Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(87)

Simone gasped. “Wait a minute—” She tried to stem the disaster. One woman wasn’t worth an all-out war. Her plan had been so much neater—she really should’ve shared it with everyone. But she truly hadn’t thought she’d need the plan. “Let’s take a moment before anybody gets hurt.” The guards settled their stances, preparing to attack.

The earth shook.

“What the hell?” Nick looked around and leaped to Simone’s side.

Peter glanced up, his jaw working. “In addition, only Council members have the codes to get weapons through the veil. An investigation will instantly be launched into Vivienne Northcutt, Brenna Dunne-Kayrs, and Brigit Dunne to see who relinquished the codes. Until that is concluded, they are also relieved of duty.”

Simone’s mouth dropped open, and temper finally exploded within her. “You bastard.” So Peter’s political agenda was finally out in the open. He’d just cleared the Council of pretty much everybody.

He smiled, his canines glinting.

The ceiling shimmered.

Earthquake? No way.

The world rocked, and explosives ripped through the ceiling, dropping rocks. A second later, a squad of five men jumped from above and down into the chamber between Simone and the Council.

She frowned, trying to see through the debris. “Bear?”

Her brother turned, relief sliding across his rugged features. “You’re not dead.”

“Not yet,” she said slowly, looking at the man to his left. “Flynn.”

Her other brother smiled. “Hi.”

The men behind them were armed and more than prepared for battle, based on the sheer number of weapons they carried. They’d gone through layers and layers of floors and rock to reach the chamber, and it was damn impressive they’d made it. Even with disaster surrounding her, Simone’s heart warmed.

Bear turned to face the Council. “Hi, *s. We’re here on behalf of the dragon and the shifter nations . . . let our sister go or you’re not gonna see another sunrise.”

Nick’s entire body vibrated, no doubt from the myriad of threats in every direction. “It appears you have a lot of family and friends, little bunny.”

She stilled and looked around. Three different groups had infiltrated the mystical chambers in order to free her. Her entire body settled, and she placed a protective hand over her belly. Her little one would be well loved and protected in this life. “How can we get out of here without anybody being harmed?”

Nick slowly shook his head. “Peter won’t back down.”

Neither could the guards. Running footsteps came from every direction. “More guards are coming,” she hissed.

Zane Kyllwood cleared his throat. “What’s it going to be here?”

“Attack,” Peter bellowed.

Nick instantly moved, grabbing Simone and running full-bore toward Zane.

She screamed and clutched his chest. “Put me down.”

The firefight erupted behind them with a snap of gunfire. Bullets whizzed by them.

Nick took a gun from Zane, leaped behind the demons, and kept going.

“Nick, we can fight.” Simone ducked as shards of rock continued to fall from the ceiling.

“Not with the baby,” Nick yelled back, zigzagging through another tunnel, which had been marked with fluorescent green paint. “Thank God Zane remembered the paint,” he muttered.

Nausea rose up Simone’s throat from all the running and jostling. She gasped in dusty air, trying to calm her stomach. Her head swam. Morning sickness sucked.

Nick took a sharp left, and the world spun. She coughed.

“You okay?” he asked, his speed increasing.

“I may throw up.” She settled her face into his neck, smelling salt, wild forest, and man. Every inch of her wanted to go back and fight, but Nick was right. The baby had to be protected at all costs. “We need to work on our communication skills,” she muttered against his skin.

“I should’ve told you, but I didn’t want you to worry.” Nick ran down a narrow tunnel, his boots splashing water up to her legs. “Sorry.”

She swallowed several times, her eyelids remaining closed. The air became lighter. Lifting her head, she gasped at the gaping hole in the exterior wall of the building, leading to a nearly empty parking area. “The demons weren’t messing around.”

“No.” Nick ran through the opening to a drizzly Irish day, where a quiet street led away from the green rolling hills. A car waiting by the curb exploded, and fire flashed out. “Shit. That was our transport.” Guards shouted and came around the far corner. At least six of them. “Hell.” He dropped Simone to her feet and turned, gun already firing.

A car careened around the corner, fishtailing and then flipping around. The passenger side door opened. “Get in,” Vivienne Northcutt ordered from the driver’s seat, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

Simone gaped. “Mother?”

“Now, Simone. More guards are on the way.” Vivienne shoved a gun onto the dash. Dressed in pressed jeans and a flannel shirt, she couldn’t look less like the ruler of the witch nation. “Now. Get in.”

Two guards plowed into Nick, knocking him back inside the building. He half-rose, throwing punches. “Go, Simone. Protect the baby.” A guard took him down to be immediately put into a headlock. Nick kicked the other guard in the face, and blood sprayed. Zane came into view and tackled two more of the guards.