Hacking Mr. CEO (Billionaire Heists #3) by Anna Hackett

The assassin rose to his feet, cautious now, but angry.

Not a good combination.

They clashed again. Mav swung, grunted. He whipped his head to the side to avoid the knife, but paid for it with a fist to his gut.

Damn. He danced back. The asshole wasn’t holding anything back.

Suddenly, The Shadow whipped something off his belt and tossed it.

Fuck. Fuck. A grenade.

“Remi, down!”

Mav saw her drop.

The grenade clattered to a stop.

Nothing happened.

Shit, decoy. Mav was already whirling, but The Shadow was on him.

The knife slid into Mav’s side.

He met the man’s dark gaze and saw him smile.

Mav felt the blood run down his flank.

“No!” Remi’s scream made them both jerk.

The assassin stepped back, the blade sliding out of Mav.

He groaned. Shit. So much blood. He clutched his side.

He couldn’t go down. He couldn’t give up. He had to protect Remi.

The Shadow attacked again, and Mav blocked, and managed a front kick. But it was shaky. He was losing too much blood, and already feeling dizzy.

One leg went out from under him and he dropped to his knees.

He blinked at the blood on the floor.

The Shadow smiled, lifted the knife and advanced.

“No! You’re not taking him from me.”

Remi flew in, holding a laptop in her hand. She swung it like a bat.

It connected with The Shadow’s head.

The man snarled and swung at her. She leaned back.

Not quite fast enough.

Shit, no. Mav saw the line of red across her chest.

With a growl, she swung the laptop again.

This time it slammed into the knife and the assassin dropped it to the tiles. She hit him again, and again. She smacked the assassin’s head, chest.

“He’s mine. You don’t get to hurt him, asshole.”

Mav smiled weakly. His Rogue Angel.

“You don’t get to destroy more lives. I’m stopping you, right here, right now.”

The Shadow ducked, but she kept bashing him, fueled by her fury. She swung the laptop hard at his head. Crack.

With a cry, he fell, crashing into a table.

The back of his head hit the edge and he collapsed to the floor.

Breathing heavily, Remi kicked the man.

He didn’t move.

Good. Unable to hold himself up anymore, Mav tilted sideways and fell.

“Mav.” She raced to him. “Jesus, God.” She pressed her hands to his cheeks, then probed his side. “Stay with me.”

He felt the energy draining out of him. She made a terrified sound, then whipped her shirt off, leaving her in a lacy, black bra.

As she pressed the balled-up shirt to his bleeding side, Mav grunted.

Damn, everything was starting to hurt now.

“Remi, I love you.”

Her eyes filled. “You weren’t supposed to do that. I thought you didn’t believe in love?”

“I always have. My parents love each other so much. It’s uncomfortable catching them kissing, in the kitchen, in the hall, in the yard.”

Remi gave a hiccupping laugh. “It sounds sweet.”

“After Hannah, I cut myself off from love, hardened my heart.”

He lifted a hand to Remi’s cheek. He managed to smear blood on her skin. “You changed everything. My Remi. My hacker. My angel.”

A sob escaped her. “Oh God, Mav, I love you too.” She gulped. “I’ve been terrified about falling for you. Worried you’d leave me and break my heart.”

Like so many in her life had done.

“Never.” He stroked her silky cheek. “I want to protect your heart.”

“Well, despite you being a billionaire and having gazillions of dollars, I love you, Maverick Rivera.”

“Some women like the billions.”

She scowled. “Not me. I like your brain.” She kissed his forehead. “And your friendly, open personality.”

His lips quirked.

Then he saw movement behind her.

His breath froze in his chest. “Remi.”

She spun.

The Shadow rose. There was blood on his face. He scooped up the knife off the floor, and started toward them.

No. Mav tried to move, but his body wouldn’t obey.

Remi tensed, hovering over him protectively.

She had no weapon.

Fuck.

Suddenly, he heard a high-pitched whine. Then all the walls of glass in the atrium shattered.

Four men in black body armor burst into the huge space.

They raced toward them, holding black assault rifles up and aimed.

Vander stepped forward, face set and hard behind his rifle. “Drop it.”

The Shadow looked at the men, then dropped his knife.

“Boone,” Vander said.

Mav recognized Boone’s tall form. The man yanked out plastic cuffs and advanced on The Shadow.

“Clear,” a deep voice called.

One of the other men had circled around, checking for any more enemies.

Remi gasped. “Killian?”

Her boss nodded at her.

The fourth man, Ace, lowered his rifle and pulled out a tablet. “Okay, let me get the cops in here.”

Vander and Killian crouched beside Remi and Mav.

“Help him, please,” she said.

Killian slid a backpack off. He pulled out a first aid kit.

“Hang in there, Rivera.” Her boss started working on Mav’s wound.