Steff didn’t want to say that so did Jag and the others. There was no way they were coming in blind. She fully believed– with everything Cass had at her fingertips–that the guys were ready for anything.
If anyone needed to be prepared, it was the men outside, because they were about to find out what men who lived and served to protect were capable of.
And so would she.
Getting up, she grabbed the chair and slammed it down, hard. The sound of splintering wood echoed around the room. Steff picked up a piece and screamed like a banshee as she ran toward Cynthia and swung as hard as she could, the wood connecting with the back of Cynthia’s legs, bringing her to her knees with a cry of pain.
“Bitch, you picked the wrong girl to take again! I’m stronger now than I was then! You won’t be winning this time.” Steff swung again and connected with Cynthia’s head. The other woman’s eyes rolled back as she fell face first into the floor with a satisfying thump.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Ten heat signatures surroundingthe cabin. Four moving toward it now,” Cass’s voice came over the comms.
“Copy that,” Fox responded, having taken over as team leader on this part of the mission. Jag was fine with that change. “Jag, your focus is to get to the cabin, Hound, Deal, and I will cover you and handle those nearby. Irish, Angel, Ox, and Growler, you’ll take down the others.”
“With pleasure.” Irish checked his gun. The guy was locked and loaded, like the rest of them, pissed that Steff had been taken.
The chopper hovered, and the eight men grabbed the ropes. On Fox’s signal they repelled out of the machine, landing on the ground in a synchronized soft thump.
Once down, the bird retreated higher to allow Cass to monitor what was going on with the perps and relay the information back to them.
As hard as it was, Jag had locked his emotions and the need to storm the cabin and grab Steff, down tight. To save her he had to keep a cool head. He could lose it later when he had her safely in his arms.
“Everyone ready?” Fox asked. Six affirmatives were given, and they were off. Jag focused on ensuring his steps were light and didn’t make as much sound as possible. Given the amount of dry grass and leaves surrounding them, it wasn’t possible, but they did their best.
The popping sound of suppressed gunfire registered, but he didn’t let it distract him. He had complete faith that the men he was with would ensure all threats were handled.
The small structure came into sight, and the four of them halted. They used hand signals to communicate, and Hound and Deal moved quickly and quietly to take down the two perps at the back of the building.
He and Fox would take out the two guarding the front door.
Fox held up three fingers, he’d lowered the first one when a scream filled the air.
Jag didn’t wait for the rest of Fox’s fingers to drop, he was off racing toward the door, knowing his friend would have his back. His attention only on getting to Steff.
He stormed through the door just as Cynthia crashed to the ground with Steff standing above her like an avenging angel. Eyes wide with fear and determination. Arm raised with a piece of a broken chair, as if she was getting ready to hit Cynthia again.
He rushed over to her and grabbed her tight around her waist, aware that he could get hit, but he didn’t care. If she hit Cynthia again and the blow was a more damaging one, Steff wouldn’t be able to live with herself.
“Steff. I’ve got you. It’s me Dalton. You’re safe.” He yelled the words he hoped would penetrate the rage consuming her.
It worked, her body sagged, and the piece of wood clattered to the ground.
“Dalton?”
“Yeah, hon, it’s me.” He turned her in his arms so that she could see him. He also wanted to check her over. See if she was hurt anywhere. Or if she’d been drugged.
He couldn’t see any visible bruises. Nor were her pupils blown, suggesting she had been drugged.
It took a second, but recognition lit her eyes before they widened again. He whipped around, shoving her behind him to protect her from whoever had entered the cabin, but apart from Cynthia on the ground, it was just them.
“What is it?” he asked, bringing her back in front of him so she could keep her attention on him and no one else. He trusted his teammates to have his back and keep them safe.
“They’re going to kill you and the others. Cynthia said so. It’s a trap. She said there are men who are going to hurt you.”
Jag ran his hands up and down her arms. “They’ve been handled.”
Now wasn’t the time to explain everything, but he would, because Steff needed to know what happened.
