DONOVAN (Book Three)

FORTY-NINE

Carefully, he looks over around the tree for a brief second before pulling back. "Eddie is here."

My heart, in shock, creates a wave of worms spreading all over my skin. But at the same time, my teeth are gritted between my teeth. The feeling of fear and rage swims all over my body.

"Okay, Solomon," Eddie shouts. "I know you and Claire are hiding there. You have nowhere to run. You are surrounded. One move and I will have my men shoot you on the spot. Just hand over Sarah, and I will let you continue your lives."

Bullshit.

"If you don't return, Sarah, maybe I have his head."

Confused about who he was referring to, my instincts kicked in, thinking it was Don or Leo. I poked my head out to see two of his men throw Mordecai to the ground, all tied and beaten up.

"Come on, man, is this how you treat someone who saved your lives," Mordecai moaned from the impact of being thrown like a bag of grains.

I drop back down. "It's Mordecai, and he doesn't look good."

Solomon's peer then hid his head. "Fuck!"

"He probably opened the glass case and did a number on him."

"Mordecai is a master pick locker and a sharpshooter, but he is not as skilled in combat. I guess they jumped him before he could meet up at the pinpoint," says Solomon. I can see his brows form a 'v' on his face.

"Hello! Anybody home?" Eddie causes us to look through the bushes that had us covered. "Give me Sarah, or else your friend here will die."

"Solo, man, don't listen to him," Mordecai shouts in his hoarse voice. "Leave me and take Sarah safe away from this psycho. The point of this mission was to save the woman who took us in when no one else could. We need her; Don needs her."

"Shut the fuck up!" Eddie then kicks Mordecai in the abdomen, making him groan in pain.

"Is that the hardest you can kick?" Mordecai then taunts Eddie and spits out blood, grinning at him. "You kick like a girl."

The one thing I know about Eddie is that he doesn't like to be treated as weak, especially calling him kicks like a girl. He will lose his mind and become brutal.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He kicked Mordecai hard and cruelly until Mordecai could no longer have the energy to fight back. I can see the rage on Eddie's face. The memories of how he treated me made my skin crawl and my blood boil.

Eddie lost his stamina, kicking the unconscious man on the floor. I glance at Solomon. His face gives off an expression of murder just watching his good brother being beaten.

I need to think of something before Eddie kills Mordecai.

"Now that the pest has been exterminated. I will give you guys the count of five to hand to Sarah. One..."

Think Claire, think.

"Two..."

We can't just give Sarah to a madman.

"Three..."

Don and his friends did so much to rescue her. Giving her back to the enemy would make them think they had wasted their time and effort.

"Four...once I say the last number, I will blow this fucker's brains out."

I closed my eyes and thought of a way to solve this. I spot the handgun strap on Solomon's waist, and before Eddie says the last number, I grab the gun and Sarah and have us both show ourselves.

"Ah...Claire, glad you made your decision."

"CJ, what are you doing?" Solomon whispers through his teeth and tugs on my pants.