Chapter 126

“Sloane, hey, look at me. Are you alright?” Ethan crouched beside her, his voice steady, wrapped in a softness that cut straight through the panic clawing at her chest. She drew several shaky breaths, forcing her lungs to expand. Finally, the trembling in her hands eased enough for her to focus. “I…I’m fine,” she managed, though her voice still shook. “He didn’t touch me.” Ethan glanced over his shoulder, frowning. “Then who the hell hit him? I was right next to you, there’s no way I knocked him down from that angle.” Sloane’s heart skipped. Because he was right. Ethan hadn’t moved fast enough to deliver that hit. And only one thing had rushed across her vision. Something red. Before she could piece it together, a deeper, familiar voice sliced through the crowd. “Sloane, are you hurt?” Her stomach dropped. She knew that voice. She wished she didn’t. She turned, and the scene came into horrifying focus. The attacker was sprawled on the floor, pinned. Two guards had his arms, another his