“The drug dealer from Colombia?” Bear asked. “He’s the one who killed Laura Sargent and kidnapped Jeffrey. So, what’s the plan?”
“We go in and get him.” I told them. “But I want to make sure when we hit the place, this team heads home in one piece. I don’t care so much what happens to him.”
Kujo nodded. “All right. Grim and Maia are here. Think we should ask one of them to stay here and keep an eye on Ellie?”
“Good idea.” I agreed. I don’t want her going through that door. She’ll be…”
“A distraction.” Bear completed my thought. “You’re in love with her.”
I glanced back to where Ellie sat, staring toward the building and sighed. When I met my friend’s gazes again, they merely nodded and patted my shoulder.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed or afraid to admit that.” Bear told me. “I know how you feel when the woman you care about is in danger. The rage…we got your backs. But you knew that already.”
I managed a chuckle.
“Montana has a couple of people watching over your folks,” Kujo explained. “And he’s sent someone down to keep an eye on Jesse.”
“Okay, let’s get this over with.” I told them while calling Grim.
“Yes, My king?” Grim teased.
I ran the plan by him and soon he was sitting with Ellie in the front seat while Maia prepared to go in with us. Ellie wasn’t impressed with me, still she kissed me deeply, caressed my cheeks and let me go. I wanted to go back and kiss her again, but once we began moving, I couldn’t let my brothers and sister down.
Shaking off my thoughts of Ellie, I ventured closer to the house. We had no way of contacting Maia and I hoped things didn’t go south. To silence my thoughts, I stepped into the lead and we hurried around the side.
When I looked across and saw Maia, my heartbeat leveled again. She motioned to me she was going in through the door nearest her. I nodded and I looked in through the window beside me. The room was brightly lit but there was no one there.
Bear headed back the way we’d come toward the front door, while Kujo and I followed Maia through hers.
The house was silent.
Not even a television or a snore could be heard as we moved easily through the front hall. We split off, Maia taking the lower floor, Kujo the main floor while I tackled the stairs. The first few rooms were clear. The next, someone tackled me from behind sending my gun clattering to the floor. I had no time to try reaching it for I took a knee to my injured side, knocking me back down. I grunted and wanted to check to see if I was bleeding again but didn’t have the luxury of checking.
Instead, I rolled out of the way of a falling foot. In the fight, I had to ignore the pain. Without hesitation, I flipped to the crouching position, blocked a kick before grabbing my assailant’s leg and pulling it out from under him.
Once he was on his back, I rose to my full height and stomped in his stomach then dropped a heel into his forehead. The man grunted but went still but I didn’t trust it. He could be playing possum and I needed to get back to Elle’s arms or she’d kick my ass.
I gathered my gun quickly by falling forward then rolled to my back with the weapon trained to the man’s chest.
He didn’t move.
I shoved his body under the bed and quickly darted from the space knowing we’d lost the element of surprise.
It wasn’t easy clearing the top floor. I had to go through three more thugs before I turned and ran back down the stairs. In the living room the loud boom of gun firing caught my attention and I rushed in the direction of the sound. Kujo had taken out one man with a bullet to the chest while two others laid unconscious on the floor.
“Otis?” Kujo asked.
“Not upstairs.” I replied.
“Cobra!” Maia asked.
Kujo and I exchanged a look before we darted down to the basement. We both skidded to a stop behind Maia for in front of her, was Otis Valentina and he was holding what looked to be an explosive device.
“Otis Valentina, I presume.” Kujo spoke dryly.
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re not going to come easily.” I sighed.
“You didn’t say please,” Otis said in Spanish.
