Chapter 23

Jude picked her up and ran. His teammates formed a barrier, but Nadege was on the plane and Dresden’s men—the ones who hadn’t fallen to Endgame—were fleeing. The plane’s engines screamed and it took off, fleeing the destruction Dresden had wrought.

The military helicopter that had peppered Dresden and his men with artillery shots made another appearance, but it was too late.

“Piper sent the cavalry,” Vivi said over their earpieces. “She’s going to land it, Endgame. Get Ella and your asses on board.”

“Is that Loretta Bernstein?” Rook asked in disbelief.

Jude heard him but didn’t give a shit if it was the pope. He had to get Ella somewhere safe.

“Put her down, Keeper,” Brody demanded. “We’ve got to look at her. She’s losing a lot of blood.”

Jude could feel it running down his arms. But put her down? He wouldn’t do it.

“Keeper!” King yelled. “Put Ella down, now. That’s an order, soldier.”

Fuck his orders. Jude glanced down and saw her pale face lolling against his chest.

“She needs help, man. Put her down!” Brody yelled this time. It was his voice, so broken and grating, that finally got through to Jude.

He lowered Ella to the ground and stood. “Help her,” he demanded of the woman, Anna Beth Caine.

Her gaze was glassy, she was only half-dressed, her clothing having been torn either during her captivity or the run from Dresden’s house, and she wore Ella’s vest. The vest that could have saved Ella’s life. The vest that had indeed saved Anna Beth’s.

The woman shook her head. “I-I-I can’t,” she cried out, and it seemed to be a plea.

Jude leaned down in her face. “Help. Her. Now.”

“Keeper, goddamn it, stop this shit,” Brody demanded, his broken voice no longer moving Jude.

Suddenly, the woman shuddered and seemed to come back to herself. She lowered beside Ella and began checking the gaping wound in Ella’s lower chest. Knight handed her a first-aid kit, and she took it cautiously as if it were a snake about to bite her.

“Hurry up,” he said, his voice cold and brooking no argument.

Jude glanced behind Brody and saw the helicopter landing. Wind whipped all around him as he stood over his woman, protecting her from the goddamn air because he hadn’t been able to protect her from Dresden’s bullet.

Anna Beth Caine worked over her, shoving something inside her chest. A gasping cough, and then Ella was breathing again.

“Bullet collapsed the lung,” Anna Beth said, her voice trembling. “I can’t do much more.”

“Just keep her alive,” Jude demanded, uncaring that he was probably making an impossible request. “She dies, you’ve got a problem.” He would never hurt a woman, but he was gone, and though he recognized it, he couldn’t stop it.

He’d watched Ella fall. Dresden had shot her and laughed, and because he’d been using Jude’s woman as a shield, Jude hadn’t shot him first. Hadn’t killed him. Brody had taken the kill shot.

“You guys screw it up for her again?” Lo-Lo Bernstein’s voice sounded from behind them.

“Shut up, Lo-Lo,” Rook hissed.

“Yeah,” came a woman’s voice behind Jude. “Shut up, Loretta.”

Georgia had made an appearance.

Loretta smiled, and it was ugly. “Send a child to do a woman’s job? Poor Gray Broemig. He’s desperate now, eh?”

“I’m not here for your boss,” Georgia said, her voice arctic.

Loretta cocked her head. “Who?”

“The Piper,” Georgia said. “He’s not real happy about you cavorting with Baron in Moscow. Got a lot to answer for, Lo-Lo. Shall we?” she urged, holding out a hand and gesturing for Loretta to follow her.

“She’s tight in the turns, Your Highness. Make sure Knight knows that,” Loretta said softly. And then unbelievably, the former CIA operative followed Georgia, and both women disappeared into the trees.

“Load her,” King said.

Jude picked up his heart and placed her in the chopper. Blood seeped from Ella’s lower chest, though more sluggishly now.

“She’s going to live,” he said.

“She is,” Brody said. “She’s not going to give up.”

“Knight, there’s a Ukrainian air base about thirty minutes away. The on-base physician will look Ella over, make sure she’s as stable as we can get her. From there, you’ll load onto a transport plane and head to Odessa. That’s an hour and a half from your location. I’ll have medical staff meet you at the airfield. I’m downloading coordinates to the copter’s autopilot,” Vivi said over the comm units.

Ella didn’t open her eyes, but she was breathing. It was labored, but she was breathing. Breathing was good at this point.

“Don’t let her bleed out,” Jude demanded.

“She’s not going to bleed out,” Anna Beth snapped. “But you should know, I’m a psychiatrist by training, not a trauma doctor.”

Jude clenched his teeth against his rage. The woman once again on her knees tending Ella wasn’t responsible, but Jude wasn’t logical at the moment.

He’d watched her fall.

His heart had stopped.

And if hers didn’t continue to beat, he might damn well follow her.

“Get her as stable as you can,” Brody told the woman.

Anna Beth nodded and went about cleaning the wound. “I need to pack this wound,” she said.

Jude pulled off his outer shirt and vest, then tugged off his undershirt and handed it to her. “Use this.”

“Can you hold her?” she asked softly.

Jude went to his knees and lifted Ella. She didn’t make a sound. The puddle of blood beneath her scared the hell out of him. He held her though, refusing to stop.

He held her until medical staff boarded the plane in Odessa and pried her from his grasp. Then he followed her as far as he could—until Brody stepped in front of him and Jude had to watch them wheel her away for surgery.

“Live for me,” he whispered.

“That’s all she’s been doing, Jude. That’s all she knows,” Brody said passionately, clapping a hand on Jude’s shoulder.

Then Jude sank into a chair near the OR and waited.