Page 166 of You Found Me

It was true, if a slight exaggeration.

“Liar.” Hume shuffled along the SUV, pulling Della with him. “You tripped my security feed, moron. One van. No flashing lights. No SWAT. It’s just you and maybe that pathetic hacker. I already took out the dark-haired bitch and that lame lap dog. You’re on your own.”

Spencer’s soft voice came over the comms. “In position.”

“Hold,” Ward commanded in an undertone.

The plan was for Spencer to use their van as a quick exit for Della. All Ward had to do was get her to the door.

“You think we didn’t call for backup?” Ward crossed to the front of the SUV at a crouch. “State troopers are on the way. They know your name, Hume. They know everything.”

“You’d say anything to get your hands on her,” Hume snapped. “She’s mine and there ain’t shit you can do about it.”

Della let out a sound of protest before Hume choked her into silence.

Ward twitched against the trigger. “There’s still a chance for you to walk away, Hume. Let her go. This doesn’t have to end with you in a body bag.”

“Fuck. You.” Hume dragged Della behind the SUV.

Ward’s goggles were good, but they weren’t heat sensitive. They didn’t penetrate through heavy metal. He circled around the back of the vehicle to keep them in his line of sight. It killed him that he had to talk this psycho down instead of just rushing him like a linebacker, but if he did that he risked Della getting caught in between them. Or worse. He had a feeling Humewould break her neck if he was pushed too far. “There’s only one way out of this for you. Let her go. Walk away.”

“You think you’re in charge here?” Hume clutched Della to his chest with one arm while he patted his way toward the driver’s side door. “She’s coming with me.”

Della made a primal sound, half agony, half rage, as she twisted in Hume’s grip.

At first, it looked like she’d kissed him. Until Hume drew back, face covered with blood.

“You bit me. You fucking bit me! Bitch! ” Hume shoved Della away from him, then ducked around to the front of the SUV, out of sight.

Della hit the ground with a scream of pain.

“Shit!” Ward holstered his gun and ran to her. He had to get her up and moving. Fast. “Come on. We need to get to the van.”

“Ward,” Della said as she struggled to get to her feet. “You came.”

“Always.” He heaved her up. They took a step, but Della sagged against him with a whimper.

“I can’t…my ankle.”

“Lean on me.” He thought about carrying her like a fireman would, but he needed his weapon hand free. Instead, he supported her with one arm so that her feet barely touched the ground as he rushed her around the back of the SUV toward the gaping hole in the wall. He could see the van parked just on the other side, no more than twenty-five yards away.

Twenty.

Fifteen.

Ward glanced over his shoulder.

The dome light flared to life in the SUV. Hume was going to drive out of here—and run them down in the process.

Ward sped up. Ten more yards and Della was safe.

The door slammed behind them. Ward listened for the sound of an engine roaring to life and kept moving.

Five yards.

“Door’s open,” Spencer said in his ear.

“Coming in hot,” Ward told him.