Give Me War - Kate McCarthy Page 0,41

Grudges hand. He fires off a shot, hitting a tree, before setting his arm back down.

They’re protecting me without question, setting up the evidence for self-defence. It’s what Valentine’s do. We take care of each other, no matter the cost.

I reach for the vest after Mitch removes her cuffs, quickly flicking open one of the straps.

“Wait!” Evie cries out when I’m reaching for another.

I stop.

We all stop.

And then I know, and I feel sick. “No.”

“It’s rigged to blow if I take it off,” she whispers, unable to look at me as she speaks.

I let go of the strap.

Mitch, Travis, and Mac walk over, all four of us staring at the vest while Evie stares at us.

My eldest brother works his jaw for a moment before tugging his phone free. He makes a call and puts it on speaker, holding the device out in the middle of our circle.

Rossiter answers. “Mitch.”

“We got Evie.”

We all hear his sigh of relief. “Thank god. And Grudge?”

“Neutralised.”

“Good.”

“How far out is the bomb squad?” Mitch asks, his voice grim.

“Shit,” Rossiter mutters, understanding the situation immediately. “We’re just turning in now. I can see your cars up ahead.”

My nostrils flare. “Hurry up.”

“See you in a minute.”

Mitch ends the call and the five of us stand quietly as we wait, the gravity of this new predicament giving weight to the silence.

Eventually hearing the crack of a branch, we all turn. They’re here. Rossiter, and four members of the NSW Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit are headed right for us. The vest is inspected and they share a look. Not the good kind, but the kind that leaves me uneasy.

One of the guys gets kitted out and another gives the order to step back. All the way back.

I take hold of Evie’s hand. It trembles in mine. I squeeze it. “They do this kind of thing all the time. You’re going to be fine.”

Her voice wobbles. “Of course I am.”

“Jared?” Rossiter takes hold of my shoulder. “You’re going to have to step back.”

I shake my head. “No.”

The Deputy Commissioner gives Mitch a look.

My eldest brother presses his lips together and steps forward. “Jared.” He takes my arm.

I shrug him off. “No.”

Evie swallows and looks at me. “You need to go.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“It’s just for a minute.”

My tone is firm. “I’m not leaving you.”

Mitch tries taking hold of my arm again. “The technician can’t do his job until you’re out of the way.”

“No!” I shout, pushing Mitch away. “I’m not leaving her!”

“Jared.” Evie is openly crying now. “Please.” She palms my face in her hands. Stretching up on her toes, she kisses me softly. “Think of our son. Think of Wolf.”

My vision blurs on her beautiful face. “Don’t ask me to leave you,” I beg quietly.

Evie smiles through her tears. “It’s going to be okay.”

I shake my head. “Remember when Jimmy shot you and I left you at the hospital, thinking you were better off without me?”

She nods.

“That was the dumbest thing I ever did in my entire life and when I got home, and got that ring on your finger, I promised myself I’d never leave you again, and I haven’t. I’m not doing it now.”

Mitch grabs my arm. Before I can jerk free, Travis grabs the other.

Evie’s palms slide free and she takes a step back, breaking my heart. Her chin lifts and her expression turns stoic. “Go.”

“No!” My brothers drag me backwards, their hold too strong. I can’t break free. Panic breaks my chest wide open. “No! Goddamn you, no!”

9

EVIE

The further they all move back, the more terrified I become. I’ve heard the term blast radius before, and I know how to apply logic. The bigger the bomb, the bigger the impact. Now I’m not the best when it comes to measuring distance, but a long fucking way away is how I’d describe where my family now stands, and that doesn’t bode well for me.

I swallow an unsteady breath, wondering how I ended up in this situation. Yesterday morning I was just your everyday troubled wife, running out the door for a surf and some last-minute present shopping with my best friend. Today I’m stuck out in the bush, strapped in explosives while facing off against the bravest team NSW Police has to offer, and instead of my husband giving me a loving Christmas kiss good morning, he’s standing back the aforementioned distance and watching me as if he can will me to stay alive by the power of his eyeballs alone. Mitch and Travis appear