Page 31 of The Hunted Wife

“Because I said so. Now, let’s go.”

Something has him scared. Does he know how close Adam is? It that why he’s trying to run?

Outside, Adam and his brothers moved silently through the forest surrounding the chalet. Snow crunched softly beneath their boots while security teams covered every possible escape route.

Adam watched the upstairs windows. One glowed faintly with someone standing behind the glass. Though he couldn’t make out who it was, he knew in is gut it was Millie. Close enough to touch, or to lose if he made one wrong move.

Gabriel’s voice came softly through his earpiece. “Movement inside. Multiple heat signatures moving downstairs.”

“They know we’re here,” Benjamin muttered in Adam’s earpiece.

“Then let’s end this,” Adam said through a clenched jaw. Before anyone could stop him, he ran forward toward the front door just as it burst open.

He ran at the first man out.

That man pulled his weapon.

Shots were fired.

The man went down but not for long. He was up and running for the SUV.

Adam took two steps toward her.

Ricard fired his gun.

The impact slammed into Adam’s chest like a sledgehammer. For one brief second he stayed upright, staring at Millie. Then the world tilted and he crashed face first into the snow.

"Adam!" Millie's scream tore through the night.

Millie tried to free her arm, but Ricard held tight. She needed to get to Adam. Her heart was breaking and she needed to know that he wasn’t really dead. He couldn’t be dead. Please, God, don’t let him be dead.

“Let’s get out of here before more of them show up,” Ricard yelled. He tugged her toward the SUV.

She dug in her heels, her exhales forming fog with each breath she took. “Let go of me!” Millie pulled with all her might to free herself from his grasp.

He tightened his hold while they rushed to the SUV as multiple figures burst forth from the tree line.

“Sullivans!” spat Ricard.

Millie grinned. “Yes, Sullivans. You’re done for now Ricard.”

“Not yet I’m not. Viktor! Do it! Do it now!”

Viktor took a small round object from his coat pocket. Then he pulled the pin and threw it.

“Oh, my God. A grenade.” Millie watched it land. Fear raced through her body, her blood pumped harder and her stomach churned.

The explosion rocked the clearing. Snow, dirt, and shattered branches rained down around the Sullivans, forcing them to dive for cover. Was that the farthest Viktor could throw? If so, the Sullivans knew not to go any closer than that. But would they do it? Would they stay back or would they face the bear in the den?

Ricard and Millie reached the SUV. He shoved her inside and climbed in after her. “Now, Viktor. Come.” He yelled at Viktor even as the man ran toward the car.

Viktor lobbed two more grenades and slid into the driver’s seat of the SUV, started the engine and gunned it.

Dirt, snow and gravel sprayed behind them as they drove off into the night.

Adam lay face down and still in the snow.

Benjamin reached him first. He pressed two fingers to his neck and looked up at his brothers, who ringed Adam’s body. “I have a pulse. Let’s get him turned over and figure out what we have.”