“You wanted someone to keep tabs on my pack, right, Karen?” Lucas drawled. “And like Marley said, she knew my weak spot.”
Sarah had read the profile on him, too. Because of his past, Lucas had a protective streak. A soft spot for victims.
A lump rose in her throat. I used that weakness against him, too.
Did he realize?
His mocking smile said he did. Lucas.
His gaze drifted to the darkening woods. “We’re not alone out here, you know.”
Sarah already had the gun out and in her hands. This time, she had it aimed at the demon.
“Back away from her, Karen.”
But Karen moved closer to Marley. “She’s on our side. Dammit, if you’d both just calm down, I could explain! She really is an agent. Marley Dulane is—”
Sarah didn’t care to learn anything else about the demon. She already knew what mattered. “She told the coyotes about John. She watched him die.”
Karen’s lips parted. “But . . . no, that’s not—”
“Back away, Karen!” Because there was a traitor in the Bureau, all right, and Sarah was looking right at her.
Karen began to edge away from the demon.
Just not fast enough.
Two coyotes sprang from the bushes and launched at Lucas.
The demon bent down low, then rose in a flash, driving her fist right into Karen’s stomach.
The agent screamed and punched out, even as Sarah fired the bullet.
But it was too late.
Too damn late.
The demon had already jumped back and Karen fell to the ground, the handle of an all-too-familiar knife buried in her stomach.
My weapon. “Karen!”
Snarls and growls filled the air even as Karen’s blood pooled on the ground.
The demon laughed. “When they find the body, they’ll know you killed her.”
Sarah rushed to Karen. The agent was still alive, but blood trickled from her lips.
“But you’ll be dead, too . . .” Marley’s voice promised. Sarah whipped the gun up, ready to fire, but the fast bitch had already run into the woods. Sarah knew the demon was just biding her time. Watching, waiting to attack.
With what? More fire?
Dammit.
The two coyotes circled Lucas, and he slashed out at them with his claws. He hadn’t shifted, and she knew he couldn’t shift. Because in the time it took to shift, they could kill him.
The hell they would.
Smoke began to fill the air. Bitch.
Sarah narrowed her eyes as she took aim.
“Don’t hit your lover . . .” Marley sang out. “But, of course, you like to hurt your lovers, don’t you, Sarah?”
Karen choked, and her body heaved.
Sarah fired, catching one coyote in the shoulder. The bastard howled and turned his stare on her.
Hayden. Like she’d ever forget those eyes. That bright circle of yellow gleamed in the darkness of his stare.
He growled, then he leapt toward her.
Sarah squeezed the trigger once more. This time, the bullet blasted right between his eyes.
He didn’t even have time to whimper.
But the other coyote did. Lucas had driven his claws into the animal’s side and now the coyote was down, jerking and heaving and twisting.
“Lucas!” He had to move so she could get a clear shot. “I can’t get the—”
A line of fire burst from the woods. Flames that separated her from Lucas.
Damn demon.
“S-Sarah . . .” Karen grabbed her hand. “D-don’t let me . . . die out here . . .”
Sarah glanced down at Karen. They’d been friends once. Hadn’t they? She’d worked with Karen on three cases. They’d laughed. Traded stories.
But never met outside of work.
Never talked about anything personal.
Hell, she didn’t even know if Karen was the woman’s real name.
“D-Don’t want to d-die . . . out here . . .” Karen’s fingers squeezed hers.
The fire closed in.
“Sarah! Fuck, Sarah, jump over the flames! There’s time!” Lucas’s roar. Her head whipped up. He’d taken out the other coyote.
She shook her head. “I can’t—I can’t leave her.” Because, dammit, she had a weakness, too. They’d probably profiled her at the FBI, just like they had Lucas. If she was really a suspect like Karen had said, the profile would have been one of their first investigative tactics, and Marley would’ve had access to that profile.
Using my weakness against me.
Sarah stood, trying to drag Karen to her feet.
The other woman groaned, pain heavy in the sound. Sarah started to lift her. She could try a fireman’s carry, she could—
Lucas leapt through the flames. The scent of burned flesh rose, clogging her nostrils. No, Lucas!
“Get in the damn van.”
She jumped inside, pulling Karen with her.
“Stop the f**king fire, Marley!” he shouted.
But Marley didn’t stop the fire. The flames just flared higher and they closed in tighter.
Lucas ran to the front of the van. Jumped inside. “The bastard took the keys!”
Shit. Now they were trapped. Sarah covered her mouth and yanked the back doors closed. So much smoke.
“Don’t worry, babe. I got this.” Her head whipped around. He’d bent under the dash.
One moment. Two . . . The motor revved to life. He slammed on the gas and the van lurched forward. Sarah saw a wall of flames waiting on them. Bigger, so big now . . .
They went right through the fire.
Sarah didn’t even have time to scream. The van blasted through the flames. The windshield cracked, rubber burned, and they were free.
Lucas jerked the wheel and the van streaked to the left. “How much longer does she have?”
Karen’s eyes were closed. Her blood soaked Sarah’s clothing. Sarah touched the wound and Karen didn’t wince. Sarah wasn’t even sure Karen had felt her touch. Too far gone. “She needs a hospital and she needs one now.”
No, what she really needed was a miracle.
Lucas’s gaze met hers in the rearview mirror.
“I’m trying to stop the blood.” Her hands were so red and the blood flow wouldn’t stop. “We have to get her to a doctor. She’s not going to make it if—”
If he stopped. If he went back for Marley and whoever else waited in the woods. Sarah couldn’t get Karen to a hospital on her own. She needed him to drive so she could keep the pressure on the wound.
She needed him.
He needed vengeance.
“Please, Lucas. She’ll die.”