Rhys's POV
The gun fired and I felt the burn slice past my good shoulder and keep going, and Lena screamed loud enough to shake concrete. It missed, by an inch, maybe half an inch, close enough that the heat of it branded my skin, far enough that I was still standing.
Marco did not miss.
One shot from his rifle, clean and center, and the man behind Lena dropped straight down, gun clattering away from his hand, eyes open and empty.
Cole ran forward first, knife out, cutting Lena's zip ties with shaking hands, talking fast and low the whole time.
Cole said, "I got you, I got you, you are okay, you are okay, breathe."
Lena collapsed out of the chair into Cole's chest, sobbing hard, barefoot and shaking, and I could not move for three seconds because my legs would not work.
Marco clapp
