The last tension left his body when he heard her sweet but worried voice."Hi, honey.Everything’s okay."
"Oh, thank God.I was so afraid—" She stopped on a sob.
"It's all right.Everyone is fine.Stay at Uncle Dan’s until it’s all clear to come back, okay?”
"Okay.I love you."
KC ignored his brothers and teammates' knowing smiles as he responded, "I love you too."
From his position up the street, Dennis Kellerman watched all the action.He had known those assholes would fuck up somehow, so he’d grabbed one of his men and followed Leo and the other two without them knowing.He was certain the state investigator had spotted them tailing him, and they were being lured into a trap.Although he knew he was right, Kellerman was still royally pissed.Now, he had to wait until everything calmed down again, then plan his attack and get this shit done right.
Chapter23
Driving well over the speed limit, KC rushed to his uncle's apartment.He shouldn’t have left in the middle of the police investigation, but he had to see for himself that Moriah was safe.He would have spotted the dark sedan following him through town if he hadn’t been fixated on reaching the woman he loved.After pulling his Charger into a parking space in front of the hardware store, he jumped out of the car and unlocked the sidewalk door, which led to the stairs up to Dan's second-floor home.Taking the steps two at a time, he reached the door to the apartment, knocked, and called out, “It’s me, open up.”
The door flew open, and he caught Moriah as she leaped into his arms.Holding her as close as he could, he kissed her forehead and tried calming her down.“Shhh.It’s okay, baby.Everything is okay.I can't stay long, but I had to make sure you were safe."
"I'm fine now that I know you’re okay," she murmured against his collarbone.Turning her face upward, she kissed him.A noise behind her reminded her they weren’t alone, and she reluctantly ended the kiss and then took a small step backward while remaining in his arms."Can I go back with you?"
KC shook his head."I'll come back for you later after the police take those scumbags away.I don't want you anywhere near them."
She nodded in understanding.His gaze flickered across the room to where his uncle was sitting in his favorite chair with a smug grin on his face."Thanks, Uncle Dan.I'll be back in a little while."
Dan let out a small laugh."You better hurry, though.This lady of yours is kicking my butt at Backgammon.”
Staring back down at the woman in his arms, KC chuckled."I'm impressed.Not many people can hold their own against Dan at Backgammon."
She shrugged."I've always liked the game.A friend's father taught us how to play when I was growing up.I became quite good at it."
"Obviously."
He gave her one more squeeze and a feather-light kiss on the lips before heading back out the door.The sooner they wrapped up the scene back at the beach house, the sooner he could bring her there ...and into his bed where he wanted to stay for the rest of his time off.
A block from the hardware store, Kellerman watched as the burly man exited the building, returned to his vehicle, and did a U-turn.
Now, what was he doing above the local hardware store?
When Kellerman had watched all the activity back at the beach house, he’d never spotted his female target.Maybe it was because she wasn’t there.Why else would this guy race over here as soon as he got the chance?Kellerman was almost positive what he wanted was on the second floor of the building.Pulling his vehicle into an alley three doors from the apartment’s entrance, he turned off the engine.Before getting out, he addressed the man in the passenger seat."Let's go do this and then get the hell out of here."
The two climbed out of the car and exited the alley on foot.When they reached the sidewalk, their heads swiveled in every direction as they made sure there were no potential witnesses in the seemingly deserted town as they made their way to the door they wanted.Kellerman expertly picked the lock in under a minute, and they climbed the staircase in stealth.
Moriah and Dan were in the middle of another competitive game when Jinx jumped off the new couch and stared at the front door.They were startled as a deep, menacing growl emanated from the usually docile animal.Dan flew from his chair, yanked open the drawer to a side table, and withdrew his favorite Colt revolver.Shoving the weapon into Moriah's hands, he pushed her toward the bedroom."Go in there, lock the door, and call 9-1-1."
“But ...but ..."she stammered, bewildered.
“Don't argue—just go," he whispered forcefully.
Terrified, Moriah ran to the entrance of the small bedroom.She glanced over her shoulder and saw Dan retrieve a baseball bat from a closet off the kitchenette.She shut the door behind her as quietly as possible and then turned the lock.She realized she’d left her phone in the living room when she tried to grab it from her pocket.Scanning the room, she spotted a landline phone on a nightstand next to the far side of the bed.She lunged across the mattress and grabbed the receiver.Her hands were shaking so badly that she had to put the gun down on the bed and hold the phone with both hands, dialing the three-digit emergency number twice before she got it right.
Moriah started crying as soon as an operator answered with a crisp, "9-1-1, what is your emergency?"
Through her tears, she was able to give the information to the man.When he instructed her to keep the line open, she told him she was putting the phone down so she could hold the gun.She didn't wait for his reply as she dropped the receiver and picked up the weapon.Kneeling with her back against the headboard, she pointed the revolver at the bedroom door, using both hands the way KC had trained her, and strained to hear what was happening in the outer room.
Dan stood flush against the wall next to the front door, baseball bat raised and ready to strike.Jinx hadn’t moved from the middle of the room but continued his warning growl.The dog began barking furiously as the door was suddenly kicked open.Dan swung the bat with all his might at the man who entered the apartment with a gun in his hand and struck him twice in rapid succession.The first blow was to the raised forearm, forcing the gun from the man’s grip.The second strike hit the stunned man in the face, knocking him unconscious as he landed on the floor in the middle of the doorway.
Dan waited a few seconds for another attack, and when none came, he leaned over the body to search for other weapons.That's when he was struck in the temple by a second man, who apparently had remained hidden at the top of the stairs.Dan unceremoniously dropped on top of the other body as Jinx yelped for his fallen master.
Ignoring the unconscious men and the whimpering dog licking its owner’s face, Kellerman stepped over the two bodies and scanned the small apartment.Briskly, he strode to a closed door he assumed led to the bedroom.Trying the knob, he found it locked.He raised his leg and kicked the door open before stepping quickly to the side in case whoever was in there had a weapon.Peering around the door jamb, he laughed out loud when he saw his target sitting on the bed, crying, with a revolver clenched between her two hands.She was shaking so hard it would be impossible for her to shoot straight.
