They went down together in a roll and growls tore from their throats. They fought like animals, slashed with their clawed fingers and bit. Justice used his legs too. He managed to wrap one of them around the other male’s thigh and jerked hard. The guy under Justice howled in agony, having his leg bent at the awkward position.

They rolled again until Justice ended up under the male but he pushed hard enough to throw his attacker into a wall. The black-clad figure hit it hard enough to damage plaster. Justice jackknifed his body and ended up in a crouch. He threw his body at the man who was trying to separate himself from the drywall.

They went through the wall and Jessie gaped at the big hole they’d created. She hated to leave the safety of the hallway but she couldn’t see Justice anymore. There was an archway to the other room she had never been in. Her house didn’t have the same floor plan. She ran for the archway.

It was a home office almost as large as the living room. Justice and the Species were separated, on their feet circling each other, each searching for a weakness. Jessie inched into the room and put her back to the wall. She didn’t want someone to creep up behind her but she couldn’t go farther into the room. A huge glass slider revealed darkness outside. Someone could come at her that way and it was too risky to get too close.

“We will never be led by a lover of humans,” the other man barked. “You shame us.”

Justice snarled. “You’re from testing facility five, aren’t you? You stupid bastard.

We built everything when we were freed so we could rescue you. You betray your own kind because of your hatred for humans? Did you not hear what I said to you? Did you not understand what our people have accomplished? We have found peace here.”

Testing facility five ? Jessie’s mouth fell open. That was the one in Colorado she’d helped raid. She stared at the man still circling with Justice and knew his guess had to be correct. The intruder was one of the males she’d help free.

“I am the best and I will win,” the man growled. “I will lead our people when your body is cold and I will snap the neck of your human female. I will show our people that is how to deal with humans. Death to them all for they have done.”

Justice roared and attacked. He didn’t seem to notice when the male grabbed for something behind his back but Jessie did. As Justice reached him, a knife flashed. She tried to yell out a warning but it was too late. Jessie screamed as the male threw Justice away from him. The man she loved hit the floor on his back, groaning and grabbed for his bleeding body.

“Hey!” Jessie yelled, pure rage flowing through her.

The man turned and growled.

“Lead this, f**khead.” She shot him in the face and emptied the clip into his body after he hit the carpet.

Jessie dropped the empty clip from the gun and ran to Justice. He clutched one hand over his hip but blood still soaked his boxers. His gaze locked with hers and she couldn’t miss the astonishment on his handsome features.

“He used a knife.”

Jessie jerked her head around, expecting the fifth male to attack. Justice bled badly and tears filled her eyes. She pushed his hand away and saw the ragged tear in his boxers. She dropped the guns on her lap, crouched on her knees next to him and tore the material wider apart. There was a jagged wound next to his hipbone that drew a sound of anguish from her. It looked bad.

A loud noise boomed and wood split in the living room. It sounded as if someone had kicked down the front door. She grabbed Justice’s hand to shove over his injury.

“Press here, hold it tight and don’t move. I love you.”

She grabbed the empty gun and reached into her shirt. Her hand smeared Justice’s blood all over her vest, shirt and br**sts as she yanked out the clip. She slammed it into the empty chamber as she rose to her feet. She gripped both guns in her fists and spread her feet apart to plant them on both sides of Justice’s hips.

It was a bad place to be as far as tactical advantages went. Windows were all around them—a huge glass slider and the open archway that led to the living room.

There was no cover. Justice was too heavy and too hurt to move. The fifth male would strike and she hoped he’d come from the archway since that’s where she’d heard the house breached.

Her eyes scanned the room frantically. The second she saw movement she planned to kill the son of a bitch. He wasn’t going to get to Justice.

“Jessie, get out of here and find somewhere safe that you can see him coming.”

“Shut up. I’m not leaving you.”

“Please, Jessie.” His hand rubbed her ankle. “Save yourself. I’m fighting to stay here.”

Jessie glanced down at her mate’s pale face. His naturally tan skin was whiter than she’d ever seen it. Blood spread on the carpet near his hip and his boxers were soaked.

He smiled when their gazes met.

“You are so beautiful when you are on top of me.” His eyes closed and his smile faded as his head slumped to the side.

“JUSTICE!” Grief made her scream his name.

His chest rose and fell, assuring her he hadn’t died but she knew he would soon.

Jessie needed to apply pressure to his wound but she’d have to put down the guns to do it, something that would assure both their deaths. She put her bare foot on Justice’s bleeding hip and pressed down with as much weight as she thought would help but wouldn’t worsen the damage.

“Justice!” A male roared from the living room.