She leaned into his face and studied his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Bad headache.” Which was the absolute truth. His head felt like she’d kicked him right in the temple. Slowly, the strength returned to his arm. “We have to go in.”
She frowned and looked like she was going to argue.
“Now, Sami.”
She shoved him. “You guard the door. I’ll go in.”
“No.” In a surge of power, he stood, grabbed her arm, and shoved her behind him. Then he opened the door and went in high, knowing she’d go low. They were in a long corridor with career notices and schedules tacked to the length of the wall.
“Son of a bitch, get out here,” came a male bellow.
Tace paused. He didn’t recognize the voice.
“Come in and get me, asshole,” shouted another man. Damon. It was Damon, and his voice was low and in pain.
Tace ducked and ran through the corridor, stopped at a door, and turned to see what must’ve been the employee lunch area. A useless microwave sat on a counter next to a quiet fridge. The room was empty. He motioned for Sami and crept along the rest of the hallway to a slightly open metal door—an incredibly thick one.
He nudged it ajar with his toe. Sunlight cascaded in through the windows and illuminated the wide cashier’s counter, the square-shaped offices to the right, and the center area of the bank with its tables.
Two men dressed in black faced the center office, their guns pointed at a desk. One guy shot, and shards of wood from the desk popped into the air.
“Missed me, dickhead,” bellowed Damon.
Tace angled back to see Jax and Raze edge in the front door. Another two seconds, and they’d have the guys surrounded.
“Come out now, buddy. You’re outnumbered.” The shooter reached in his cargo pants and drew out a grenade. “I’m getting a little tired of playing with you.”
Sami sucked in air next to Tace.
“Then stop playing,” Tace said, his gun pointed at the guy’s head, irritation clawing through him that Sami had been scared. Yeah, that was nuts.
The guy swiveled to face him, pointing an assault rifle.
“Drop it,” Jax said, coming from the other side.
The second soldier put his back to his buddy’s and aimed at Jax.
“You boys are now the ones outnumbered,” Jax said easily. “Drop the guns, or we’ll drop you.”
A grunt echoed, and Damon Winter poked his head up from behind a desk. “It’s the fuckin’ cavalry.”
“Another missingg,” Sami muttered, shaking her head.
Tace moved in front of her.
She shoved him in the hip. “You have got to stop doing that.”
He couldn’t. “Guard the rear exit,” he ordered.
She hissed but did as he said, turning to aim toward the hallway. That was trust, whether she liked it or not. The woman was letting him protect her from two guys with guns and grenades.
“I’m getting bored here, boys,” Tace said, using his drawl. “How about I just shoot one of them?” he asked.
“Which one?” Jax responded.
The two guys in the middle didn’t flinch.
