“They’re gone.” One of Reman’s men stood and immediately dropped when a blast took the side of his face. Zaxe didn’t bother returning fire, the snipers had gotten smarter, ducking back as soon as the shot was made.
“Stay down,” Zaxe yelled again. “Jamaeh?” When she didn’t immediately answer, his heart stopped before taking off at a gallop. Sweat beaded his brow. “Jamaeh!” he roared.
“I’m okay,” she called. Her voice was shaky, but it was sweet music to his ears.
“Are you injured?” The urge to go to her was almost too much to fight. He dug his free hand into the ground to anchor himself. He’d be more likely to draw fire toward her if he moved.
“No.” A short pause. “You were shot.”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not. I’m not hurt.” As much as he wanted to keep talking to her, he needed to know their numbers. “Baraj?”
“I’m here, but the other men are dead.”
“All of them?” Her voice was getting weaker. Had she lied about being hurt or was it shock? Had she been in a battle like this before? Unlikely. The swiftness of it, the lives lost in the blink of an eye. It was difficult the first few times. Then, like anything else, it became easier.
“We need to take out the rest of the snipers.” He kept his voice low, knowing how easily sound traveled out here. Dusk had settled and darkness was quickly descending. Zaxe smiled. This was his time.
“We stick together,” Baraj hissed.
“Don’t be stupid.” He inched his way to the other side of the sled. Baraj was off to his left about fifty meters away. Jamaeh was just beyond him. “You take one side, I’ll take the other. We can’t stay here. If whoever left comes back with reinforcements, we’ll be dead come sunrise.”
“We stick together.” The man was a broken recording.
“We both want the same thing—Helldrick dead. If we all die here, Reman won’t get what he wants.” Baraj seemed loyal to the man past the point of obsession. Playing on that was his only hope to make him see reason.
“Fine, but the girl goes with me.”
“No.” Zaxe was adamant about this. “I’ll stay here with her while you take out all the snipers.”
“I’ll stay here with her while you do the job,” Baraj shot back in a loud whisper.
“I’m going with Zaxe. I don’t trust you.” Her insistence made Zaxe smile. He should have known she wouldn’t stay out of this conversation.
“We’re wasting time. You’ll hear if we try to run and we all have sleds. If you’re still on the rocks above, you can pick us off. Besides, I’ve been contracted to take out Helldrick. I’ve never broken a contract.” Let that sink in.
When Baraj hesitated, he took it a bit further. “Ever hear of Artemis?”
Baraj sucked in a breath. “She runs a fleet of assassins.”
“She did. She’s gone, and I’m a freelancer now. When I guarantee a job, it gets done. My word is my only bond.” Money and power were things Baraj would understand. “I’ll take the left, protect Jamaeh, and meet you back here when the job is done.”
It was almost completely dark, but he caught Baraj’s nod before the man started crawling toward his destination without a backward glance. Zaxe rolled, covering the distance toward Jamaeh as fast as possible. She was lying in the dirt behind her overturned sled, her blaster pointed at his chest.
“You’re a professional assassin?” The accusation in her voice was like a kick in the heart. He took the blow, absorbing it, using it to fire his anger.
“I am what life has made me.” He wouldn’t apologize for doing what he had to in order to survive. “Just as it’s made you what you are.” She wasn’t exactly in a position to condemn him. “You’re Helldrick’s daughter.”
The blaster wavered and lowered. “You’re right.” She wiped a hand over her face. Was that all sweat or were their tears there as well? His gut clenched at the thought of making her cry. “It’s all so crazy. They’re dead. I mean, I’ve seen people die before. Just not like that. And so fast.”
“Jamaeh.” He put an arm around her and pulled her toward him. Giving a small cry, she buried her face in the curve of his neck, wrapped her arms around him, and held him as she shook.
Chapter Eight
Zaxe was a professional assassin. She’d known he was dangerous and had been sent to kill Helldrick, but she’d assumed he was like Baraj, working for some unknown employer. This was off the charts. “Who is Artemis?” The name had certainly made an impression on Reman’s man.
“Not now.” His lips pressed against the top of her head. She was plastered against him like some freaking damsel in distress. Pushing away, she took a deep breath. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. It’s a lot to deal with.”
Not for him, his heart rate was steady and calm. Death and battle didn’t faze him at all. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, the adrenaline surging through her blood making her shaky.
They weren’t out of danger yet. Not with snipers still hiding above them. She took a deep breath and gathered her composure. “What’s our move?” She needed to be a help, not a hindrance.
He flashed a smile and gave a nod of approval. “We make our way to the base of the rocks and start working our way up. I’ll take the lead.”
Of course, he was taking the lead. She couldn’t object too much. He had the skills to deal with the shooters. He was also trying to protect her. “What can I do? I’m not helpless.”
“I expect you to watch our backs. They may have someone on the ground waiting to flank us.”
That was a possibility she hadn’t considered. Battle strategies weren’t exactly something she’d had to learn. She had other skills, though, learned through many hard years of survival. Knowing when someone was following her was one she’d honed to a fine edge. “You got it.”
Zaxe brushed his thumb over the curve of her cheek. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She shrugged. “They made their choices. We all did.” Something was bothering her. “You were shot. I saw it. The blast took you right off the sled.”
He captured her hand and placed it against his chest. “Battlesuit.”
That was some serious protection. She’d heard of them, and they cost a small fortune. “Really.” She shoved aside his shirt and ran her fingers over the lightweight material. The muscle beneath was hard and firm. Something so thin shouldn’t be able to absorb a blaster strike, but it worked. He was living proof.
She’d thought for sure he was dead. Her heart had stopped, her soul screamed. And not just because he was her only hope of surviving and getting her brother back. They were practically strangers but there was something tenuous and special between them. Whether they’d ever get the chance to explore that connection remained to be seen.
Probably not. It wouldn’t be smart, but that didn’t keep her from wishing things could be different.