Page 124 of Temptation
Gunfire erupted. Fast shots. Thundering. Four of them. Five?
Noble pushed her into the mud. Cold crept through her body.
Silence.
“The deputy is down. I got him.” Preston’s rumbling voice. Then he was pulling Noble off her. Tossing the guy to the side. “They’re both down.” He dropped his gun and reached for Sloane. “Angel?” His fingers skimmed over her cheek. “Are you okay?”
At least two fingers were broken. She’d been drugged. Had chunks of her hair ripped out. But was she okay?
Preston was in front of her.
She wasn’t in the ground.
They were both alive. Yes, she was more than okay. “I love you.”
Probably not the time. Definitely not the place. Who cared?
“I love you.” Sloane had to say those words one more time.
Preston’s face softened as he stared at her. Then he was hauling her close. Kissing her. His hands were flying over her, and she held him as tightly as she could, ignoring the pain in her right hand.
“I love you,” Preston said, breathing the words against her ear. “I love you, I love you, I love?—”
“Preston! He’s crawling out of the fucking grave!” Noble’s bellow.
Her head jerked back. To the side. She could see Noble—he was…he was beside a fallen Eugene. His hands on the deputy’s blood-covered stomach.
Preston pushed her back, and her head swung to see a bloody Adam trying to heave himself up. Out of the grave.
“You don’t get…to l-live…” Adam snarled.
Preston’s gun was in the mud near her feet. She lunged for it.
Preston grabbed the shovel. “Yeah, I damn well do. But you? You were dead the minute you took her.”
Adam had a knife in his hand. He’d climbed out of the grave. Dragged a knife from somewhere—maybe his boot? Someplace in his uniform? Blood and mud dripped from him. He hurtled at Preston with that knife gripped in his hand.
She aimed the gun but couldn’t get a clear shot because Preston was between her and Adam.
Preston waited, waited…
Then swung hard with the shovel.
Once. Twice.
When Adam hit the ground, his body twitched. His left foot shook.
Then he didn’t move at all.
Sirens screamed. Engines growled in the distance. Help was coming. Rushing toward them. Preston stared down at the body near his feet.
He didn’t know that he’d just killed his brother.
A sob choked from her.
Preston whirled toward her. “Angel?”
The tears wouldn’t stop. He dropped the shovel. Scooped her into his arms. Held her tight.
