“But Gunner …” Shar could not believe Lily could leave him behind.
Lily swallowed hard and said, “Will take them out. I have my assignment. Move!”
They followed her out of the master bedroom. Smoke poured from the mudroom behind the kitchen, and flames were licking the bottom of the kitchen cabinets.
“They’ll expect us to come out the front door,” Lily said.
“Like we have a choice?” Shar was trembling from head to toe. Gunner was going to be killed, and then these men were going to mow them down as they tried to escape.
Lily smiled despite the turmoil in her eyes. She went toward the roaring fire in the kitchen. Mike started after her. “Lily!”
She flipped a plush rug off the wood floor, revealing a trap door. Yanking it open, she gestured down. “Let’s go.”
She led the way down a steep staircase. Mike escorted Shar in front of him and took up the rear, closing the trapdoor behind him, probably to prevent the fire from rushing down it like a chimney chute. Being sealed in the dark made Shar feel claustrophobic and horrified. It smelled damp and moldy. Lily flicked on her cell phone light, and Shar cautiously followed the bobbing light. They finally reached the bottom of the staircase and went along a tunnel of sorts. Maybe a dozen feet later, Lily cautioned, “Stairs up.”
Shar blindly felt her way, tripping on one stair. Mike’s hand shot out and held her waist to help her. She appreciated his quiet support but couldn’t stop shaking. Five men out there. Hired mercenaries? Mike’s stalker had seemed like a deranged fan or bitter ex-girlfriend or rival, not someone who could track them to their safe house, set it on fire, disable the sprinkling system, divide their protection, and take out Gunner. No, she didn’t know they’d taken out Gunner, but how could he win against five men?
“Stay here until I let you know it’s safe.” Lily shut off her cell phone light, pushed open another trap door, and climbed into the dimly lit detached garage where they’d parked the Escalade.
Shar paused on the steps. Mike put his hand on her waist, reassuring her that he was there. Mike was a well-built guy, and he claimed he could fight, but as Lily said, he wasn’t trained. If these guys were mercenaries, they could easily best even a professional athlete like Mike. Especially if they simply shot him. Those gunshots she’d heard made her sick. What if they’d already shot Gunner and were now simply waiting for them to leave the safety of the house because of the fire?
From the other side of the trap door, she heard a grunt and a thump, and then the sounds of fists hitting flesh.
Mike pushed past her. “Stay here,” he commanded.
Shar wanted to grab him and keep him from being hurt, but she also wanted him to help Lily if he could. There was obviously at least one bad guy waiting in the garage to prevent them from escaping. What if there was more than one? Shar definitely knew she couldn’t just “stay here”. She crept up the steps and could see out the windows that the back of the cabin was almost engulfed in flames, shooting up to the sky. Were they so remote that no neighbor would raise the alarm or come help? Yet she didn’t want anyone else being hurt and knew they were a long way from a police or fire station.
She focused on the people highlighted in the dim garage. Lily was fighting some guy in black. Mike grabbed the guy from behind and wrenched his arms behind his back. “Get some rope,” he said to Lily.
She nodded and turned, grabbing rope off the nearby workbench. Mike wrestled the guy to the ground, and Lily proceeded to hogtie him so fast, Shar couldn’t help but be impressed.
“How many men?” Lily asked him.
“Too many for a little girl like you to take on,” the guy grunted out.
Lily stood. “I took you on.”
“You’re all dead,” the man grunted.
Lily ignored him and hurried toward the driver’s side of the Escalade. “Get in.”
Mike opened the back door for Shar. She scrambled in, and he shut it, climbing in the passenger seat. Lily pushed open the garage and drew in a tremulous breath, “Here goes.”
Shar still couldn’t believe she would leave her husband. She leaned up between the front seats. “Gunner?”
Lily bit at her lip and shook her head. “I have to protect you,” she forced out.
Shar didn’t ask anything else. How could Lily do a job like this where she could lose the love of her life at any moment? Shar knew it was a noble job to protect others, but she could not imagine such a life. If she could ever settle down with someone amazing like Mike, she would just hold him close and not risk losing him.
The door opened silently and quickly. Lily gunned it out of the garage. The cabin lit up the night with orange flames. Shar’s eyes darted around for Gunner and the other men who fifteen minutes ago had been fighting by the cabin. She waited for gunshots to ping off the Escalade as they flew away from the garage, but besides the roar of the fire, all was eerily quiet.
“Where are they?” Mike asked.
“I don’t know, but Sutton’s men are coming. They’ll help Gunner, and you’ll be safe.” Lily gripped the steering wheel tightly. Tears traced down her pretty face as she sped away from her husband, who might be dead even as they drove away.
“You said they’re an hour out,” Shar couldn’t help but remind her.
Lily just gripped the steering wheel tighter, shaking her head and biting at her lip but still not stopping the tears that kept coming. Shar’s heart was breaking for her. She was grateful that Lily was keeping them safe, but she couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Gunner behind.
“We can’t leave him,” Mike declared.
“They’re after you,” Lily reminded him. “If we go, they’ll follow us, and maybe … He’s the best fighter I’ve ever seen. He’ll be okay.” She brushed the wetness from her eyes as they flew down the tree-lined drive.
Across the road up ahead, a body lay in the dirt.
“Stop!” Mike yelled.
“Gunner!” Lily yelled louder, slamming on the brakes.
The Escalade jerked to a stop, and Lily flung open her door. “You stay inside,” she demanded. “Weapons in the glove box.”
Lily slammed her door shut and ran to her husband’s body.
Shar couldn’t hold back the sob or blink back the tears stinging her eyes as she watched Lily fling herself over Gunner’s inert form, and heard her wail, “No!”
Mike yanked open the glove box and pulled out a gun and a knife.
Men filtered in from the trees toward Lily and Gunner. They looked eerie and terrifying in all black with weapons trained on Lily.
“Mike,” Shar whispered in horror. They’d driven right into an ambush.
He glanced back at her. “Stay in here. If we all get killed, you drive over us and get to safety.”
Shar’s eyes widened at the horrific picture he’d just painted. “No … Mike!”
But he was already pushing the door open and jumping out to confront the men.
Shar stared as Lily jumped in front of Gunner’s body to face the four men who were surrounding her. She looked defiant and brave, but these men had obviously taken out Gunner. There had been five heat signatures fighting Gunner earlier so they’d only lost one of their group in the battle. How could Lily win against them when Gunner had failed?
Mike roared from behind them. “You want me? Here I am!”
They all spun to face him. Dressed in black, three of the men looked like trained warriors. She only recognized the face of the man who looked like an athlete: Brett White.
There was no way Shar was staying huddled in this vehicle if she could be of any help. She’d never even been in a fight, but she could at least be a distraction if need be. She slid open the door, but unfortunately, the interior light turned on and highlighted her. She eased down to the dirt, quietly shutting the door behind her, but the men noticed her exit.
“Aw, the newest conquest, eh Mike? She’s gorgeous. Can’t wait to carve up that pretty face,” Brett sneered.
> Mike glanced back at her. “Shar, get back in the car.”
She shook her head, resolutely. “I’ll fight with you.”
Brett chuckled. “Isn’t that sweet? You always got the women’s devotion, didn’t you, Mike?”
Mike gestured her back, talking to distract Brett. “I can’t believe you’d do this. I thought we were friends.”
Brett smiled sinisterly. “I’ve always hated you. Mike Kohler: the chill, benevolent athlete who helps out the orphans and the homeless. When Meredith Ulysses wouldn’t ditch you for me, and then you won the ‘Male Athlete of the Year’, and then you got the spot over me on the Patriots.” His face became ugly and twisted. “I knew I’d do anything to mess you up. Threatening your dates and almost taking a few of them out was fun, and I hoped it was messing with your head, but when my agent found out I could have your spot on the Patriots if I took you out? I started really planning.” He gestured around at Gunner lying there and Lily standing in front of him. The cabin on fire. Mike exposed.
“I got you scared enough to go into hiding and was able to trace your location when you answered my call. Your security guy was tough, four against one, and he would’ve taken out more than just one of my guys if Jake hadn’t finally split his head open with a two by four.” He smirked. “Now he’s dead and I’m going to kill all of you, and no one will ever be able to trace it back to me. I think I’ll start with Ally Steele’s pretty twin sister. Make you watch me have my fun with her before I kill her, then kill you.” He tilted up his chin to Shar. “Hey, beautiful. You ready for a real man?”
“Never!” Shar flung at him.
“You won’t touch her,” Lily hollered. The men swung to face her. She leveled her handgun and shot one of the men in the head. He went down and didn’t move. The two other mercenaries whipped out weapons. Lily got off another shot, hitting another man in the shoulder and then throwing something at them before dodging off into the trees. A small explosion came from whatever she’d thrown, but unfortunately, the men dodged away and didn’t seem to get hurt.
“Go get her,” Brett screamed. The men took off. Brett whirled, pointed his gun at Mike, and fired a shot.
“Mike!” Shar screamed in horror as the bullet ripped through his leg and he went down.
“Get in the car,” Mike yelled at her, grasping his thigh with his right hand and shifting the gun to his left.
Brett started toward her with a sinister look on his face. He dodged around Mike, who pulled up his gun and fired, but missed. Brett kept coming at Shar.
“Shar!” Mike hollered. He fired again. Brett yelped in pain, and Shar viciously hoped he’d hit him somewhere vital.
She turned and ran for the car, grabbing on to the door handle and flinging it open. But Brett grasped her around the waist and ripped her away from the Escalade. He wrapped his arms tight around her, pinning her arms to her sides and taunting Mike. “You only grazed my shoulder with that last shot, and now I’ve got a shield I don’t think you want to hit.”
Shar flung her head back, slamming it into his nose. Pain ripped through the back of her head, but she heard a satisfying crack and a yelp of pain from Brett. She could feel warm blood spurting into her hair and realized she must’ve bloodied, maybe broken his nose. Good. His grip on her softened, and she yanked her right arm forward then back, digging her elbow into his gut. His breath rushed out in a pop, and he cursed. She jabbed the heel of her shoe into the top of his foot, and pain radiated up her leg, but Brett hollered again, so she figured it was worth it.
Grabbing her by the hair, Brett flung her to the ground. Her head hit the ground hard, and she cried out. Brett towered over her, glowering down at her and then over at Mike who had pulled himself to his feet and was aiming the gun at Brett. Blood streamed down Mike’s right thigh and spurted out of Brett’s nose. The fire popped and crackled behind them, giving the entire forest a weird orange glow.
Shar could hear the sounds of fighting in the woods and prayed Lily was holding her own. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as Brett pointed his pistol back at Mike. He smiled mockingly as if he knew Mike didn’t have it in him to kill him. She wanted to scream at him to just shoot, but Mike clung to the gun without pulling the trigger.
“I guess I’ll have to kill you first, then take advantage of your girl,” Brett calmly said as if he had all the time in the world. “Sorry, you won’t be around to—”
A gun retorted in the night, and a bullet ripped through Brett’s chest. Shar stared up at him as his eyes widened in shock before he slammed back onto the dirt road. She scuttled away from him. Mike limped toward her. He helped her up, and she stared at him.
“Did you …” she asked as she’d never seen him pull the trigger.
“No. I would’ve to protect you, but I didn’t.”
They both turned, and Gunner was glaring at Brett’s body, a semi-automatic in his hand. Lying on his stomach, he was propped up on his elbows, blood running down his head.
“Gunner, you’re alive,” Shar gushed out.
“Where’s Lily?” he demanded.
Mike pointed at the woods. “She ran. Two guys went after her.”
“No.” Gunner pushed himself to his feet, swaying unsteadily as he clutched the gun. Blood covered his forehead, and he had to swipe it out of his eyes. Shar could hardly believe he was alive, but what about Lily?
“You stay with Gunner,” Mike instructed. “I’ll go after Lily.”
“Neither of you can even walk,” she protested. “Give me the gun, and I’ll go after Lily.”
“Shar, no.” Gunner shook his head and started stuttering toward the forest.
Mike shuffled toward him, dragging his right leg. Shar hurried after both of them. Men! Honestly. Sure, she’d never shot a gun before, but how hard could it be? Aim and shoot, right?
A small figure darted out of the forest and knocked Gunner off his feet. He slammed back onto the dirt road, and Shar hoped the hit alone wouldn’t finish him off.
“Get down,” Lily yelled, from where she’d landed on top of Gunner.
Bullets sprayed the air where Gunner had been. Mike tackled Shar, wrapping her up in his arms to cushion her fall, but it still hurt taking the brunt of both of their weights and having the breath knocked completely out of her.
A man darted out of the forest toward them, angling for a better shot. Gunner rolled out from under Lily, firing the semi-automatic several times. The man was thrown back against a tree, and lay, unmoving.
“How many more?” Gunner panted out.
“That’s all. I took the other one out in the trees.” She grabbed his bloody face between her palms and kissed him fiercely. “Oh, baby, you’re alive!”
Gunner smiled and then lay back in the dirt and closed his eyes. “Not sure I want to be.”
Lily knelt next to him and tenderly cradled his head, wiping at the blood with her shirt. “You’d better want to be, or I’ll smack you around after you get patched up.”
Gunner’s low chuckle came to them, but then he pushed out a heavy grunt as Lily had ripped her shirt off and was using it as a compress on his head.
“Careful,” Gunner muttered.
“I’ll give you careful,” Lily shot back. “Stay still.”
“I could use something to distract me from the pain,” Gunner said.
Lily giggled.
Mike sank to the ground and pulled Shar down with him. “Are you okay?” she asked anxiously.
“Just a flesh wound.” He gave her a brave smile, but then he followed Lily’s example, pulled off his shirt, and pressed it into the wound on his leg. His smile was a little more grim. “But I’m not sure how much more blood I want to lose before help gets here.”
Shar wasn’t even sure how to help him, or what to do. She wanted to hold him and kiss him, but he’d taken a bullet and had lost a lot of blood. He pressed the wound with his right hand, wincing slightly, and opened his left arm to her. “I could use you close,” he said.
; Shar smiled and cuddled into his side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and stared down at her. Softly kissing her forehead, he let out a shudder. “I can’t put the memory of Brett threatening you out of my mind.”
Shar put a finger over his glorious lips. “Shh. I’m okay. You were amazing.”
Mike chuckled. “I don’t know about amazing. Watch me play on Sunday, and then you’ll think amazing. I’ll let Gunner and Lily have the glory on this field.”
Those two were suspiciously quiet. Shar hoped they were kissing and not both passed out.
Shar smiled at Mike. “I would love to cheer for you on Sunday, but Mike …” She pointed to his leg. “I don’t know that you’ll be playing for a while.”
He cursed softly.
“Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?” she asked.
Mike gave her a sheepish grin but shot right back. “Yes, and I’m going to kiss you with it too.”
“Be my guest.”
Mike bent his head toward hers and tenderly explored her mouth with his. The fire burned behind them, and if Gunner was still conscious, he and Lily were probably having their own kissing session across the way. Shar let herself concentrate on kissing the superstar of her dreams. She also let her fingers and palms explore the glorious contours of his bare chest and back.
Sirens and flashing lights disturbed their kiss, but she still didn’t pull away. Soon enough, they’d have to face the aftermath of this mess and daylight. For now, she was going to kiss Mike until someone pulled them apart.
Chapter Twelve
Shar’s head lolled to the side as she waited in Mike’s hospital room for him to wake up. It was early Monday morning, and he’d lost a lot more blood than the doctor had been comfortable with. Plus, the bullet had torn through his quadriceps and hamstring muscles.
The Pursued Patriot: Georgia Patriots Romance Page 10