Old enough to be my father.
Andthatearned a snort. “In what world? I’m only twelve years older than–”
CRACK!
The storefront window behind Violetexplodedas a bullet shot through the paine. Glass rained down like snowflakes in a blizzard, and my body moved before I could stop it.
In a second, I had one arm around Violet’s waist, the other over her head as I took us to the floor behind the nearest display.
Another shot fired, ceramic shattered, someone screamed and an alarm began to wail.
“Stay down.” I barked at Violet.
She had to be shaken, and terrified, and questioning every decision that led her here. I stole a glance to make sure she was okay only to see her almost completely unaffected. Her hands were over her ears, but she looked completely calm, like she’d done this song and dance a million times.
For reasons unbeknownst to me, unease pooled low in my stomach. Not like I had long to focus on the sensation, not with heavy steps tromping through the glass. Holding Violet close, I peered around the display
Three armed alphas moved through the store, at first I thought this was a robbery, they’d head to the register, grab the cash, maybe steal a few wallets. But, one crouched down and grabbed a brunette omega by the roots of her hair,using them like a handle to pull her up. Her alpha snarled, but another one of the men pressed the barrel of a pistol to his head, which stopped the alpha’s protests short.
After scanning the innocent omega's face, the alpha yanked her to the side.
“Check every omega in here, boss will have our heads if we go back without her,” one declared.
My stomach flipped, boss as in Logan Stellar. Violet's breath hitched as she started to shake, brave facade officially faltering. She didn’t make a sound, didn’t draw attention to herself, but I felt it the second her fingers fisted in my shirt.
That was it.
No one was touching my omega. I didn’t care who they were looking for. I didn’t care what name they were using. I didn’t care whose war this was supposed to be.
They had brought it into my territory.
One of the men stepped closer, eyes sweeping the room, nostrils flaring like he was scenting prey. He took one look at Violet and smiled.
Which was the wrong fucking move.
“Stay down, sweetheart,” I soothed. “Don’t open your eyes until I say so.”
Violet nodded before pulling her legs close and hiding her face in her knees. And, that was my cue to get this party started.
I stood, drawing the attention of all three men. The first two paled the second they saw me, eyes widening, but the third one was smart–or maybe exceptionally stupid–and tried to raise his gun.
I closed the gap between us before he could finish the motion before slamming into him, shoulder first. He flew into the nearest display rack, and the gun discharged, causing a stray bullet to fire directly into the fluorescent light above.
Glass and sparks rained down, but I didn’t let that stop me.
I grabbed the man by the front of his collar and yanked him toward me before bashing my forehead into his nose as hard as I could.
Sanguine blood spewed out from his nostril, spraying down my nice white shirt as I let go of him, allowing him to crumple to the ground as I grabbed his recently abandoned gun. When I looked around and tried to reassess the situation, I noticed both men scrambling to reach Violet, which absolutely wasn’t going to happen, not under my watch.
I raised the gun and fired toward the ground once. The shot shattered tile inches in front of the first man’s foot, sending shards skittering. He skidded to a stop with a startled shout, hands flying up.
The second didn’t slow.
So I closed the distance instead.
I crossed the floor in three strides and slammed into him from the side, driving him away from Violet and into a display of bassinets. The metal frame collapsed under our combined weight. He tried to hit me; I blocked it and drove my elbow into his throat, cutting off the sound before it could turn into a scream.
I tried to grab him by the throat, but white hot pain pierced my shoulder.