Ruler (Wolves of Royal Paynes #2) - Kiki Burrelli Page 0,98

second, though I noted a lack of large artillery. They didn't want to risk collapsing the tunnel overhead.

It had been ages since Dog and I had faced these kinds of odds, and the last time I'd been too drunk to remember. I dropped behind the crate the moment before a bullet lodged into the cement wall.

I scratched the top of Dog's head. "It's been a while, friend."

Dog nodded. I didn't need to know his thoughts to know what he was thinking. My forehead pressed against his, and the old curmudgeon actually let me hold that position for a second—but only a second. He pulled back and shook his head, uncomfortable with the mushy stuff.

"You're a good dog." I risked a finger, patting him again on the head. "Now, go have fun."

Dog took off like a cheetah, sailing over the stack of crates and jumping right in the middle of the group of soldiers manning the line. Watching him work his way through the string of soldiers was like watching a bowling match if the pins all ran, screaming, while also trying to shoot the ball. There was no stopping Dog, not once he got into a flow. A bullet had the potential to stop him, but he moved too quickly, nothing more than a growling blur to each soldier before it was already too late.

My job wasn't quite as glamorous, but someone had to cover the rear and pick up the spares. I yanked the Humvee driver from behind the wheel, and the man passed out before I could do more than drop him on the cement.

Eventually, the army got smart and clumped together. They fired in the same direction, bogging Dog down between the wall and a stack of crates. He howled, the canine version of tagging out.

"Thanks," I said to the unconscious man before slipping into the driver's seat and yanking the Humvee in reverse. Now I was the ball, and the pins scattered, shooting wildly as they did. Several bullets hit the outside, driving into the armored plating without causing serious damage. I stopped in front of Dog's position, and he sailed in through the window, his muzzle dripping with blood. "Good boy."

I spotted the twins emerging from the doorway. They held up a man's body, but the person was too large to be David Grouse. Huntley and Jagger could've thrown that asshole across a room without breaking a sweat.

I honked, and Jagger pushed Huntley and the man back, crouching on the defensive in front of them. He spotted me and straightened, leaning around to get a look at the carnage we'd left. He lifted a single eyebrow, but we didn't have time to pat each other on the back.

Jagger wrenched the door open, turning to haul first Huntley, then the man inside.

The moment the smell hit me, my stomach clenched, and I snarled. "What the fuck is this?"

It had to be a trick, another illusion, like the wall outside. The twins couldn't have gone into the building and come out with a ghost. But a ghost was what I looked at.

He was thin, his muscle mass not even half of what he'd once had. His clothes were in tatters, filthy and reeking of waste, and his skin was sallow, but beneath the stench was his scent. It was definitely him. Pierce. The sixth alpha of our mercenary team. Our former leader.

"They're experimenting," Jagger explained as I threw the car into gear.

I pushed down on the gas, running over anything stupid enough to stand behind us.

"We found bodies, no David Grouse. They were all dead, horribly dead, but him. He's alive, barely. Dr. Tiff needs to…" Jagger trailed off, unsure about what the next steps would be. The man looked a breath from death.

Dog growled, and Pierce made a terrified, high-pitched sound.

My anger at not finding Grouse remained. I should've been pleased. They'd found Pierce. We hadn't known to look for Pierce, and that fact alone would be something each of us would need to deal with.

"We need to get out of here." I pushed the identity of our new passenger to the back of my mind. Who he was wouldn't matter if we died trying to get out. "We'll talk about all…this…later."

Getting out of the tunnel was easy enough, but everyone on the compound now knew we were here. Some of the men were still occupied with the distraction. It wouldn't be long before they realized there was no one on the other end of that