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"Like hell!" Crista snarled She wasn’t going toseemed to happen simultaneously then Crista threw herself in front of Alex’s car, hitting the ground as she heard a bullet ricochet off the unfire

She rolled to her back, watching as Johnny took the first bullet to his head, the second, third, and fourth to his chest His body jerked violently as blood sprayed around hi’s voice screa around her, jerking her to the other side of the car, his hands running frantically over her "Are you okay? Crista, baby, answerthrough her head, pounding into her brain as shock began to shudder through her

"Oh God," she whispered, feeling the darkness edging around her "I’ faint"

His face swam in front of her vision as her lashes fluttered

"You faint on me, and I swear to God I won’t fuck you for a week," he snarled, his voice low, his expression violent "Don’t you dare, Crista Ann"

Won’t fuck her for a week? Could shethrough her?

She sh the darkness

"It’s okay Week works" And she gave in to it

There were no wounds The only blood on her hat had splattered fro herself to the ground, and tears tracked her face

She was pale, but she was breathing

Dawg clasped her to hi his face in her hair as he realized he was shuddering and tears were escaping froainst his chest

She was alive Dear God, she was alive, she was safe She was safe, and nothing else et her, feeling the silent sobs that racked his chest

He had no idea howon her Until he saw the er His world had narrowed down to one thing To stopping it No matter what it took No matter how much blood Johnny shed or whether or not Cranston had his suspects

Then the forest had exploded with gunfire

"Dawg,lifted his face froe face paint, the fear in the other e contours of his expression

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Dawg snarled, his hand pressing Crista’s head closer to his chest "Where the hell were you when he was pointing the gun at her chest?"

Alex’s sht as he sat back on his heels and indicated the four other si this little event for the authorities," he stated "Tyrell had point; he put one of the bullets in Grace’s head I suspect Natches can take credit for the other one Mark" He waved his hand to the hard-eyed soldier at his side "Crista stayed with hiency nuh Mark He pulled in sohanistan We pulled in here at et the information on the op here and we followed Johnny in"

"You hly, his hand pressed at Crista’s back, feeling each breath

"I had a feeling she was being pulled into sohed "I had everything in place just in case"

"Everything but the e snapped "Son of a bitch, Alex, don’t you think she needed it?"

"If she had it, she wouldn’t have gone to you," Alex told him then "I wanted her where she needed to be"

"She didn’t coot her ass killed in a warehouse during the attack weweapons

Grace set her up, Alex She almost died there"

Alex paled "She didn’t call you?"

"Not even on a fucking dare" Fury was pounding through hied to save her ass Otherwise, I’d have to kill you now"

"Hell, I didn’t know she was that da the face paint he wore as he stared around the clearing "I’ll have to have a talk with her about that"

"The hell you will" Dawg gathered her closer as sirens wailed along the rough track leading into the cabin yard "Tellmedic here so behind him "Get your pack and check her out

Where’s Cranston?"

Alex rose to his feet, his in-charge voice echoing through the area as Cranston cursed in the background

Tyrell Grayson ca to her neck, his expression concerned

"She lived with you?" Dawg snarled "Slept with you?"

Hard lips kicked up in a grin "Mark and I babied the hell out of her," he said then "See if you can do near as well"

Dawg’s gaze sliced to Mark Lessing Both erous as Alex and just as hard There wasn’t an ounce of softness in them

"Thank you" He had to force the words past his clenched teeth "For taking care of her"

Ty nodded sharply "That’s us Protector of broken hearts Take better care of her this ti to break your bones"