Whispers in the Dark - Maya Banks [130]
He let out a guttural cry but threw aside the knife before leaping forward onto the man who’d downed him. He grasped the man’s head and wrenched sideways, until he heard the snap of the other man’s neck.
He threw the man down and then put his hand to his side, feeling sticky warmth spread over his palm.
Shit.
He glanced up in time to see his brothers rushing forward, uncharacteristic fear on their faces. He tried to push himself upward but started to tilt forward instead.
Garrett got to him first and caught him before he could pitch forward.
Nathan pulled his hand away and stared down at the dark red that coated his entire palm.
“That son of a bitch stabbed me!”
CHAPTER 41
JOE and Donovan were just about to the front entrance when Swanny caught up to them from behind.
“Want me to take her?” Swanny asked.
“No, you go ahead with Donovan. Cover me and make damn sure P.J. knows we’re coming out,” Joe said tersely.
He hadn’t said a word about Shea’s condition, but the truth was, he was scared shitless. It was obvious she’d checked out. Her eyes were still open, but they were vacant and lifeless. Her vitals seemed normal. The lights were on but nobody was at home. Who the hell knew what all she’d endured this time?
“Get your asses into the trees,” P.J. said in an impatient voice. “My orders are to get you to the truck so you can haul ass out of here.”
They broke into a run, and Joe held Shea tighter against him so she didn’t flop like a rag doll. When they burst through the trees, P.J. rolled from her perch atop the rise where she’d taken position and fell in behind Joe to cover the rear.
“What’s her condition?” P.J. asked as they hurried back the way they’d come in.
“I don’t know,” Joe said shortly. “It’s not…good.”
“I’ll take a look when we get back to the SUV,” Donovan called back. “The important thing is she’s alive.”
Yeah, she was alive, but Joe wasn’t at all sure what that meant anymore. The longer she lay in his arms unmoving and unresponsive, the more dread gathered in his stomach. He didn’t want to think of what this would do to Nathan.
Nathan was finally coming around. He had fire in his gut again. He had purpose. The Nathan who’d come home from the hospital after recovering for weeks had been a stranger to Joe, and he hadn’t like it one bit.
He wanted his best friend back, and this could change everything.
Please, Shea. Come back to us. Nathan needs you. Show me you’re still in there somewhere. You’re safe now. They can’t hurt you anymore. I understand why you’ve gone away. But you can come back now. Come back for Nathan. He’s lost without you.
They broke into the small clearing where the SUVs were parked and still Shea hadn’t stirred in his arms. Donovan jerked open the back and motioned for Joe to lay her down. Joe was about to do just that when she went completely stiff in his arms.
She let out a cry of pain and seemed to ball in even tighter. Her breathing changed from the shallow, light respirations to fast, jerky bursts that seemed to tear out of her throat.
Joe sat her on the edge of the SUV, careful not to bump her head on the upright door.
“Oh Jesus,” Donovan breathed.
Joe followed Donovan’s gaze to see blood spreading rapidly over her side. “What the fuck? Van, she wasn’t hurt! I examined her myself. She wasn’t bleeding. I would have damn sure noticed that amount of blood.”
Shea’s eyes lost their glassy dullness. Her pupils dilated and sweat formed on her brow. Her fingers curled into tight little balls, and she bent over as if in unimaginable pain.
Joe caught her and then laid her gently on her uninjured side. He crawled over her, into the truck, and pushed at her shirt, looking for the source of the bleeding.
“Holy shit. She’s got a wound in her side, but I swear to you, Donovan, this wasn’t here before!”
Donovan pushed in beside him and then swore. “I can’t even move in here. Get her down. Lay her on the ground so I can see what I’m doing.”
Joe pulled her