Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(93)

Simone shoved wet hair from her eyes and tried to focus. The spotlights lit up the small tarmac with a brightness that hurt. The Enforcers stood still over to the left, muscles tensed, weapons down. Daire grabbed his fallen brother and jerked him upright. Blood trickled from above Kellach’s bulletproof vest, so at least one bullet had found its way through the protection. He wavered but managed to remain standing, fury on his broad face.

Nick’s vest smoldered, but he stood steadfast, with Zane at his back.

They were outnumbered by far. If she didn’t surrender, somebody would surely die.

The pilot of the small plane kept his gun pointed at her.

Slowly, she raised her hands, palms out in surrender.

Phillipe Sadler was instantly by her side, a gun pointed at her ribs. “There’s a hefty reward for your capture. Did you know that?”

“No.” That was fast. But it wasn’t like the Coven Nine to mess around. “So, this was your plan?”

“This was plan B in case of attack.” Phillipe leaned in to whisper. “I told you plan A with my mother taking your powers. Now, because your friends have tried to intervene, you’ll go with the Guard and be killed. You would’ve been better off with my plan.”

Being powerless for a couple of centuries certainly did trump death. “I woulda taken your mother’s powers as well as yours,” Simone said, her gaze on one Humvee slowly making its way onto the tarmac. Perhaps if she ended up in a prison cell, she could employ her original plan. Were the people she’d hired still in place? Somehow, she doubted it.

Nick took a step toward her, and lasers pinged the ground in front of him. He halted and looked up.

“Nick!” She waited until he’d focused back on her before shaking her head. If he employed a mind attack at the helicopter pilot, everyone around him would start firing.

Tension rode the wind and swirled around. One wrong move on anybody’s part, and the Guard would blow most of them up.

She kept her hands up and waited.

The Humvee rolled to a stop mere yards from her, the door opened, and Peter Gallagher stepped out.

She tilted her head. “This isn’t Coven Nine territory,” she yelled at the current Coven Nine leader through the gathering storm.

He nodded. “I understand, but we’ve been attacked on our own ground by demons and rogue Enforcers.” Taking a deep breath, he slowly looked around and then grabbed a communicator to press to his mouth. “These are enemies of the Nine. Take them out.”

A missile impacted the ground near the Enforcers, sending them all flying through the air along with concrete and debris.

Simone screamed.

Nick and Zane leapt into motion, heading for her, their faces intent. A missile slammed into the concrete before them. Fire flashed into the sky.

The world slowed.

Simone partially turned, her gaze narrowing to peer through the smoke and falling concrete. Nothing. “Nick!” she yelled, panic rippling through her.

Nothing.

The helicopter above her shimmered and turned. They were going to shoot again.

She couldn’t lose him. Not now.

“Let me in, Simone,” he bellowed. “Let me in your head. We can do it.”

It was the only way. She loved him. He was worthy of that, and he’d protect her brain. Trust. They needed such trust to protect their babe. She nodded and settled herself, mentally shattering every shield around her brain. Energy resonated through her, filling her veins. Emotion, raw and pure, pulsed inside her chest, filling her to overflowing. Her muscles snapped. A burning sensation spiked just beneath her skin, flaring out with sharp barbs.

Nicholai Veis was in her brain.

Panic attacked her liked heated knives. What the hell?

Pain. Raw, desperate, complete pain torched her nerves. Wait a minute. It was Nick. She relaxed. Suddenly, the sensations stopped.

Fire danced along her skin.

A mind attack shot out with the power of Nick’s brain as well as her complex genetics. God. The rush was f*cking amazing. She turned her head to find Phillipe staring at her, his face stark-white and his mouth wide open with blood welling from his lips. He backpedaled away.

“Kill her,” Phillipe yelled as he kept running.

Rage filled her, and she swung out, throwing bright pink fire with Nick’s power to hit Phillipe in the back. He flew through the air and landed hard on the Humvee, glass slicing his neck and his head rolling away. She’d killed the bastard. Gunfire erupted all around them.

Nick shot up at the nearest helicopter while Zane hit the other one with a series of green blasts from his gun. Metal burst in every direction.

Shouts sounded from the Humvees, and the glow of lasers filled the now-darkened tarmac. A cry of pain echoed up from Moira.

Simone hissed and turned around, aiming the deadly fire toward the Humvees. She’d had no idea she could combine her powers with Nick’s in such a devastating way. So this was trust. True trust. The wind whipped against her body, and she shifted slightly, removing resistance, throwing fire.

Men screamed, and one of the Humvees blew up, throwing glass into the air. Two other Humvees careened in reverse, flames erupting from their windows.

A bullet impacted her side. Pain ripped through her.

She screamed, and the ground rushed up to meet her.





Chapter 36