Page 36 of The Hero She Loves

The crack of a gunshot echoed across the valley.

He watched her jerk and slam into the wall of the cabin.

No.

Park leaped. There was another shot, and the bullet hit the dirt nearby. He crashed into Jenna, taking her to the ground. He covered her body with his.

“Jenna. Fuck,Jenna.” There was blood on her head.

Another bullet hit the dirt.

“I’m okay.” She lifted her hand. “It just clipped me.”

Olson had almost shot her in the fucking head. Park’s heart raced out of control.

They needed cover.

He lifted off her but stayed low. “Stay down.” He grabbed her arm, and they crawled around the side of the cabin and around the back.

There were two more shots, and a window shattered.

“He must have a sniper rifle.” Park scowled. “He fired the shots from far away.”

Jenna leaned back against the cabin. Blood was dripping down the side of her head.

There were no more gunshots.

“Inside.” He helped her up, then smashed his elbow through the window at the back of the cabin. “We need to stay out of view.”

He cupped his hands and gestured for her to use it as a step. He helped her climb through the window, then he followed her through.

She crawled over to the wall and leaned against it. He hated seeing the blood on her head. If that shot had been a fraction the other way, she’d be dead.

A dark emotion gripped him, like claws around his throat. Jenna being killed wasn’t going to happen, dammit. It wasn’t a fucking option.

For a second, he was thrust back to another place. He was running toward his fellow soldiers, trying desperately to save them from a bomb.

Thenboom.

“Park?”

He clicked back into the present.

“Are you all right?” She looked concerned. For him.

With his heartbeat thundering in his ears, he got his shit together and yanked his backpack open. He pulled out a first aid kit.

“Here.” He ripped the kit open, then pressed a wad of gauze to her wound. “We need to stop the bleeding.”

“Thanks.”

He swallowed. “Hold that in place.”

He quickly dug into his backpack and pulled out a set of binoculars. He crawled across the floor of the cabin and moved up below one of the windows.

“Park—”

“I’ll be careful.” He rose on his knees and looked out. Based on the shots, he guessed Olson’s general area. Through the binoculars, he scanned the far hillside. Nothing. All he could see were trees. But Parker knew Olson was there. Somewhere.