Page 38 of Some Like It Hot

Riley was trying to get to his knees, gave up and simply leaned back and slammed his feet into the man’s back.

It jostled the man, but he rolled and grabbed Larke around the throat, pressing down in a rear choke hold, the other hand banging her wrist on the ground.

The gun went off, a sharp bark that added heat to the chaos in Riley’s head.

He had to get his hands free. He twisted, fighting as the man pressed the air out of Larke’s lungs.

She finally released the gun and grabbed at his hold, trying to pry his hands from her neck.

“Let her go!” Riley yelled. “Let her go!

The man relented, pushed her away, and grabbed up the gun, training it on both of them.

Larke landed at Riley’s knees, breathing hard.

He just wanted to throw his body over her and not move.

The man grabbed Larke by the collar, yanked her to her feet, and shoved her against the wall. Turned to Riley.

Kicked him in the shoulder.

The room spun, turning gray. He landed on his side, drew up his legs, his teeth clenched, fighting the urge to throw up.

“Please. Please don’t—” Larke was crying.

“Turn around or I kill him.”

She turned. Put her hands behind her back. And now Riley really wanted to weep as he watched the man bind her.

You don’t try and fix me, and I’ll try not to get you into trouble, okay?

I’m sorry, Larke.

“Get up.”

The man was talking to him, and with everything Riley wanted to ignore him. To collapse right there and let the pain wash over him. But Assassin had Larke by the hair, shoving her toward the door, and no way was Riley going to let her out of his sight.

He pushed to his feet and staggered out after them, down the stairs, and out to Larke’s truck.

The man opened the passenger door and shoved her inside, to the middle.

“Now you, tough guy. You and your girlfriend are going for a swim.”

Riley’s gaze tracked, just for a second, to the lake beyond the house.

He was going to push the truck into the lake, locking them in.

Riley met Assassin’s eyes, a final word of negotiation on his lips, but he kept his mouth shut when he saw the man’s expression.

He wasenjoyingthis.

And right then, Riley knew.

This was why his father had gone to war, over and over. Why he’d shipped their family from country to country, state to state. Why he’d redeployed with the teams after he’d made his promise to retire.

Evil. Because it flourished when good men did nothing.

And that was the definition of honor. Showing up even when the fight was impossible.