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Oh, like hell.
Doogan could feel every bone and muscle in his body tightening in outrage as he watched. Natches blinked. If her cousin’s expression was anything to go by, he was just as outraged. And furious. Not to mention fucking speechless.
“Not even one bruise,” she snarled. “Not by you or any of your friends, or you just watch me.”
Elijah and Graham were choking on their laughter. Doogan was grinding his molars to nubs.
Graham stood, legs braced and arms crossed over his chest, head covered as his shoulders shook. Eli leaned against John Walker’s desk, moisture building in his eyes as he tried to contain his mirth.
“Is she serious?” John questioned, barely getting the words out as Natches seemed to pale on the large screen.
“Oh, she would do it or die if he pushed her,” Graham chuckled. “And Natches knows it. If any Mackay or his friend touches Billy Ray, she’ll head straight to Seth and Saul. And they’d go head to head with anyone dumb enough to stand between them and a woman they took as a lover. Even a Mackay.”
Doogan felt his lips tightening. Thankfully, he wasn’t a friend of Billy Ray’s or the Mackays’. He could beat the shit out of the little fucker.
“I’m going to assume we’re finished here?” He’d had enough of the show Lyrica had informed her husband was being played out in their home.
“Now, I’m going to go see Lyrica and the babies,” Zoey stated. Settling back and taking a deep breath, she pushed the hair back from her face before giving her cousin a sweet smile, even as she flashed the dark mark he’d left on her lower neck, almost hidden by her curls until she flipped them back. “And I still love you, cuz,” she promised. “No matter what you push me into doing.”
Natches actually flinched, but not at her reminder. He’d seen that mark himself, and Doogan swore he paled further. There was no mistaking the fact that Natches’s gaze had lingered just that second too long on her neck or that he swallowed a little tightly, no doubt biting back his outrage.
“Well, Zoey, I love you too.” Natches cleared his throat. “But I really don’t want to kill one of those August brats.”
“Might be interesting to see the attempt.” She frowned, and Doogan wondered if she noticed Natches had a slow, deep burn rousing his notorious Mackay temper. “Navy SEALs. And they look pretty tough to me. You might have a fight on your hands there.”
Turning from him, Zoey moved quickly up the stairs while Natches blew out a hard breath and shook his head as though to clear it.
“Damn,” Elijah breathed out in amazement. “Fuck me. She won.”
“She usually does,” Graham assured him thoughtfully.
“Good night, gentlemen.” Doogan headed for the door. “Perhaps tomorrow the three of you can keep your minds on the meeting.”
He intended to be waiting when Zoey arrived home. He’d just have to see how firm her resolve was in having that pert little butt spanked and then penetrated. Those August boys never took a woman alone, and greatly enjoyed taking their women anally.
Hell, Doogan thought, she’d probably blow his mind there too.
Several things were for damned sure, though. If she even considered heading to Texas or California, then she’d deal with him. And he’d be having a talk with Billy Ray very soon.
Very damned soon.
Leaving Graham, Eli, and John to chortle over Natches mumbling now, Doogan headed back to Zoey’s. Before turning onto the street that passed the converted warehouse, he parked beneath a heavily leaved oak tree on the street bordering the apartment. Shutting the motor off, he reached behind the passenger seat, removed a set of night-vision goggles hanging from it, and pulled them on over his head.
As thorough as he was, still, he nearly missed the single presence positioned just across from the front entrance of Zoey’s apartment. The heat signature he caught sight of was watching the front lane leading into the building, his profile to the back entrance of Zoey’s home, though any lights would draw his attention.
Positioned on the roof of the discount store, cleverly tucked between two vents, Doogan would have missed him if the watcher had settled into position just a few inches deeper into the small area.
Well now, who was so very interested in Zoey tonight that hadn’t been interested in her before?
Fortunately, there was something very familiar about the height and demeanor of the watcher. Doogan knew the men he worked with, especially those he’d sent out for shadow ops training as he had that one.
There was no way to get his truck up the lane to the back of the warehouse without being seen, though. And until he was certain if the watcher was an enemy or friendly, then he’d just as soon remain hidden. Leaving the vehicle parked where it was would draw attention as well. Mackay attention no doubt.
That left maneuvering it, in the dark and without lights, along the narrow path sheltered by heavily leaved oak trees that bordered the back of the property. It was doable, if he was lucky. And he was feeling lucky.
Securing the night-vision glasses to his head, Doogan slid the vehicle into drive, the sound of traffic among the nearby streets hopefully enough to cover the smooth purr of the motor as he used the trees to hide his turn onto the sidewalk, then along the property bordering the warehouse until he came to the line of sheltering trees.
Keeping a wary eye on the watcher’s position, Doogan eased the truck along the tree line, then into the garage with surprising speed. Using the fob Zoey had given him, he ensured that the security was reset, turned off the truck, and stepped from it.
