Page 132 of Shattered By the Currents

The line cut out.Fuck.

Connor shoved the phone into his pocket and sped up. The forest was huge, but if Herbert was missing too, if he’d had something to do with this, then he had to check the man’s usual spot.

Zac sprinted behind him, both their steps fast but silent. They were almost at the river when they spotted the body.

Not Raven’s—Herbert’s.

Connor dropped to his side and touched his neck. “I have a pulse.”

As Zac checked over his body, Connor studied the ground, eyes narrowing on the disturbed dirt beside them. Then he saw the blood on the bottom of a tree. “There was a fight.” He looked back at Herbert. “He’s not mean enough to have been involved.”

“Herbert could have dragged Raven out here. Briar might’ve followed, hitting him over the head before taking Raven.”

Connor shot to his feet and tracked the marks in the dirt with his eyes.

“Go,” Zac said. “Find her. I’ll stay with Herbert.”

Connor started moving again. Slower this time, not taking his gaze off the prints. He stopped at the next area of disturbed dirt. Another fight. Then the prints continued.

Every step he took without eyes on her made that pit in his gut grow wider. He slowed when the prints separated. One second of indecision passed before he chose the ones closest to the river.

Glock raised and aimed, Connor continued.

When he rounded the tree, a rock flew at his head.

He ducked, then a shoulder slammed into his midsection.

He absorbed the impact, his gaze on the top of a blonde head. “Raven?”

Her face jerked up, relief clearing the storm from her blue eyes. “Connor? Oh God, Connor!” She wrapped her arms aroundhim and dug her head into his chest. “Thank God you’re here. It’s Briar! She wants access to that account, just like Xander. She hit Herbert and?—”

“I know. You’re safe now. You?—”

He saw the flash of movement moments before a gun fired. He dropped on top of Raven and rolled behind the tree.

The gun kept firing, footsteps growing closer.

“I’m going to kill both of you!” Briar screamed. “You ruinedeverything. You?—”

Connor leaned out just slightly on the other side of the tree, took aim, and hit Briar in the right shoulder with a single bullet. She cried out and dropped to her knees.

“Stay here,” he whispered to Raven, before stepping out from behind the tree, Glock still raised. “Drop the weapon, Briar.”

She moaned as she knelt on the ground, free hand on her shoulder, gun still in her left hand.

Ryan, Ethan, and Joel all rushed through the trees, their own pistols raised.

“You’re surrounded,” Ethan said quietly. “You have two choices. Drop the gun and surrender. Or die.”

Her chest moved quickly, hand still on her shoulder, blood seeping through her fingers. Her gaze shifted to the tree Raven still hid behind, angry fire shooting from her eyes.

“You won’t get her,” Ryan said.

“It’s jail or a fatal gunshot wound,” Joel pressed.

“Choose,” Ethan finished.

She looked away from the tree. To Ryan. Joel. Ethan. Before landing on Connor. “I didn’t kill anyone. I don’t want to go away for murders I didn’t commit.”