AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Raine opened her mouth to rebut, but Hammer shut her argument down with a stern glare. “Don’t even think it, precious. The answer is no.”
Beck nodded in full agreement. “Besides, if you tried to fight, Hammer and Liam would be too busy losing their minds with worry to focus on neutralizing the threat without dying. And if someone kills you, they take three lives with one bullet. We can’t risk that.”
“Exactly,” Hammer bit out. “You and our children will stay in the gun dungeon until we drop the last bastard. Is that clear?”
She didn’t answer, simply sent her man a tight-lipped stare.
“We’ll be more effective if we’re not worrying about whether you ladies are safe.” Seth shrugged. “I’m sorry, but that’s a fact.”
“Did you hear that?” Gloria snorted, nudging Buddy’s elbow. “Seth just called me a lady.”
Amid the soft laughter, Liam’s fork clattered to his plate. Seth snapped his gaze around to find the Irishman’s eyes unfocused, seeming to stare straight through Dean across from him. A split second later, a shrill beep sounded from the transmitter next to the coffeepot.
“We’ve got company.” River grabbed his gun, silenced the alarm, and pocketed the device.
Instantly, the tension in the air became choking.
“Already? Fuck,” Beck muttered.
Seth’s blood turned to ice. “Showtime, everybody.”
They had between three and four minutes to get everyone in place. And he couldn’t help but wonder if, after the smoke cleared, anything would ever be the same.
Beck laid a brutal kiss on Heavenly’s lips, then gently lifted their frightened girl off his lap.
Trying to ignore the worry in her eyes and the way it made his gut clench, Seth dragged her in for a brief, powerful press of lips, then forced himself to let her go and urged her toward Buddy. Then he sent up a silent prayer that he and his loved ones would still be here when this fight was done.
While Adam brushed a peck on Ngaire’s cheek and sent her a tender smile, Liam and Hammer were reassuring a worried Raine. Fear lined Gloria’s face as she left Buddy’s embrace, but she stoically gathered the other women.
“I’ll keep ’em safe,” Buddy assured. “Let’s get downstairs, girls.”
“No, I’ve got them,” Gloria insisted. “There are still weapons in the gun dungeon. We’ll hole up there. I’ll get armed and be their last line of defense.” She gestured to Heavenly and Raine. “Buddy, stay with the men. You’re right. They’ll need every gun they can get on our front line.”
No one argued. A part of Seth wanted to…but Gloria was right.
Then with one last kiss, Buddy watched his fiancée lead the other women away. Seth’s throat clogged with choking worry as the most fragile part of his heart headed toward the back stairs, giving him one last blue-eyed glance back.
Beside him, Beck moved close, grimly clutching his weapon. Resolve and determination rolled off the surgeon. Dean was the only one still sitting at the table, eyes narrowed, studying the images on his cell phone.
“Talk to me,” Seth instructed once the girls were out of sight. “How many?”
“So far, only one vehicle. A white truck. Single driver, zero passengers,” the cop relayed.
Seth didn’t get it and he didn’t like it. “Assume your positions, people. This guy’s either a threat or a distraction. Stay frosty and be ready for anything.”
Adrenaline pumping, he and the others raced to the great room and retrieved their weaponry. Dean loaded up first, pausing to bump fists with River before he sprinted out the front door to position himself in one of the deer blinds. Adam, who had asked to claim another hunting stand in the trees, darted out behind him.
“The man coming up the road now isn’t here to harm us.” Liam turned to Beck. “You need to hear what he has to say.”
“Fine.” He and the others could listen fully armed. Seth refused to let his guard down or risk a single life based on Liam’s psychic instinct. He dealt in cold, hard facts—like the one making his way up the mountain now.
Gripping heavy ammo cans, River headed to the roof. The numerous automatic weapons strapped to his back clattered and bounced as he bounded up the stairs.
Hammer and Liam gathered their cache and jogged up to their respective balconies, flanking each side of the house. They settled in behind the sandbags. Seth stepped onto the wide porch beside Beck, braced and waiting.
The sounds of an engine and gravel crunching grew louder. As the pickup rounded the curve, they both raised their weapons, aiming at the stocky man behind the wheel with plain clothes and pale hair. He pulled to a stop and killed the engine.
“Zacharias,” Beck murmured. “My youngest brother.”
