Page 115 of Ruthless, But for Her

Ashton followed. They intercepted the first before he reached the shoreline. Sorren took him while Ashton met another, their blades catching twice before the man stumbled backward over uneven ground.

The third fled. They let him go. Their purpose wasn’t to kill every man on the Reach. It was to make holding it impossible.

A yell sounded behind him.

Not pain.

Ryker.

Ashton turned.

His brother had reached the Toll post. Two men were down near him. Another fought him from the front while a fourth attempted to come around behind.

“Ryker!”

His brother either didn't hear or chose not to.

Ashton started toward him as men moved between them. He swore, caught the first attack against his blade and pushed the man aside. Sorren appeared from nowhere and took the second.

“Go,” Sorren yelled.

Ashton did.

Ryker had finished with the man in front of him and turned at Ashton's shout.

That was when Ashton saw the spear. The man behind Ryker held it low at first, then raised it with both hands.

Ryker’s back was to him. He’d never see it.

Ashton ran toward him, but at that same moment, Leif came from the other direction. Ashton couldn't understand why he was there. Leif should have been aboard The Einar.

Then he saw more of their men coming from the water behind him. Reinforcements.

Leif reached Ryker first, striking him hard with both hands, sending his brother sideways into the mud. The spear hurtled toward them.

Leif jerked. Stopped.

Ryker came off the ground. Ashton had seen his brother angry many times but never like that. The man was dead before Leif fell to his knees.

“Leif.” Ryker dropped beside him.

Sorren reached them moments later. He tore a strip of cloth free and pressed it against Leif's side, but too much blood seeped through almost immediately.

Too much.

Ashton knew.

Sorren knew too.

But Ryker did not.

“We need to get him back to the ship,” he said as fighting continued around them. The battle had not stopped. For the next few moments, Ashton saw Leif only in glimpses. Ryker beside him. Sorren attempting to slow the bleeding. Their men pushing de Grey's force toward the road.

Then someone shouted that they were running. When they fled, Sorren yelled for them to hold.

“Let them go,” he bellowed.

The Reach was theirs again. At a cost Ashton had not yet allowed himself to understand. He went back to Leif. Ryker had one arm beneath his shoulders.