“Agreed.” A nerve ticked in Davis’s cheek. “Lara, take Jocelyn to the safe room.”
The beeps turned to a long, steady buzz. The alarm wound up, getting louder every few seconds.
Time was up. Rather than draw straws, Ben issued some orders. “You take them upstairs and I’ll check it out.”
“Another attack,” Jocelyn said in a voice that sounded small and distant.
Ben shook his head. “Could be nothing.”
“Lara, we’re not debating this. Ben needs me down here. You go up. You know the plan.” Davis turned to Jocelyn and his voice suggested neither woman argue. “You stick with Lara and do not come out of hiding unless you see a member of my team.”
Jocelyn frowned. “I’m not even sure if I know all of them.”
Enough talk. A shadow moved in the yard and Ben wanted it handled before whoever it was got closer to the house. “We need to move.”
Davis pointed to the staircase. “Go.”
With one last glance at Jocelyn’s pale face, Ben took off. Skipping the glass doors, he headed for the one off the kitchen. It dumped into the side yard. He could circle around if he was able to stay hidden.
Tiptoeing over boards and around boxes, Ben headed for the door. He balanced on a box of tiles while he squeezed around the new dishwasher where it was lodged between the kitchen island and the freshly painted cabinets.
The place was like a war zone. He had to hope if anyone made it this far they’d fail to look around and get tripped up in this room.
When he reached the door, he crouched on one knee and listened for any noise on the other side. When the night stayed silent except for a few crickets, Ben turned to Davis. “No light.”
Davis nodded and hit something on his black watch.
Ben didn’t wait another second. Still kneeling, he lifted his arm and turned the knob. Slow and quiet, the door opened a few inches.
The scent of freshly mowed grass overwhelmed the room. He waited for footsteps or signs of a surprise attack. Nothing happened.
He squeezed through the small space and waited on the top step. His gray T-shirt wouldn’t blend in well with the surroundings. That made him a target, so he’d have to move fast. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Davis’s nod.
Time to move.
Stepping down the few stairs outside the door, he slid against the wall and scanned the yard. He picked up movement in the shadows, over by a group of shrubs under the tree diagonal from his position across the backyard.
Even sticking to the fence, circling around without being spotted would be tough. He couldn’t see Davis, but he sensed he was out and running along the far side and directly into danger.
The goal was to draw any gunfire away from the house and catch whoever was out there. To try to cut the person off, Ben headed for the fence to his left. He had his guns plus the one Davis had given him. That should be enough firepower.
He held one now as he sprinted through the grass, dodging twigs or anything that would make noise. Keeping his breathing even, he turned and followed the fence line.
After a quick visual tour around the yard, his gaze landed on those shrubs again. He could make out a second shadow and hear grunting and shuffling.
Ben took off running. Blood pumped through him and his heart pounded. Not from the physical exertion. From the hunt.
Davis and a man dressed in colors so dark he blended right into the landscape rolled on the ground, wrestling and punching. One got the upper hand and leveraged his body to the top. Then the other.
Ben couldn’t get a clear shot without running the risk of hitting Davis. Not at this angle or at this time of night.
“Hey.” His voice cut through the night, freezing both men.
The second of hesitation was exactly what Ben needed. He grabbed for the attacker, pulled him off Davis. The guy went through the air and landed hard on the ground with a soft thud. Putting a foot on the guy’s back, Ben aimed his gun at the man’s head,
Davis lay sprawled on his back and panting. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth and he held his stomach as he rose up on his elbows. “Nice takedown.”
They needed this guy alive. It would be hard to question a dead man. Ben repeated the mantra while he forced the energy racing through him to subside. No matter how much he wanted to shoot the guy, he couldn’t. “You picked the wrong house.”
The guy dug his fingernails into the grass. “Go to hell.”
Ben almost smiled at the reaction. “Then we’ll do it the hard way.”
He barely got the sentence out when he got nailed in the back. The hit knocked the gun out of his hand and stole the air out of his lungs.
The blow came from above. It was as if this one fell out of the tree. Might have been the case, since he’d made a soundless entry.
Something scraped against Ben’s arm, and a knee slammed into his back. He was on the ground and kicking with what felt like three hundred pounds of furious male dropped on top of him.
They were all shouting and moving. In a mad scramble, Davis reached for his gun, and the attacker on the ground crawled toward the one Ben had dropped. Clothing rustled and someone yelled.
Ben took a dive and landed next to his dropped weapon just as the guy with him on the ground knocked into him. It was like hitting a wall. Ben swore as his body bounced.
That meant plan B. Swiveling around to his back, Ben grabbed for the weapon at his waist and fired up and out. The attacker on his feet got off a shot as he dropped to his knees, then fell face-first into the grass. Ben felt a burn across his shoulder as the man next to him roared.
“One inch and you join your friend.” Davis’s voice shook with anger.
Ben whipped his head around and saw Davis on his side with his gun aimed at the attacker struggling to his knees. With an arm wrapped around his midsection, there was no question Davis was ready to forget the questioning and engage in some rapid-fire action. Probably had something to do with this guy’s mistake in coming onto Davis’s property and breaking through the first line of defense.
“I’d listen to him before he kills you.” Ben sat up, then winced when every part of him screamed in agony. No doubt he was going to hurt something fierce tomorrow.
When the intruder shifted, Ben smashed the butt of his gun into the guy’s temple. The attacker went down with both hands to his head and yelling as though he’d lost it.
Ben didn’t wait around to see what he’d do next. Pinning him to the ground with his knee, Ben wrenched the guy’s arms behind his back and tightened a zip tie.
“This one’s dead,” Davis said as he checked the pulse of the one who had done the face-plant.
Ben hadn’t even seen Davis move, but he was on his haunches over the body and staring at Ben.
Ben still didn’t understand how this guy had got the jump on Davis. He was not a small guy. “He get off a shot on you?”
“I thought he was watching you but he turned before I could adjust. Good thing you rode in when you did or my miscalculation could have cost us both.” Davis nodded at Ben’s shirt. “Speaking of which, you okay?”
Ben sat down hard on the soft grass. Looking down, he saw blood, which led to a shot of pain across his side and over his shoulder. Amazing how injuries didn’t blare to life until you got a good look at them. Then they burned like hell. “Not my best work.”
“You’re alive, aren’t you?”
Lights clicked on in neighbors’ yards. Ben could hear doors banging and voices over the side of the high fence. The siren in the distance was most likely headed their way. “I think we’re about to have company.”
“I’ll handle it. Better yet, I’ll make Connor do it.” Davis exhaled as he got to his feet. He looked down at the breathing attacker, the one muttering and swearing. “Ca
n you drag this one to the garage?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah.”
Davis stopped and took a longer look at Ben. “You sure?”
“Do I look that bad?” He touched his shoulder and hissed out a painful breath. “Man, that hurts like a—”
“Think positively, Jocelyn might find this sort of beaten-up-and-bleeding thing sexy in a guy.”
Ben thought back to the look on her face at her apartment and knew she wouldn’t.
Chapter Four
Light flooded the backyard. Jocelyn heard the shots and bolted out of the safe room before Lara could close the door and lock them in. No way was she going to sit upstairs and wait to see if Ben got killed. Not if all of this was about someone being after her. Not at all, actually. Guns scared her and the idea of being grabbed made her knees buckle, but she could pick up her cell phone and call the police.
She flew down the stairs and was in the dining room about to make that call when she saw Ben stumble out of the garage at the back of the property by the alley. He headed for the house but his usual cocky walk seemed less steady than usual.
Through the crashing fear and panic, she saw something dark splotched all over his shirt. He got closer and... Blood. Lots of blood. It stained his T-shirt on his side and painted his shoulder.
Before she could think about safety, and ignoring Lara’s calls from behind her to stay down, Jocelyn opened the glass doors and stepped onto the small back porch. A wave of humid air smacked her in the face but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the strong man walking up the yard as he stared at something on his hands.
He was no more than six feet away when he finally glanced up. His face went from pale and sort of blank to furious. His mouth flattened and his eyes grew dark.
He picked up the pace until he stood one step away, scanning around the yard as he went. “I told you to stay inside.”
She wanted to throw her body into his arms and hold him to reassure herself he was fine, but his sharp tone stopped her. Falling back on her medical training, she pushed out personal concern.
She raised a hand toward his shoulder but stopped as she visibly assessed the damage. “You’re hurt.”
Ben glanced over her head to a spot behind her. “Davis is fine. He’s talking to the guy next door.”
Jocelyn peeked over her shoulder and was stunned by Lara’s wide eyes. Guilt wrapped around Jocelyn. She had raced through the house panicking for Ben but Lara had to be crazed about Davis’s safety. Not that she showed it. Except for the way she kept biting her lower lip, she appeared calm. Jocelyn had no idea how that was possible.
“Are the police coming?” She didn’t know if that would be good or bad. Two incidents starring her, and they might jump to conclusions.
Ben nodded. “Likely on the way.”
“I hear sirens,” Lara said.
Jocelyn didn’t understand why the entire town wasn’t already in the backyard. Her whole neighborhood had come out at her place. Here, it was quiet in comparison. “You two live in the middle of town. How can people not be running in every direction?”
“Luck,” Ben said.
“He means Davis is calming them down and will put Connor on the job as soon as he gets here, if he isn’t already.”
Jocelyn couldn’t worry about that now. Ben listed to the side. She knew he’d go down soon. Careful not to jostle him, she shifted her weight and moved in beside him. She took some of his weight against her as she checked his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” he asked but let his body fall into hers.
Truth was she worried he’d go into shock, but she didn’t share that. Something told her this protector by nature would not take that news well. “I want to check your wounds.”
“I’m fine.”
Lara stopped looking at the yard long enough to scowl. “Ben, let her look you over.”
“See, everyone thinks you should give yourself over to me.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “Now you offer.”
“Ben’s still standing?” Davis came up behind them with a gun still hanging from his fingertips. He gave his wife a wink. “Connor and Joel are here and handling questions and the guy two doors down who’s demanding answers.”
“Davis.” Lara’s eyes welled up as she breathed out his name.
“I’m okay, hon.” Davis caught her when she leaped at him from the doorway straight into his arms. Ducking down, he buried his face in her hair and whispered something only they could hear.
The moment was so personal and intimate that it almost hurt to watch them. Jocelyn could feel the love pulse between them. She thought she saw Davis’s hand tremble as he rubbed it up and down Lara’s back. Heard the soft sobs as Lara nodded but kept her face tight against her husband’s cheek.
Finally Davis lifted his head and his voice sounded gruffer than before. “Ben took the brunt of the damage.”
Ben shook his head. “You got hit in the stomach.”
“What?” Lara lifted Davis’s shirt, revealing a flat stomach and an already blue bruise.
“Ribs. I’m more concerned about Ben’s bleeding.”
Ben waved him off. “Later.”
Jocelyn could barely keep up. Each man pointed to the other as being injured even though they both looked rough.
She put a hand on Ben’s chest, the only place not covered in blood. “We need to get you inside.”
Davis nodded. “Listen to your woman.”
She didn’t bother to correct him. Ben stayed quiet, too, and she had no idea what that meant. Probably that he’d lost enough blood to be incoherent.
Without any fanfare, Jocelyn lifted Ben’s shirt, or tried to. The caked blood made it stick to his skin. She hoped that meant the slash wasn’t deep and had already stopped seeping.
“Where’s our friend?” Davis asked as he wrapped an arm around Lara and pulled her in close for a kiss on the forehead.
The question drifted around Jocelyn. She heard it and it took a second before it registered. “Wait, who are you talking about?”
“We caught one.” Ben jerked when her fingers brushed close to the stomach wound. “Careful there.”
As far as she could tell, the man was skipping over some important information. “There was more than one?”
“Two.” Ben started to turn and his hand shot to his bleeding shoulder. “The breathing one is passed out in the garage.”
Davis picked that moment to smile. “Did you help him fall asleep?”
When Ben didn’t answer, an eerie quiet settled on the night. Sirens wound down and she could see the flashing lights and hear an older woman’s voice.
None of that mattered. Ben beating someone up and dragging him across the yard did. “Ben?”
“He shot me. Or his accomplice did. I can’t really remember.” Ben shook his head and his balance faltered.
“Yeah, he needs to sit down.” Davis reached Ben first. Putting his shoulder under Ben’s good arm, Davis got them up the last step to the back door and leaned him against the jamb. “I’ll find Joel and send him in before I check on our guest.”
Anxiety welled inside Jocelyn. Good guys or not, going after someone tied to a chair made what was left in her stomach sour.
“What are you going to do?” Not that she knew what she wanted the answer to be. Police made her wary. So did hiding a guy in the garage and knocking him around to get some answers.
“I hope Connor will be able to head off the police so I have time to ask our friend some questions.”
“He’s unconscious,” she pointed out.
Davis shrugged. “He’ll wake up eventually.”
Lara stepped in front of her husband. “No.”
“He’s tied up.” He acted as if that explained everything.
> To Jocelyn it made the whole idea sickening. “Which is the problem.”
Ben pushed off from the wall and stood up, wobbling slightly. “I’m going with you.”
Jocelyn still couldn’t wrap her mind around the conversation or what Davis planned to do. “Are you going to torture the guy?”
He frowned at her. “No.”
Relief zoomed through her.
Then Ben opened his mouth. “He did try to kill us.”
“That’s not an excuse.” He had to see that. She needed to know Ben understood that.
“We have medical supplies upstairs,” Davis said.
Guns in the house, a safe room and football-stadium lights in the backyard. These guys were prepared for anything. “Of course you do.”
“You know,” Davis said, “it might not be bad to have a nurse around here.”
Because that was what she wanted to do on her day off. Sew up this crew. “You guys need one a lot?”
Ben nodded. “More than you’d want.”
And that was what scared her.
* * *
LITTLE MORE THAN a half hour later, most of the crowd had cleared out of the house. Police officers still wandered around the yard, and more than one neighbor came to bang on the door and complain about the lights only to get turned around by Davis. Not many people crossed him.
Ben watched the cars pull away, then walked through the house to the back porch. He stood there and rolled his shoulders back, trying to ease the stiffness working its way through him.
Big mistake. His muscles had locked up but the aches settled in. He winced in pain as the bullet graze on his shoulder burned.
He wanted to let out a shout but kept his voice low because Jocelyn was right inside cleaning up. Though he wouldn’t mind having her stand close and run her hands over him again, the last thing he needed was her rushing out and ordering him to bed. For rest.
But, man, he’d enjoyed watching her work. She turned bossy and took control, which was interesting, since Joel usually handled the minor medical stuff.
Between the two of them, Ben had stitches and bandages and a pocketful of painkillers. As a combined force, they would be hard to duck. If they thought you needed medical attention, you were going to get it.
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