If I was wrong, I'd get a bullet in the back.
I closed my eyes briefly, gathered my courage, then ducked low and stepped out, keeping as close to the walls and the thicker shadows as I could.
At the far end of the corridor, a door was open. Inside, two men were struggling. The one on the bottom of the pile—and taking one hell of a beating—was Tao.
I slid to a stop and pointed the weapon. I might not have fired a gun at a human target before, but I did have weapons training—though I'm sure Mom would have had a fit if she'd known just how extensive Riley's fight training had been.
Mom. My gut clenched at the mere thought of her. I thrust the fear aside and said, "Hey!"
The guard whipped around and reached for his weapon. He was fast, I'll give him that, and had the weapon in his hand between one heartbeat and another. But I didn't give him a chance to fire. My shot took him in the shoulder and flung him back against the wall. As his gun dropped to the ground, Tao twisted around and kicked it to the other side of the room.
"About fucking time you got here," he said, his hostile tone negated by the relief evident even through the swelling almost encasing his eyes. "I was beginning to think I'd actually have to free myself."
He'd obviously recognized my scent rather than my face. I grinned. "Have I ever let you down before?"
Amusement teased the corners of his lips. "Never, my sweet."
"So there was no need for impatience now, was there?" I squatted down beside the guard and pressed two fingers against his neck. His pulse was rapid but strong. He might be out right now, but I doubted it would last all that long. I removed his shirt, tore it into strips, then tied his hands and feet together. I used the remainder to stanch the shoulder wound. I didn't want him bleeding to death before Rhoan got here.
"Um, I could use a little attention myself," Tao commented.
I squatted beside him. His hands had been chained tightly behind his back, and his wrists were raw and bloody. The silver was eating into his skin.
"Azriel," I called softly.
Tao jumped when the reaper appeared next to him. "Damn," he muttered, "I wish you'd give some warning before you do that. You could send a less sturdy heart into failure."
"Given your heart is sturdy, I don't see the problem." Azriel glanced at me. "You wish me to melt the chain?"