Fractured Hearts (Shattered Lives, Book Three) by Rissa Blakeley

then walked out in front of them, still with his Sig trained on them. “Strip!” he yelled.
    The group looked at one another. One of the women said, “Please, can’t we just–”
    “Shut it! Strip, or I will start with him.” With his finger on the trigger, he aimed his Sig at the older man at the far left. “Throw your items in a pile right there.” Gunther motioned toward his feet. Once everyone was down to their skivvies, he called for Elaina. She skirted out from behind the bush and ran up behind him. “Check their clothes for weapons. If you find any, and I suspect you will, leave them in a pile behind me.” He noticed the youngest of the women was pregnant. A quick thought flashed through his mind about his own baby with Carly. He shook his head and noticed Elaina was staring at her instead of doing what he had asked. “Elaina! Now!”
    “Yes. Sorry.” She knelt and checked all of the clothes. There were a few other weapons, but for the most part, all she found were knives. After two guns were emptied of their ammo, she whispered, “Done.”
    “Thank you,” he replied. While keeping focused on the group, he picked up their weapons and handed a couple of the knives to Elaina, then pocketed the rest.
    “You’re a pig!” one of the women shouted at Gunther, doing her best to cover herself with her arms.
    Guessing she was in her early twenties, full of piss and vinegar, and quite stupid, he took two long strides and got in her face.
    “What was that?” Gunther questioned with an eerie calmness that made him look like he was edging on the side of psychotic.
    “Just be quiet!” the older man hissed.
    “Get away from her!” the younger man growled.
    Gunther pegged him for maybe sixteen or seventeen. With a smirk, he stepped up to the halfwit’s chest, squatting just enough so he could be nose-to-nose with him.
    “Or what?” Gunther drawled, a twisted glimmer in his eyes.
    “I will tear you apart,” he said in a low growl, chin high.
    Gunther was still for a few seconds, their eyes locked. Then he burst out laughing. “Wait… Say that again, but like you mean it this time.” He rolled into a full belly laugh. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry. That’s the best one I’ve heard in a while.” Elaina and Nick chuckled right along with him.
    “Fuck you,” he snarled.
    “First off, I’m spoken for. Secondly, I don’t swing that way. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s just not my thing.” The well-proven twit shoved Gunther, which was a mistake. He laughed again, which only served to further humiliate the nearly naked boy. “You want to fight me, lass ?” He took a step back. “All right. Let’s give it a go. Elaina, hold my gun.”
    “Stop it, Eli,” snarled the young girl next to him. “Just do what he says.”
    Gunther smirked and Eli stepped back. “Wise young bird…to a point,” he said, glancing down at her swollen belly. “Get dressed, all of you, then get back in line.”
    After Gunther stepped back behind the pile of clothing, the group rushed out and grabbed their rags, dressing quickly. Tucking his Sig away, the smile and standing with his hands behind his back showed his confidence. Nick followed suit, but he stayed right where he was.
    “Now, do tell me why you were sneaking about?”
    The older man spoke up, “We were looking for a place to stay, and we were trying to see if this area was occupied.”
    “Ah, yes,” Gunther chuckled. “The old sneak attack. Brill plan.”
    “Fuck you,” Eli growled.
    All three of the women yelled, “Eli!”
    “Oh, Eli, you are pressing your luck with me. You’re lucky I have been patient.”
    “What’s he going to do? Shoot me?”
    “I could, or we could have some fun. I love a good fight. Sadly, you wouldn’t be much of a challenge. Maybe we should do a proper introduction. I’m Gunther. These are my mates and co-conspirators, Elaina and Nick,” he said, then paused. He hoped someone would reciprocate before he