Dirty Alliance (Special Weapons & Tactics Book 4) Page 16

  “Let’s just say, I’ve taken a few odd jobs here and there after I left the Army and the police force. Did some work for Department of Homeland Security and a few other branches that was off the books,” Earl winked at Myles. “Had to pay the bills somehow until my company took off the ground.”

  Myles turned his attention to Roxxy in disbelief. “You, too?”

  “Hell, no. I just love shooting things.” She snickered, placing a Glock in a hip holster. She opened a set of double glass doors and pulled out a Kevlar vest. She slid it over her head, securing the straps at her waist. “And I’m damn good at it.”

  “Don’t be shy now,” Shelby said. She pointed to the wall in front of him. “Help yourself. Ammunition is located in the drawers below.”

  The room fell silent as they all prepared themselves. Myles glanced at Roxxy and felt the need to share his feelings with her, but now wasn’t the best time with her parents standing around and her father having access to a countless amount of guns.

  He’d wait until it was just the two of them.

  He checked the small revolver and placed it in his empty holster on his ankle. He’d outfitted his body with a few weapons and was satisfied with what he’d chosen. His borrowed vest was comforting to him. It was a blatant reminder that this was not work. Someone was coming for him.

  He was ready.

  “What’s the plan?” Roxxy asked. She leaned back against the table near her.

  “Shelby is one hell of a long-range shooter,” Earl volunteered.

  “I’ll post up in the barn,” Shelby said. “It will give me a clear shot of the driveway.”

  “Earl and I will draw them away from the main area. Roxxy can stay back—”

  “Like hell I will.” Roxxy cut Myles off. She moved to stand before him. “Where you go, I go.”

  “Roxxy—”

  “I got your six, Burton,” Roxxy stared up at him with her wide eyes. She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

  Those five words deflated any argument he would have been able to come up with.

  “Fine,” Myles murmured. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. He was used to his men covering him. Be it his squad when he was in the Army or his SWAT teammates, but never the woman he loved. Hearing that she was willing to back him up almost brought him to his knees. Most men wanted a woman to cook and clean for them, but not Myles. He’d put his life on the line for others for his entire adult life, and to hear this little wisp of a woman had his back, meant everything.

  “I’ll draw them away from the house.” Earl broke through Myles’s thoughts. He turned to Shelby. “Make sure to cover me, Momma.”

  “I always do, honey.”

  Chapter 21

  The dark sky was cloudless with ample amount of stars lining the magnificent canvas. Roxxy glanced up and gazed at the moon. It was a beautiful sight to behold. She wished she could be lying down on a blanket with Myles without a care in the world.

  Tonight would not be that night.

  She made a promise to herself she’d get that perfect night with Myles.

  Nature was a beauty, and she always wanted to make sure she took time to appreciate it.

  The sounds of squeaky brakes filled the air off in the distance.

  Roxxy tensed. She glanced at Myles who was staring off in that direction.

  How the hell did he know someone would come?

  It was late at night, and no one would be visiting at this time without calling ahead.

  She and Myles were posted at the edge of the woods near the driveway. They were able to see the house and the entire area around the front of it.

  “Myles,” she began.

  He turned to her and rasied a finger to her lips.

  “Not now, Roxxy,” he murmured. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. “When this is over, we need to have a long talk.”

  She nodded, unsure what that meant. A long talk?

  The sound of tires slowly driving over gravel broke the silence. Roxxy tensed. She undid the holster at her side and took her Glock out. She was comforted by the weapon. Myles shifted to move in front of her. They were hidden by the thicket of trees. Only someone who was searching for them would see them.

  “We can’t let them get to the house,” Myles whispered.

  “Momma won’t let that happen.” Roxxy scoffed.

  Her mother’s shot was true, and whoever this was arriving, was about to learn.

  They grew quiet at the sight of a dark sedan driving up to the edge of the drive. It braked to a halt. Roxxy squinted in the low light, trying to see more details of the car. She couldn’t tell if it was the one from earlier, but it appeared to be the same color.

  They watched in tense silence as the passenger doors and one of the back doors opened. Three men stepped from the vehicle. Each of them had guns in their hands.

  Roxxy scanned the area, and the floor of her stomach dropped. She tapped Myles on the shoulder. Five men emerged from the woods on the side of the driveway. Where the hell had they come from?

  Myles let out a soft growl.

  “Take my phone,” he whispered. He slipped it from his pants. “Take a picture of the plate and text it to Brodie. You’ll find an old text from him.”

  “I’m not leaving—”

  “Go,” he snapped. He softened his words. “I need to figure out who the hell sent these people. That will hopefully give us a clue.”

  She paused before jerking her head in a nod. She slid the phone in her back pocket.

  The men started walking up the driveway toward the house, staying close to the trees. An owl hooted off in the distance, drawing the men’s attention. They stopped then pushed forward. Myles crept ahead slowly and disappeared into the darkness.

  Roxxy cursed. She raised her weapon, not taking any chances of slipping, and headed toward the car. She arrived near the vehicle and didn’t see anyone inside or around it. She wasn’t sure why they’d brought a car into the driveway.

  Getaway vehicle?

  She swallowed hard. She replaced her gun back in the holster and pulled out Myles’s phone. She ensured the flash was off. It would definitely alert the bad guys that they were on to them. She sent the picture off and peeked around the car.

  It was quiet.

  Too quiet.

  Where the hell was her father?

  Sliding Myles’s phone into her pocket, she took the gun out and dipped back into the protection of the woods.

  Roxxy tried to remain as quiet as she could as she made her way toward the direction Myles had vanished.

  If they were coming for him, they were going to have to deal with her and her parents.

  The men had spread out, disappearing into the woods. Myles had wondered if they were just going to walk right up the driveway to the house. When they ducked back into the shadows of the trees, it was exactly what Myles was hoping for. He had been trailing one of them unnoticed. They stopped at the end of the trees. Myles watched them and recognized they had a plan. This was no random hit. These men had carefully laid-out plans and knew what they were looking for.

  There was no way in hell he was going to allow these men to cause harm to the Suttons.

  Myles bit back a growl. He remained hidden amongst the trees. He briefly shut his eyes, having to draw on his days when he was in the Army.

  His eyes flickered open, and he had to beat down the rage that threatened to consume him. He crept behind the guy, who had let his guard down.

  Myles flew into action. He wrapped an arm around his neck and clamped his other hand over his mouth to muffle his yell. Myles dragged him back deeper in the trees. He brought him upright and applied pressure to his neck with his forearm. Within seconds, the man’s body became dead weight. Myles lowered him to the ground. He pulled out a few zip ties he’d taken from the Sutton’s shed and secured the man’s wrists.

  Myles left him propped up against a tree and moved on.

  He tried to
will his heart to slow down.

  He needed to be calm while he hunted.

  Myles approached another one. He ducked behind a thick tree and looked around it at the perp. He had a radio that cut in with a person giving updates. It was on the lowest volume, but Myles heard the person.

  “Lights are out in the house. They must be asleep.”

  Movement caught Myles’s eye. He turned and saw another man walking toward the one with the radio. In a blink of an eye, he vanished. Myles froze. He relaxed once he saw a familiar figure.

  Earl.

  Looked like the older man still had it.

  Two down. Six more to go.

  “We move out, now,” the one with the radio responded.

  “Copy that.”

  Myles moved.

  He took the man by surprise. Myles whipped him around and pulled back his arm. His fist slammed into the guy’s face, sending him to the ground. The gun in his hands went flying somewhere in the brush. Myles released a curse.

  “Myles Burton,” the guy growled. He pushed off the ground. He reached up and wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. “We’ve been looking for you. Thanks for making our job easier.”

  “Who the hell are you people?” Myles demanded. “What the hell do you want?”

  “Not for you to know. They just paid me.”

  He dove at Myles, who immediately blocked him. He swung a left uppercut that connected with the thug’s stomach. Myles swung his right elbow down, connecting it with the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. He fell forward, landing on the ground at Myles’ feet.

  Myles leaned down and searched him. He took the handheld radio and lowered the volume. He clipped it on to his belt buckle and bent down, running his hands over the man’s body. He felt a bulge in the back pocket and took out a wallet. He took the driver’s license out and put it back where he found it.

  He secured this one like that last guy. He stood up straight, a stick breaking behind him. He whipped around, drawing the gun in his borrowed holster out.

  “Jesus,” Roxxy muttered. She had her weapon aimed at him. “It’s me,” she whispered, lowering her gun. She stepped forward, her gaze dropping to the guy on the ground.

  Myles replaced the gun and waved her over to him.

  “You good?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” She made her way to his side. “I found the other one you left back there. You’re leaving a trail of bad guys. I could follow you anywhere.”

  “They’re heading toward the house. They think I’m in there,” he murmured.

  She froze. “How do you know they are after you?”

  “This one confirmed it before I knocked his ass out.” Myles turned back toward the house. “We need to move. Now.”

  The sound of a distinct popping filled the air.

  Gunfire.

  “Momma,” Roxxy exclaimed.

  If Shelby was shooting, that meant the men were on the move to the house.

  Myles unsheathed his weapon and held it up. He aimed it true as he walked out the edge of the trees. Just when he stepped from the hedges, a bullet whizzed by him and slammed into the tree nearest him. He pushed Roxxy back into the woods.

  “Son of a bitch,” Myles growled. “I want you in the house.”

  “No way.” She shook her head. She raised her gun and rolled around the tree. She popped off a few shots and came back on the safe side. “Took two down.”

  Myles just stared at her. He’d never seen anyone appear so sexy before with a gun in their hands. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. Her body molded to his. She broke away from him and stared up into his eyes.

  “I love you,” he blurted out.

  He blinked.

  Shit. Did he just say that in the middle of a shoot-out? What was wrong with him? He could have said it when they were alone, a romantic evening that included wine and—

  “Oh, Myles.” She reached up and cupped his jaw. “I love you, too.”

  A goofy smile spread across his face. Now that he’d said it, he didn’t know what came next. This was new territory for him. He’d never thought he’d fall in love with someone, but here he was, head over heels in love with Roxxy Lynn Sutton.

  “But, baby, we are going to have to finish this after the bullets stop firing.” She patted him on his chest.

  Where was his brain? Apparently on a vacation. Roxxy came around him, and he couldn’t concentrate.

  “Of course.” The smile disappeared from his lips.

  They had bad guys to stop.

  He moved to the edge of the trees again and peeked out. The gunfire had quieted. He had one thing on his mind.

  Protect Roxxy.

  He’d be damned if she got hurt trying to protect him.

  They needed to find out who these men were. Why would they target him? He’d made plenty of enemies over the years being a cop.

  “We’re going to make a run for the side of the house. We’ll have a better position over there than we do here,” Myles said. “I saw your father on the opposite side of the trees. I haven’t seen him since.”

  “I’m sure Dad is fine. He’s probably taken out all of the men over there and sitting down drinking a beer.” She gave an unladylike grunt.

  Well, Earl Sutton was definitely Myles’s type of man.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yeah, Mom will cover us.”

  They took off running out of the trees. Myles was in excellent shape, and he was impressed Roxxy was able to keep up with him. They arrived at the side of the house.

  Myles pushed Roxxy behind him so he could look out around the corner, back at the woods.

  The sounds of blades cutting through the air overhead drew his attention. He froze in place and glanced at the sky.

  A black-and-white helicopter.

  Myles grinned.

  The cavalry was here.

  Sirens off in the distance grew.

  The helicopter circled around the roof of the home. It shined its spotlights down on the driveway and the woods surrounding the direct way before flying over to an open field.

  “Friends?” Roxxy asked, cocking her beautifully sculpted eyebrow.

  “The best. Let’s go. Stay close to me.”

  With the threat of the police on their way, Myles was confident those men who weren’t tied up, would run.

  They skirted across the yard and headed toward the field where the helicopter had landed. The door opened, and out jumped Mac, Ash, Iker, and Brodie.

  Each dressed in dark clothing and weapons on their body, they were a fierce-looking bunch.

  “Just couldn’t stay out of trouble, could you?” Ash asked, striding toward him.

  Myles chuckled. “Am I glad to see you fuckers.”

  He met Ash for a firm friendly hug. His good friend gave him a hard squeeze before he released him.

  “We heard you took fire earlier today.” Mac didn’t hold any punches and jumped straight to the point.

  Myles’s sergeant’s focus locked on him.

  “Here, too,” Myles said grimly. He pulled Roxxy to his side. “Not sure why, but I was the target.”

  Chapter 22

  Roxxy sat on her porch and patiently watched the melee before her unfold. The sheriff’s department had arrived a few minutes behind Myles’ team members. The deputies swarmed the area, taking evidence and collecting information. Their yard was a complete circus. Spotlights lit the area. Deputies casing the property searched for evidence and clues. There were police cars, ambulances, and the paddy wagon parked on the grass in front of the house.

  “You did good out there,” Shelby murmured.

  Roxxy jumped slightly, having not heard her mother approach.

  Shelby sat next to her on the stairs.

  “You did some fancy shooting yourself.” Roxxy chuckled, glancing over at her mother.

  Shelby Sutton was a force to be reckoned with. She appeared docile and sweet, but piss her off, and she’d unleas
h her wrath. It was Shelby who’d taught Roxxy to be strong and that she could still be a woman while brandishing her favorite gun. Their family collection was started and maintained by the lady of the Sutton family.

  “Well, I had something to protect that means the world to me.” Her mother patted her on the leg. “I was a little rusty at first, but it comes back to you.”

  Roxxy’s gaze landed on her Myles speaking with his team and the sheriff. As if feeling her eyes on him, he turned and glanced in her direction. Their eyes met for a brief moment. His lips curled up into his crooked grin. Her heart stuttered at his look.

  “He’s a good man, Roxxy,” Shelby said, obviously noticing the heated look between them.

  Roxxy gazed down at her hands with a warm feeling spreading through her chest. She was rendered speechless. Her mother’s assessment of Myles was spot on. He was one hell of a man.

  He’d told her he loved her.

  May not have been at the perfect time, but it was Myles. In the threat of danger, he let his true feelings be known to her. Had they not been getting shot at, she would have ripped his clothes off to show him how much she loved him.

  “I know,” she replied. She peered around. “Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s over there speaking with Deputy Russel.” Her mother pointed over to the police van that housed the men Myles and her father had tied up.

  The deputy patted her father on the back and gave a sharp nod. Roxxy was sure her father was giving him orders. Earl Sutton was well known in these parts. He was good friends with the sheriff, and when Earl spoke, they all listened.

  Roxxy bit back a yawn. It was late, almost morning. She was ready to strip her clothes off, take a hot shower, and dive into her bed. She had a funny feeling it was going to be a long while before she’d be able to do either.

  What she truly wanted was to do all of that and slide into a bed with Myles’s arms wrapped around her.

  Myles and his men strolled toward the house.

  Her core clenched at the sight of her man. The clothes he’d worn to dinner were torn and tattered. He walked across the grass with an air of confidence. Protecting her and her family had been his top priority.