Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(73)

Destin covered his head when additional blasts struck the ground a few centimeters from his head. Sula rolled onto her side and released a series of defensive blasts. The move was enough to give them time to run to the seawall that outlined the property, and hop over it into the soft sand on the other side. They crouched down in the sand, their backs to the hard surface of the wall.

“I’ve got to stop him,” Destin muttered.

“Take this,” Sula said, handing him the laser pistol.

Another round of fire forced them to sink lower behind the concrete wall. Destin glanced down at the pistol and shook his head.

“No, you keep it,” Destin ordered, closing her fingers around the grip and pressing a hard kiss on her lips. “I love you.”

Destin could see the answer in her eyes. He didn’t need to wait to hear it. Staying low to the ground, he ran along the wall, keeping it between him and the thick row of trees their attacker was using for cover. He needed a distraction so he could jump the wall and use the cover of the trees to work his way around to the location where the laser fire was coming from.

He got his wish when Sula and another shooter opened up on the man. Destin could only guess that Cutter must have somehow survived the blast he had taken. Destin gripped the top of the wall, pushed off with his legs, and launched himself up onto the wall. He immediately sprinted to the row of trees that lined the sidewalk and led up to the planetarium.

In the distance, he caught a brief glimpse of their enemy shooter when he retreated back in the direction of the planetarium. Destin ran along the line, glancing at where the male was aiming his shots. He hoped to hell that Sula kept her head down.

The sound of the shuttle’s engines engaging helped add to the distraction. The male, realizing he was about to be left behind, gave up on firing and focused instead on reaching the top of the building on the off-chance that he could escape.

Destin followed him, jumping a low wall and running up the long curved decorative support that led to the glass roof. The male in front of him jumped off the support, swung his legs, then twisted and grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled himself up and over the side of it. Destin picked up speed and did the same. The muscles in his upper arms strained as he pulled the weight of his body up until he could roll over the edge and onto the glass.

He used his momentum to surge to his feet and raced after the man. The shuttle was beginning to rise off the ground. Destin could see the back platform was still down. A quick glance showed Cutter’s body half lying, half leaning down against the sun-bleached steps leading down to the water. From here, he couldn’t see Sula.

A fierce determination swept through Destin along with a rush of adrenaline. Destin surged toward the shuttle a second after the man did. They landed on the metal platform hard, one after the other, when the shuttle swung around. Their bodies slid with the force of the teetering swing of the spacecraft and they went over the edge, each grabbing for whatever support they could find.

Destin grunted when the man kicked him in the ribs. His fingers slipped and Destin struggled to keep his grip on the platform. Twisting his body, he scissored his legs around the man. The other male fought to break free of the hold Destin had on him.

Both men’s heads jerked up when the platform moved upward, beginning to close in preparation for flight. Destin glanced down. They were just moving over the water. If he fell into the shallow water from this height, he would either die or be permanently injured. His gaze jerked to the opening. They were running out of time.



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Sula watched in horror from the shoreline as Destin’s body flew through the air. Her hand rose to her mouth and she pressed her fist against it to keep from crying out. She reached out to steady herself when she saw he had made it onto the platform – for what good it did him when he slid off the side when the shuttle dangerously wobbled.

She moved along the uneven sand, keeping Destin’s hanging body within sight. A soft curse escaped her when she realized she would have to climb over the rocks if she wanted to keep him in view. Stumbling, she braced her hand on one of them and scrambled up.

“Don’t let go. Please… I can’t lose you. Hold on for just a few more seconds,” Sula whispered, unable to look away.

A silent scream escaped her when she saw the two men’s bodies falling. Without thinking, Sula dropped the pistol in her hand and kicked off her shoes. Running across the stones that had been placed like steps to stop shoreline erosion, she dove off the end of the concrete embankment.

In her natural element, she opened her eyes wide and struck out in the direction she had seen Destin hit the water. Her body rapidly cut through the frigid waters, even with the resistance of her clothing. Sula ignored the pain in her shoulder. Her body felt numb to anything but her search for Destin. In the murky distance, she caught a glimmer of white. She sped toward the faint glow.

Sula grabbed the familiar hand that was drifting upward. Destin’s eyes were closed and his body relaxed as he plunged toward the bottom. Her fingers closed around his, and she pulled his body up against hers, kicking her powerful legs to slow his descent. Holding him tight against her, she reached up to pinch his nose while her lips covered his in a life-giving kiss.

Breathing air into his lungs, she stared at the crescent shape of his lashes lying against his skin, willing him to accept the gift she was giving him and be alright. Her body strained to supply the needed oxygen for both of them.