Hannah (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #2) (21 page)

“I figured,” Dominic said, as he peeked out the wooden shutters. “We’ll be ducks in a barrel out there.”

“We could be that sitting in here,” Hannah pointed out.

“True enough,” Dominic agreed. “The tree line isn’t that far.”

“What about everyone else?” Hannah really did need to be outside, but worry for her friends was making it hard to leave. What if they needed her help, right now?

“I’m pretty sure they can take care of themselves for the moment.” Dominic glanced at her. “It’s not like we’re running away.”

“I know. I just...” Hannah hated situations like this. There were never any good answers. “Screw it. Let’s go.”

Dominic gave her a nod, and slowly opened one of the French doors. He stuck his head outside, looking back and forth along the second story veranda. “Looks clear,” he said over his shoulder. The floorboards creaked the tiniest bit under his feet as he stepped out onto balcony.

Hannah followed, her head whipping about like a squirrel in an open field.

There were four sets of stairs that led down to the ground level, one on each side of the manor. The one on this side wasn’t more that twenty feet away.

Dominic dashed for them, Hannah hot on his heels. Just as he set his foot on the first step, something with the force of a sledgehammer slammed into Hannah’s chest. She flew back, landing on her butt, and continued into a backward somersault. Her head smacked on the balcony floor as she came to a stop on her back.

Hannah wheezed in pain from the throbbing in her chest.
I’ve been shot,
she thought in panic. Sure enough, when she glanced down at her shirt, the remains of a bullet that looked like a tiny crushed tin can lay between her breasts.

Dominic leaped over the bannister, and rushed the jerk that was now peeking around the corner of the house. The camo-clad gunman stepped out, leveling a long rifle at Dominic. Two silent shots flared from the barrel before her lover closed on their attacker. He moved so quickly, Hannah had trouble following him.

Within seconds, the rifle lay twisted and bent on the floor, while the grappling pair progressed into a melee of kung-fu action. Camo-guy was good; there was no doubt about it, as he dodged and punched in rapid succession, but Dominic was just too quick and strong.

Her lover snagged one of camo-guy’s fists after it nearly clipped his jaw. Bones popped as Dominic squeezed. Camo-guy screamed in pain, desperately trying to free his crushed hand.

Then it was over.

Dominic punched the guy’s throat so hard spittle shot through his mask. The assassin crumpled to the floor in a mangled heap.

Hannah sat up, and gave camo-guy’s twitching body the finger. “Asshole!” she croaked. Her reservations about the death of those trying to kill her were starting to wear a little thin.

Dominic was by her side in a flash. “Are you okay?!”

She nodded, and whispered, “You?”

The tattooes that had covered Dominic’s body were gone, but there was no sign of blood on his clothes. “Yeah, I’m good.” He pulled Hannah to her feet. “Looks like Alix’s magic really works.”

“Thank God,” Hannah mumbled. The pain in her chest still throbbed, and the newly acquired headache wasn’t helping her already shitty mood. She glanced down at her arms to see that one of the floral tats was missing. “Glad she did what she did.”

“We need to move,” Dominic replied. He took hold of her hand, and led her down the stairs.

“Who was that guy?” Hannah rubbed her chest where the bullet had struck.

“I have no idea. We can figure that out later. Right now, we’ve got to find some cover.”

They were halfway to the trees when the sound of gunfire came from the other side of the house.

“Shit!” Hannah yelled as she skid to a halt. “I can’t leave them!” She turned around and sprinted back to the house.

“Hannah!” Dominic called after her.

She kept running. She knew Dominic would just try to stop her. He was right, of course. It was smarter to take cover until they could make a move when they had the advantage, but it could be too late by then, and she couldn’t leave Miranda and the others to fight alone.

Hannah sped past the back patio, and ran around the side of the house. The scene she came upon looked like something straight out of an action flick: guns blazing and people diving for cover. Alix and Troy ended up behind a short retaining wall, while Nathan and Monica were pinned down near a stone table. Nancy was the only one not taking cover as she returned fire. Miranda and Rhea were nowhere to be found.

Half a dozen men dressed in camo crept out from the tree line, firing their rifles.

“Die, you bastards!” the crazed Nancy screamed between shots. “I hope you all burn in h—” The back of her head exploded into a shower of blood as a bullet found her. She collapsed like a marionette cut from its strings.

“No!” Dominic roared. He ran past Hannah, as she took cover next to the house.

“Dominic, get down!” Hannah yelled.

It was his turn to not listen. He rushed out to Nancy’s body, and began dragging her to one of the stone flower boxes surrounding the house. Alix and Troy continued to fire back at the intruders. Dominic took a hit, and tumbled to the ground, just as he got Nancy behind the box.

“Dammit!” Hannah cursed. She reached out to the trees with her power.

The men in camo were still close to the forest, but edged ever farther away.

The branches of a giant oak creaked in response to Hannah’s call. She willed it into action to attack those who invaded her home and shot her lover. Without warning to those nearby, the massive tree lashed out, swatting everything in range with its whip-like limbs.

Two of the gunmen were cut in half at the waist in a gory display of blood and entrails. Another was sent flying through the air some twenty yards before he came to a bone-jarring halt on the stone pavers next to the pool. His body twitched for a few gruesome moments before going completely still.

The remaining three assassins jumped out of the way in disbelief. It was the opening Nathan and Monica needed. Though wounded, the pair stood and took aim on the distracted gunmen. Two the intruders fell almost instantly from well placed shots, while the third made a break for the woods, away from the raging oak. He didn’t make it far. Nathan tracked him with his gun and fired. Blood sprayed from the man’s head as he fell to the ground.

“Dominic!” Hannah rushed over to him.

“I’m okay,” he said. “The tattoo...”

Hannah breathed a sigh of relief, as she knelt beside both he and Nancy. She looked down at the woman, and knew there was no hope for her. “I’m so sorry, Dominic.”

He nodded, his dreads sliding over his shoulders. “Me too.”

Hannah looked up at Alix and Troy as they approached. “Where are the others?”

“They headed to the front of the house,” Alix answered. “I don’t know where they went from there.”

“I’ve got to see if they’re okay,” Hannah said, getting to her feet.

“I’ll go with you,” Troy replied.

“
We’ll
go with you,” Alix corrected.

Dominic closed Nancy’s eyes, and then stood. “Let’s go.”

Nathan and Monica stayed put, as the four of them made their way to the front of the manor.

“Let me check it out first,” Troy whispered as they came up to the corner of the house. “I can take a few shots if it comes down to that.”

Dominic glanced at the stout red head. “All yours.” He stepped aside to let Troy pass.

Troy peeked around the corner, and then stepped out. “Looks like Miranda and Rhea have things under control.”

Hannah came out from behind the house to see that things were indeed handled. Rhea was still a wolf, and stood over the body of another gunman. Miranda was kneeling beside yet another man, talking with him quietly.

As the group approached, Hannah could see that the gunman beside Rhea was dead, throat torn out. The other was injured badly with a pool of blood spreading out beneath him.

“Who are they?” Hannah asked.

Miranda looked up from the dying man. “They were contracted by an agency I’m not familiar with. Not that I would know anyone who does this kind of thing, but I have my suspicions who’s behind it.”

Hannah nodded. She had her suspicions as well. Witch hunters came to mind, but these guys didn’t seem the type to dabble in the arcane. Also, witch hunters liked to do the dirty work themselves, not hire out, which brought her thoughts to Dongle Gas & Oil. She couldn’t say for certain of course, but the mega corp had more than enough reason to come after them. Dominic had warned her of their intentions. This kind of “full on” assault was a bit surprising though. She had expected something a little subtler.

The gunman made a gurgling noise, shuddered, and then went still.

“So, what now?” Hannah asked, as she looked down at the dead man.

Miranda got to her feet. “We take these bodies to the grove and dispose of them.”

The thought of disposing of someone, even if they were already dead, made Hannah a bit sick to her stomach, but she didn’t object. These guys were killers, and they had come to end the lives of everyone here. There were consequences for that kind of thing, and explaining all of this to the police would be more than a little awkward. It was better to take care of this situation themselves if possible.

“What about Nancy?” Hannah asked suddenly. “We can’t just put her with these guys.” She turned to look at Dominic. “Doesn’t she have family?”

Dominic shook his head. “No. Not anyone she told us about, but you’re right. She needs a place of her own.”

Hannah put a hand on his shoulder. “We can find a nice spot on the grounds for her.”

“I appreciate that,” Dominic replied. “So will the others.”

“Good,” Miranda said. “Let’s get this place cleaned up.”

T
he sun was just setting on the horizon, as Dominic spoke the last words over Nancy’s grave. The cozy glade where they buried her was on a hilltop on the southern portion of Coven’s Grove’s 160 acres. The view was beautiful here among the surrounding trees. Dominic had complimented Hannah on her choice for Nancy’s final resting place. Everyone was there except for Rhea. Miranda had asked if she would go out to the drill site where Kevin was killed, and see if she could find any evidence they might use in the future against the gas and oil conglomerate.

Hannah had already taken care of the assassins. Their bodies were now part of Coven’s Grove, buried deep within the forest. She was exhausted from the effort, and was ready to go back to her cottage to sleep for the next year.

“There will be more attempts on on our lives,” Miranda whispered in her ear, as Dominic recounted his memories of Nancy. “This victory was only temporary.”

“I know,” Hannah replied softly. She had come to terms with the killing. She would do what was necessary to protect her own. “I will take steps to strengthen our defenses.”

“We all will.”

“What of the police?” Hannah asked. Detective Graham White had come out to the mansion again to question Miranda about shots being fired. Having been called twice in one week about guns couldn’t be a good thing in the eyes of authority.

“I assured him that if there was any shooting, it wasn’t near the house.”

Hannah glanced at Miranda. “You didn’t wipe his memory of the incident?”

“No.”

Hannah frowned. “Why not?”

“The detective is a null...” That last word hung in the air like the stink of stale meat.

Hannah found herself at a loss for words. Nulls were rare, if not creatures of legend. They were extremely dangerous to witches, as they could not be affected by magic—at all. It was suspected in the history books that some of the most prolific witch hunters were nulls, but there had been no documented proof.

“I don’t think he realizes what he is,” Miranda continued. “Don’t worry. The situation is under control, for now.”

That didn’t make Hannah feel any less concerned. The fact that he was law enforcement, and not easily manipulated, posed its own set of problems. She didn’t challenge Miranda, however; this wasn’t the time or the place.