Twin Cupids at Work Daddy Come Home novel Chapter 639

Casey glanced over his shoulder at the crowd closing in behind them. His gaze landed on the middle-aged man leading the group. He arched an eyebrow. “Looks like Madeline’s a big deal. Even he showed up.”

“Boss, what was that?” one of his guys asked.

Casey just shook his head and kept walking, quick and determined.

Madeline had been running alongside Luke for more than an hour. Her vision was shot, and every step felt heavier, slowing them both down.

She was still feeling the effects of last night’s fever. Her head throbbed, and her eyes burned. Twice already, she’d lost her footing on the slippery trail. Right now, she would have given anything to never set foot in a deep, wild forest again.

“I need a break. I can’t do this anymore. Go ahead, Luke, just leave me here.”

Luke pressed his lips into a grim line. He didn’t say anything. He just bent down and scooped Madeline up in his arms.

She let out a startled gasp.

“I’m not leaving you behind. If we die, we do it together.”

She could only stare. “Who wants to die with you? Put me down and just… get lost.”

The words had barely left her lips before she felt herself hit the ground, rolling twice before coming to a stop. Madeline winced, clutching her aching back. That was almost enough to kill her on its own.

“Maddie, are you okay?” Luke skidded to a stop, having tripped over a tree root and accidentally dropped her for real.

Madeline glared up at him, rubbing her side. “What do you think?”

Before he could answer, two sharp voices sliced through the trees.

“Don’t move.”

Luke looked up fast. Two men stood ahead, guns pointed straight at them.

One of them sneered. “Finally caught up to you. Good thing Carter told us to wait here, or we might have missed you. If you’re so tough, why don’t you try running now?”

“Boss, that was northwest,” someone behind him said quietly.

Julian set his jaw, breaking into a faster stride, leading his team straight toward the sound.

Madeline’s body tensed at the blast. As the second man tried to fire again, she moved quicker than he could react, kicking his gun away and grabbing his wrist. With a surge of strength, she flipped him over her shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground.

The man scrambled, trying to get back on his feet, but Luke pinned him down with a solid boot between his shoulder blades. Tall and steady, Luke stared him down. “Want to try something else?”

“Don’t hurt me—please! I’m just doing what I was told!” the guy babbled, his eyes wide with panic, his partner knocked cold a few feet away.

“We can’t waste time,” Madeline said quietly, steadying herself against a nearby tree. “That shot gave away our position. Reinforcements will be here any minute.”

Luke knocked the man out cold, then wrapped an arm around Madeline, helping her up. “Let’s move.”

A harsh voice called out after them, tight with anger. “Move? Where do you think you’re going?”