POV ESMERAY
The c***k of the sniper's rifle echoed through the golden valley like a whip against the sky. I was facedown in the dirt, the grit of the California soil filling my mouth, while Ruan's massive body pinned me to the earth. His weight was a shield, a wall of muscle and leather that felt like the only solid thing in a world that had suddenly turned into a shooting gallery.
"Don't move, Esmeray! Don't you dare move!" Ruan hissed into my ear, his breath hot and smelling of the coffee we'd shared only an hour ago.
A few yards away, my father was a crumpled heap of cheap wool and broken dreams. He was moaning, a low, wet sound that cut through the roar of my own pulse. "Dad!" I screamed, the word torn from my throat as I tried to crawl toward him.
Ruan's hand clamped dow
