Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(94)

Nick stumbled to his feet and jumped for Simone. He’d been concentrating so hard on combining their powers that he felt the bullet slash into her side. Panic seized his lungs. He jumped across the burning tarmac and caught her a second before she reached the ground. The force threw him back.

He wrapped his body around her, leaping up, and let them both spin through the smoke.

His shoulders hit the still-burning shack, and he rolled, taking her with him.

He impacted the cement hard. Pain exploded in his hip. His fangs dropped low, and he levered himself up on his good leg. “Plane,” he bellowed through the still-working comms, carrying the woman across the rubble.

She lay limp in his arms, out cold.

Zane reached his side, bloody and bruised. “I’ll take her.”

“No. You cover.” Nothing in Nick could release her at this point. He grimly made his way across the battlefield, reaching the steps to the plane.

Zane sprayed bullets into the abyss behind them.

The Enforcers hustled toward him, Daire carrying Kellach over his shoulder, and Conn carrying Moira against his chest while Adam covered their backs. They ran up the stairs, and Nick followed with Zane bringing up the rear.

Adam stood on the tarmac and waved them off. “Go. I need to find Tori, and I’m still an Enforcer for now.” His mask hid his face, but part of the material was smoldering. He covered them, firing at the Humvees, until they’d all gotten safely inside. Then, like the strategic soldier he was, he disappeared completely into the smoke.

The plane had several leather chairs, two tables, and a long sofa along one side. Daire dumped Kell on the sofa and hurried for the pilot’s seat, sitting down and igniting the engines. “Everyone take a seat,” he yelled.

Zane yanked the door shut and stretched into the copilot’s seat. Within seconds, he and Daire were working the controls together as if they’d done so for decades. Considering Daire had just mated Zane’s mother, it was a good sign. They drove the plane across fire and ripped concrete toward a smoldering runway. Nick dropped into a chair cradling Simone, his gaze focused through the windshield.

A Humvee careened across the runway, smoke billowing from it, guns firing furiously out the windows.

“Hold on,” Zane yelled.

The plane gathered speed, roaring down the airstrip, aiming right for the firing Humvee.

Bullets pinged against the windshield.

“Fuck,” Daire muttered, swerving to the left. “Faster. Go.”

Zane nodded, and the plane jumped forward, speeding up almost too fast.

Nick could make out the eyes of the men in the Humvee. He tightened his body around Simone, who hadn’t moved an inch.

Daire yanked up on the stick, and the plane slowly lifted.

More. God, go up more, more, more. Nick chanted in his head, leaning forward as if that would help.

The plane rose into the air, its belly barely missing the Humvee.

Good. His lungs compressed, and he frantically ran his hands over Simone. “Wake up, baby.” God. The baby. Was the baby okay? Calm. He needed to calm the hell down and help her.

He leaned down and nuzzled Simone’s neck. “Little bunny?” Her pulse was strong against his mouth.

She moved in his arms, and he leaned back.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and sparkling black eyes took his measure. “Did you see that?” she whispered, her voice hoarse. She winced.

He nodded. “We can combine powers and each get stronger than before.”

She coughed. “My side hurts,” she croaked.

“Okay. I need you to take several breaths to heal it. Relax and focus. You can do it.” His voice shook.

She pushed against his chest to sit up. Cuts and bruises marred her stunning body.

He allowed her to swivel her legs around to face him on his lap. “Simone?” The sense of tingling and healing came from her.

“How do you feel?” Adam asked.

She bit her lip. “Weird. I mean, I feel like me again, but I have to tell you, letting a powerful demon into your brain is just awesome.”

Nick leaned in and calmed himself with her scent. “Is the babe all right?” His chest hurt, and doubt assailed him.

She closed her eyelids and took several deep breaths, obviously working through her body. Finally, she nodded. “Aye. I feel fine, and I can sense the little person.”

Everything inside Nick released and relaxed. “Boy,” he drawled, his body shutting down as it healed itself. Relief was a balm to him. His family was all right, and he’d make sure they stayed that way.

“Girl,” she countered, snuggling right into his neck, her lips against his jugular. “Is everybody else all right?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said, running a hand down her back.

“Aye.” Moira sat in Conn’s lap next to Adam, blood pouring from her temple. “We just cleared cloud cover. Take that, Guard.”

Conn winced and ran a finger over a cut above her eye. “Heal that or I will,” the vampire muttered.

Moira nodded and closed her eyes. The tingles of healing filtered through the air.

The plane went silent as everyone set to healing themselves, and the pop of energy coursed through the oxygen. Nick closed his eyes and laid his head back, allowing his hip to pop back into place and the bones to knit together.

His woman patted his heart. “Thank you for catching me.”