Jack (Eidolon Black Ops #8) - Maddie Wade Page 0,33

Queen, but before she could reach her Jack had pushed her to the ground. The next round came with a grunt from the man holding her, telling Astrid it had hit him.

“Get Wilma out of here.” His voice was muffled as he pressed her into the ground. “Find the shooter, Nate.”

Screams from the crowd filled the air as the police tried to keep control of people panicking when what had happened sunk in and the threat to their own life, no matter how small, filled them with adrenaline.

Bile and panic squeezed her tight as Jack shouted into his comms. A group of men in suits broke off as the royal car sped towards them and Eidolon got the Queen safely into it before it sped away with Blake at the wheel.

The weight on her back released and she felt Jack take her arm and haul her to her feet and against his body as he looked around.

Blood was pouring down his jacket from his shoulder, but he didn’t seem to notice it as he barked orders at someone through the comms. A second car appeared, and she saw Liam driving as the door flew open and Jack pushed her inside. She turned, panicked that he’d leave her, a sense of fear she’d never felt before filling her as she grabbed for his arm.

His eyes moved over her as he got in beside her, and the car was moving before the door closed.

“You’re bleeding.”

Jack looked at his arm and winced as if only just realising he’d been hit.

Liam looked at them in the rear-view mirror. “You need a hospital, boss?”

Jack shook his head, but she could see by the lines around his mouth that he was in pain. “No, it’s just a scratch. Waggs can take care of it.” His hand took hers and squeezed lightly. “Are you okay?”

Her eyes bugged. “Me? Yes, I’m fine. I’m not the one bleeding.”

His eyes twinkled, and his lips twitched as if he wanted to smile, which at a time like this was ridiculous. “Worried about me, firefly?”

“No.”

They both knew she was lying, so she turned the tables. “Why did you throw your body over mine? The Queen is the priority, not me.”

Jack’s jaw tensed, and a lethal look came over his features. “Not to me, it seems.”

Astrid didn’t push him on that. He’d shown more than he ever had how he felt about her with that one action, which could’ve cost him his life. He liked her at least a little bit, and it was more than the sex they’d yet to have.

He pressed his comms and cocked his head as if he were listening and she saw his eyes move to Liam before turning to her. “The Queen is secure and Nate took out the shooter.”

“That’s good. Do we know who it is?”

“Not yet, but my team will find out. Fortis is going to make sure the Royal family is safe while we run point on this.”

“You’re still bleeding, you know.”

His thumb rubbed over her pulse. “I know, firefly, and Waggs will fix me up back at the hotel.”

They remained silent until they got back to the hotel where Waggs met them. Jack never let go of her hand as they went up in the lift to the top floor and walked towards Jack’s room where Waggs would meet them after grabbing everything he needed to treat Jack. She had no clue if they’d try and kick her out, but there was no way she was going. A base part of her needed to be close to him, to see for herself that he was really okay despite the bullet hole suggesting otherwise.

Astrid had seen her fair share of blood and gore, from bullet wounds to knife wounds and everything in between and it never got to her, but this one did. She was having a hard time not throwing up or passing out.

Jack sat on the couch, and she scooted into the other side giving Waggs room to work as he cut the ruined jacket and shirt away. Her eyes couldn’t seem to leave the wound, which was oozing blood down the muscular bicep that had saved her.

That was why this was different; this bullet had been intended for her and Jack jumping in front of it meant he could have died to save her. Waggs continued to work, but Jack’s eyes were on her.

“Astrid?”

Her head felt light as she stared at the broad chest covered with spatters of blood, an inch