I was stalling, trying to come up with a damn plan. If I shot him, he’d shoot too. Maybe he’d miss. But we were standing pretty fucking close to each other. This dumb bastard was well trained and even a first time shooter could hit someone from just a couple feet away. If I dove at him I’d just end up leaking blood all over this nightmare fueled hellscape. At least then Dev wouldn’t have to cremate me. It’d already be done for her.
There wasn’t a good option. We were at a stalemate. Just waiting to see who passed out from smoke inhalation first. Since I was taller, and bigger, it was probably going to be me since smoke rises and all that shit.
Movement out of my periphery caught my attention. I tensed, waiting for the perfect moment.
Bowers must have seen something, too, because his head turned to the right as Devyn came staggering out of the hallway, swinging that bat at the detective with every ounce of her strength.
I didn’t hesitate. Bowers didn’t have time to twist his gun toward Devyn because I jerked my gun a little to the left—tomake sure I didn’t get anywhere near my girl—and unloaded my magazine into the left side of his body.
Devyn, smart woman that she was, gave up on the attack as the bullets started flying and flattened herself against the wall.
I hurried over to her, pausing just long enough to double check that Bowers was dead, before shoving my gun into my waistband and pulling her into my arms. “Are you okay?”
She coughed as she tried to answer. Her eyes were watering, tears tracking through the soot on her face.
Fucking dumbass. Stop talking and get her out of here!I mentally scolded myself.
Scooping her into my arms, I got her out of the house. My adrenaline was slamming through me so when two figures met me at the porch, I tensed again, wishing I’d picked up that fucking bat.
Two sets of arms locked onto either side of me and guided me off the porch. “Shit, we heard the shots,” Toxic said as he and Butcher took some of the weight off, helping us down the stairs.
My muscles relaxed as I realized it was the Tucson bikers. “Took care of the fucker who started the fire. Cops aren’t going to be happy about it.”
“Why’s that?” Butcher asked.
“Fucker was one of their detectives.”
“Shit,” Toxic said. His eyes dropped to Dev. “Maybe we should get her over to the ambulances.”
People were everywhere. There were firefighters running toward the house with hoses. Cops were standing around arguing with more firefighters about needing to clear out the house since there were shots fired. I ignored the chaos and took Dev straight over to the ambulance. “She’s pregnant,” I told the first EMT I found. “Fix her.”
The look on his face could only be described as baffled at my order, but when I scowled at him he jerked and turned towardDevyn. He put an oxygen mask on her and started taking her vitals.
“You’re not in the best shape either,” he said while working, glancing at me over his shoulder.
I had to wait until I finished coughing to answer him. “Just worry about my wife and our son.” I ordered. I didn’t bother to explain that Devyn wasn’t technically my wife yet. Just like I hadn’t mentioned it earlier when Relay had called her his sister-in-law. She was mine. Therefore, she was my wife. It was just the way that kind of thing worked for us.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw Relay watching the guy like a hawk. He was making sure he did everything he needed to in order to ensure Devyn was okay.
I looked back at the EMT, he could read the demand in my eyes. “Hey, her pulse is strong, that’s good. Trust us to do our job.”
I relaxed slightly—only slightly. The way he had said that to me, the tone, the steady eyes, he was a veteran, and knew what he was doing. I nodded and stepped back to give him space to work.
“So…there’s nothing left to take care of in there?” Butcher asked, looking disappointed.
“No,” I replied. “He’s dead. No one else was in there.”
“I’ll go to the hospital with Devyn,” Relay said, stepping up next to us. “Sophie’s already on her way. Why don’t you two go sit with her?”
“Who’s Sophie?” Butcher asked with a scowl.
“Her sister,” I explained.
His scowl deepened. “So…there’sno oneleft to kill?”
This guy reminded me so much of Relay it was almost funny. The worry for my old lady and baby kept me from laughing, though. “How about this? Anyone looks at her wrong,” I pointed to Devyn, “and you can take them out.”
Butcher grinned while Toxic looked at me like I was insane. “What are you-” Toxic broke off as Butcher started walking away. “Butcher! No!” He looked back at me. “Whywould you say that?You can’t say that to him. That’s too open ended. Like, it’s up to his interpretation now.”
