King growled, yanked her to him for another passionate kiss, and then set her firmly away. “Tonight, Trinity, I promise. But, the guys are outside, and while I can be fast, I’m not thatfast.”
He winked at her and she burst out laughing, the sound was music to his ears. Hope popped her head around the corner of the counter, waving her stuffed unicorn like a flag. “Hello, you said you’re taking me to Disney. Let’s go,Daddy!”
There was a knock at the door. King checked the window first and then opened the door to his teammates, Rip and Owen. “Give us a heads-up next time, bro.” They shut the door behindthem.
“Couldn’t.” That’s all King would say. He’d finally teased the worry out of Trinity’s gaze and he sure as hell didn’t want to put it back. “I’m going to take the girls on a little vacation and let you two finish up thejob.”
A silent current of understanding passed between the men. They all had safe plans in place. And they each had set up predestined locations for hideouts in case something like this everhappened.
Rip stepped forward, kneeled down, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a Hershey bar. “Got something for my favoritegirl.”
Hope squealed again and ran for the chocolate. She snatched it from his hand and threw her arms around King’s teammate. “You’re the best, UncleRip!”
Although Rip wasn’t really her uncle, in the teams they were tighter than family. The bond of brotherhood connected them deeper than blood. Each man looked out for his teammates and his teammates’ family. They worked as a unit. As one. And that’s how they’dsurvived.
Not quite as gentle as King had been, Rip tossed Hope up into the air and caught her in his arms, tickling her sides until she was laughing and kicking and begging for release. “I missed you, princess.” Then he pulled her close and whispered loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear, “And I got a whole lot more candy bars hidden. Just don’t tell your mom anddad.”
Hope made the gesture of zipping her lips shut and dropping a key into Rip’s shirt pocket. He set her back on the ground, tussled her hair, and then turned to Trinity. “How’s itgoing?”
“You spoil her rotten,” was Trinity’sreply.
Not one ounce of remorse showed on Rip’s face. “Absolutely.”
Owen cleared his throat, the only one not participating in the family activities. “We brought you another car, just in case. I already grabbed your duffel out of your truck, so you’ll be good to go. We got the necessities in the SUV, plus an extra phone for contact later if you needit.”
So, Owen had already put cash, fake identification, untraceable cell phones, and more ammo in the unmarked SUV. “Thanks, brother. I’ll call you as soon as we get there to check in on the job, see how it’s progressing.” In other words, he’d have to wait till later to find out more from Vladimir. Until then, Trinity and Hope camefirst.
Trinity took Hope’s hand. Owen opened the door, poked his head out, did a quick scan of the yard, and then nodded all clear. They exited with Rip and Owen in front, Trinity and Hope in the middle, and King bringing up the rear with her two bags. He locked and shut the door, and followed his family to the unmarked black SUV parked in front of histruck.
Owen was already at the SUV, holding the door open. Rip held up his hand, “You got the keys to the truck? I’ll park it at the base till you getback.”
King tossed the keys across the yard as Rip made his way to histruck.
“We get a new car too! This is going to be the best vacation ever!” Hopesaid.
King couldn’t help but laugh at the enthusiasm of his daughter. Her childlike innocence was something he hoped to protect for as long as hecould.
They were halfway to the car when the hairs on the back of King’s neck stood on end. A car pulled to a stop at the four way at the end of the block. The door opened, and a man stepped out. King dropped the bags and ran. “Trinity! Getdown!”
The world slowed. His left foot hit the ground, then his right. Trinity’s brown eyes went saucer wide and she stared at him in shock, unmoving for that splitsecond.
Owen pulled his pistol from behind him, his armsrising.
The tat-tat-tat of automatic rifle fire burst through the air. King watched in horror as Trinity’s body flew back, blood bursting across herchest.
He roared and lunged, diving for his family. An explosion blasted through the yard, pitching him through the air. His back hit the ground. He saw black, then the piercing light of the sun, the sudden glare blotted out by a flying truckdoor.
Pain slammed into his chest. Pressure. Heat. King put his hands beneath the frame of the door andpushed.
Agony ripped up his side, a piece of torn and ragged metal pierced hisside.
Bullets whizzed overhead. He tried to block out the pain. He shoved again, groaning.Move,goddammit!
Another pop. Owen returned fire, shouting over the dull roar in King’sears.
Another burst ofgunfire.
“Daddy!” Hope screamed and dove for him. He tried to tell her no. Get back. He coughed, blood streamed from his lips, his strengthsapped.
