes just in time to see two men coming towards my hiding place. They stalk forward, both carrying guns out in front and pointing them at me. I move back behind another stack of drawers, desperate to put another barrier between us, but I know I have nothing to prevent them from advancing.
I rest my head against the box and wait for the inevitable, watching as Nate breaks cover, his brother still glued to his back as he aims at the two men coming towards me. He squeezes the trigger, a look of deadly aggression in his eyes. Everything slows. The gun in Nate’s hand pulls back and a bullet launches from the barrel, speeding through the air. It hits the man at the rear, and he drops to the floor. My eyes stay on Nate, drawing strength from him. He came for me. He’s done this for me—waged war and slaughtered men.
For me.
Energy seeps back into me from somewhere, making me crawl between the stack of crates and try to make my way to him. If I want to see an end to this, I need to be with him. And just as slowly, as I make my way towards him, I see a bullet shred high into his right thigh. I gasp, my own legs giving way under the sight as his leg buckles a little. A spray of blood coats his trousers instantly, but he doesn’t seem to miss a beat as he fires three more shots at the man who shot him.
“Nate!” My scream fills the room. My chest heaves as I gasp for breath I can’t find.
Oh god, no.
Then, silence.
