Too easy. They’d had him trapped and he got out. No way should that have happened without more bloodshed and a hail of bullets.
He heard a noise behind him in the bedroom and sneaked inside, gun up. His gaze went to the window. Nothing there. If the attacker had climbed in, he was hiding well. Too well.
The dark hair came first, sticking out around the corner leading to his bathroom and closet. Then Makena’s face appeared.
“Are you okay?”
Makena whispered the question, but it echoed in his head loud enough to sound like a scream. With a finger over his lips, he gestured toward the window. He had to get her out, and there was only one way down from here.
He opened the bench under the window and took out the rappelling gear and held it out to her. “Here.”
She stared at the rope and the carabiner, the locking mechanism that would secure her to the rope. “Are you kidding?”
“No.” He opened the blinds, careful to keep the noise to a minimum, and glanced over the windowsill. The night was still on the ground below. He could see everything thanks to the security light he’d set up.
But they were running out of time. A second gunman roamed the house, and gunfire would bring people running. The police had likely already been called. His cover would hold, but Makena being at a second shooting in only a few hours would raise alarms. She’d be questioned, and Shane could not tolerate the idea of her sitting in a police station where he couldn’t watch over her.
“We don’t have time to argue.” The rope was set up and ready to go, just in case. The sheer drop would be rough on him but impossible for her, so she needed the equipment.
He hooked the rope in position and slid it through the hooks that would hold it steady for her to climb down. They didn’t have time for a sling and instructions. She needed to move.
With one eye focused on the door, he opened the window and shifted her until she sat on the sill.
She shook her head and clamped a hand down on his forearm. “I can’t do this.”
“Makena—”
She shook her head and her teeth chattered. “It’s impossible.”
“You can do anything.” He glanced at her, quick but deadly serious. “You unmask liars as a hobby. You have more guts than most people I know.”
“But I—” Her voice cut off and she ducked as gunfire pinged through the room.
“Hand over hand.” He gave her a push. “Down, then run.”
Just as her body slid over the edge, he ducked behind the bed. He had limited ammo left but another gun within reach. He could cover her as long as necessary.
Shots rang out for a few more seconds, and then silence. Shane looked up, took in the ripped comforter and shards of glass all over the floor. Dark clothing flashed in the doorway, then footsteps thudded on the steps.
Makena.
Shane raced to the window. She stood at the bottom, staring up. He didn’t wait. With one hand on the rope, he dropped out of the window. He held his body weight steady for a second, descending at a rapid pace, then giving up and jumping the rest of the way.
He braced for impact. His knees took most of the brunt. He bit back a groan as he landed. That would hurt later, but he couldn’t worry about it now. Snagging her hand, he took off, racing through the open yard at the back of the property to get to the parking lot. There they could duck in between cars and wait.
Their sneakers scrunched in the grass, then tapped across the concrete. Through it all, he never let go of her hand. He tugged, trying to keep the pace doable. She surprised him with her speed. Never complained or questioned, either. The woman impressed him in every way.
They slid to a stop by a truck and bent down. Shane watched for feet as he sent the emergency signal to Cam. Connor could mobilize fast, but Cam tended to beat them all to a site. Shane was about to tell Makena how proud he was when he picked up the shadow. A man moving around the side of the building. He could go one of twenty ways, but he headed for them. Straight for them.
The attackers showing up at her house was one thing. People following them here was another. Impossible, actually. Shane knew subterfuge tactics. He could break a tail. But now this. It was as if they had a homing device in... He looked over his shoulder at Makena. A tracker. The first guy had planted one on her. Shane would bet on it.
He’d handle that, but first he had to take care of the newest threat. He wanted to take the guy alive. Bring him in and let the team question him. But then the guy prepared to fire, and Shane took him down. One shot to the head and he dropped.
But there could be more, so that meant one thing. He looked at Makena and tried to figure out the best way to say it. Then he just blurted it out.