[Elena's POV]

The mountain wind died.

Suddenly, Noah snapped the barrel of the Beretta shotgun shut.

The metallic clack cut through the silence. He spun on his heel, raised the wooden stock to his shoulder, and pulled the trigger.

The explosion shattered the quiet reserve. The smell of sulfur and burning gunpowder flooded the air.

The bearded boss shrieked. He dropped to his knees, throwing his hands over his head. The buckshot grazed the very top of his scalp, leaving a bloody trench in his ...