Liam reached one arm out above Clem and the other at the person in motion. His hand wrapped around the person’s forearm.
It didn’t stop that person from moving though. Instead, they brought their face merely inches from his.
“Keep quiet.”
The only light in the room was coming from the TV, but it was more than enough to see the green eyes of Blake Bennet. It was easier to see the worry in them. In her. She was still in the shorts and T-shirt she’d worn to bed. Her hair was down and wild. Her skin was warm and slightly slick with sweat.
She lowered herself even closer to him. She angled her chin so her lips were almost against his ear.
“There’re two men outside,” she whispered. “One has a gun. I can’t tell about the other.”
That did it.
Liam let go of Blake and eased himself off the bed as she backed up.
“What are they doing?” He kept his voice low and palmed his cell phone off the nightstand. He internally cursed every decision he had made up until now that meant he didn’t have his service weapon on him. It was shut away tight in his truck’s lockbox. He hadn’t intended to stay long at Blake’s, certainly not fall asleep there.
Thankfully, Blake had an answer to that problem. She took that wrist and pulled him along to the closet. It was a small walk-in but big enough to hold a safe. She flipped on the light and went right to it.
“I got up for a glass of water and noticed them at the side yard. They were standing in the tree line,” she hurried to say. “I can’t tell who they are, but it feels like they’re waiting. There’s no car outside either, so I don’t know where they came from. Take this and go look for yourself.”
There was only one gun inside. It was a pistol. She handed it to him. Liam grabbed the ammo that had been kept separately. He assembled the weapon.
“You can see them if you look outside the kitchen window.”
Liam wasn’t slow when speed was needed. He made it to the kitchen by the grace of memory and a few motion sensor nightlights plugged into outlets turning on along the way. The light over the stove was at his side. He could see the men clearly from the window.
Just as Blake described, there were two of them standing at the edge of the yard, the tree line just behind them. They were dressed casually, shirts and jeans, and tennis shoes. One had a dark hat on, the other a gun in the hand hanging at his side. They were too far away for Liam to make out their faces, but even if he had, there was no person in the world who had a reason to be at Blake’s home in the late hours of the night, armed with a gun at that.
Liam did some quick mental math. Instead of calling the sheriff’s department, he called someone closer.
It was just after two in the morning, but Price answered on the third ring.
Liam didn’t waste a second. He forwent any kind of greeting and dove right in.
“I’m at Blake’s house and there are two men standing outside. One is armed, I can’t tell about the other. We put my truck in the garage earlier so the neighbors wouldn’t see. Lola’s car is in there too. Blake’s is in the driveway. Me, Blake, Lola, and the kids are in here. We have only one gun between us.”
After the first statement, the sound of movement had come through from the other side of the call.
“Did you call dispatch yet?” Price asked. Based on the noise Liam assumed he was dressing.
“No. You’re closer and I’m thinking we might need help sooner rather than—”
The two men outside turned in tandem toward the trees. Liam watched as a third person stepped out into the open. There was a gun at his hip.
“A third guy just showed up. He has a gun.” One of the original two men pointed toward the house. Liam’s gut was all-out growling. “Can you call the department on another phone? I want to stay on the line with you.”
Price wasn’t playing around. His usual casual tone had been hardened into absolute focus.
“I’ll use Winnie’s. I’m putting you in my pocket on speaker.”
The sound of movement let Liam know the man was doing just that. He too followed suit. Liam slid his cell phone into his breast pocket. He didn’t want to break the line of sight he had on the three men, but their situation had just changed drastically.
Who were they?
Why were they here?
Their body language wasn’t aggressive. It was like they were waiting for something. Or someone.
