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"We have a hostage situation," he barked into hisProceed with extreme caution"

Marlene tried to sit up, but Donovan shoved her back down, his body covering hers "Stay down, Ma"

She looked up at Saet her out of there She thinks she’s going to die"

Sam closed his eyes

"She told me to tell you she loves you and that she never lied to you," his mom said in a tearful voice

"Sweet mother of God," Garrett said in a strained voice "Son of a bitch!"

"What?" Sa in his brother’s direction

Garrett held up the key It wasthe leather tie, the one she’d held in the sarenade

"She renade"

Sahtened He reet his hands on the key How much more determined would she be to keep it from her father?

"Oh dear God," he whispered "He’ll kill her"

Ethan picked hirabbed at his mom’s hand

"Ethan," shehere? Where is Rachel?"

"She’s safe, Ma," Ethan said gruffly "Thank God you are too"

Marlene looked anxiously back at Sa after her? You won’t just leave her there, will you?"

"Sam, I’ll radio for a helicopter I can have your o I’ll stay here with her"

"I want the rest of you to go with Moht Your job is to ets out of here alive"

"Bullshit," Marlene snapped

Five pairs of eyes stared at her in surprise

"Your brothers would never let you go back in alone Your father raised you all better than that You get back there and savewoman who just traded her life for mine"

"Don’t worry, Ma," Donovan said "We weren’t going to let the du heavy fire," Steele said in Saazes finding his

"Let’s go," Sa this bastard take even one ofthat fool-headed feet herself killed"

SOPHIE wrenched herself free of her father’s grasp as soon as the doors closed It felt like the stone being rolled over a toh

Her thurenade It would be so da, no matter what she may have said

"Put the pin back in, Sophie," her father said

To profusely and shaking Alex stared at her through the narrow slits of his eyes--cold eyes that betrayed no fear Was the man made of stone or was he just that convinced that he was indestructible? For that matter, she’d shot him and yet he’d survived Maybe he was invincible

"I s-shot you"

The corner of his mouth lifted into an almost sht you had it in you"

Then his eyes changed, growing cold as anger flared in the depths

"You putthat gun at ht she’d won You can’t kill renade again when Alex moved in her direction Her hand shook, but at the moment she didn’t care if she concealed her fear from her father She was done with it She was done with him

"Stay away from me and my baby"

"Give ive birth to your brat"

A burst of hysterical laughter escaped her He didn’t realize yet that she didn’t have the key

Tolanced in his direction, Alex rushed her He grabbed her wrist and twisted painfully until the grenade dropped from her hand to the floor

The leather tie drifted doard, and both Torenade Alex reached it first, snatched it up and hurled it through the doorway and down the hall

Sophie hit the floor, her ar her belly protectively

The blast rocked the house, and plaster and wood rained down on her head Recovering fast, she got to her hands and knees and crawled across the debris-covered floor

A hand circled her ankle and yanked her back She rolled defensively and came face-to-face with the furious eyes of her father

Dust and bits of the ceiling plaster covered his hair, and he held up the leather tie with his free hand

"You fucking bitch, where is the key?"

Self-preservation kicked in, and she struck at hiainst his hold, she fought to gain purchase with her hands, pushing against the floor in an attee

Hope bloo in an effort to keep up with her His pants leg was ripped from the knee down, and blood dripped onto the floor

With another desperate kick, sheover the floor toward the doorway on the other side He was on her in two seconds, his body landing clu filled her ears as his hand curled into her hair He yanked viciously, and when her head came up, he slapped her across the face