Wiggling her hands behind her back, she felt for the knife she’d stowed behind her waistband, and smiled inwardly when her fingers closed around the grip.
The idiots who’d captured her hadn’t checked her for weapons.
“What are you going to do with your money, Dirk?” the biggest guy asked.
Dirk?
Good to know. From the looks of him, his beard held a bigger IQ than his brain. As quiet as possible, she slipped the knife from its sheath and sawed through the zip tie binding her wrists.
“Shut up.” The asshole who’d claimed to have coldcocked her snarled at his cohort.
She followed his movements, waiting for her opportunity, when she spotted a familiar pair of hazel eyes staring at her through the window.
Brogan!
Kat nearly cried out in relief. A wave of joy rushed through her chest, and her eyes and throat burned with the need to release it. She swallowed and blinked until it cleared and she was no longer in danger of giving away his location. He was okay. In fact, he was better than okay. He had a gun in his hand and he motioned for her to check the other windows. Hank and Swede nodded to her from outside.
“We aren’t getting paid to talk,” asshole claimed.
“Yeah, Hector wanted the girl,” idiot number two stated. “We’re delivering the girl.”
Those two had loose lips.
Maybe they knew more than they realized. She gave Brogan a small shake of her head when he motioned for her to hit the floor. “Who’s Hector?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” The burly dude grinned.
“He gave us the hands-off speech, which is too bad, because you’re definitely worth putting hands on.” Number two stepped close and ran a finger down her arm, making her skin crawl.
She gripped the knife behind her back, itching to plant it in his ear.
“Enough, you two,” asshole, the man in charge, growled. “We were told hands off. That includes fingers, too. I won’t let you jeopardize our opportunity for more jobs from this boss over a piece of ass.”
“Yeah.” Burly dude nodded. “Hector has connections. Everyone thought his brother was the big man.”
Alarm skittered down her spin. This was news her uncle needed to know. She met Brogan’s gaze to convey that thought. He gave a small nod.
She cocked her head, switching tactics. “I thought his brother’s network was gone.”
“You thought wrong, bitch,” number two muttered, and the asshole boss actually laughed.
Burly waved his gun back and forth and rocked back on his booted heels. “Yeah. Hector’s making a big name for himself and we’re going to help him expand his guns and drugs in the U.S.”
“Shut up!” Asshole punched burly square in the jaw, then turned a cold gaze on her. “You too, you stupid bitch.” He reached for her hair, but she lunged out of the way while swinging her knife around to lodge in his side.
His wild yell echoed through the shop, but stopped suddenly when a bullet greeted his head. He bounced off the table and onto the floor. Then two more shots rang out, and idiots one and two were dead before they hit the floor.
“Kat?” Brogan burst through the door, and she rushed to his opened arms. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” he asked, drawing back to look her over.
“I’m fine. But you were shot.”
“It’s just a flesh wound.” He cupped her face and kissed her hard on the lips. Then her forehead and head as she held him close.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I should’ve listened to you.”
“No, I’m sorry. I should’ve let you help,” he countered. “What you did on that roof, and in here was amazing.”
Amazing?
She lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t really do too much.”
“Yes, you did,” Hank said, standing inside the door. “I’ve already contacted your uncle with the information you extracted.”
Swede stood next to him, grinning as he folded his arms across his chest. “Reminded me of one of my favorite comic book heroines.”
“I don’t know if I was more worried or turned on,” Brogan said, tightening his hold on her hip.
Hope pierced her heart. Maybe he won’t be like the other men she’d dated. Maybe he would support her profession.
He stiffened. “Two helos approaching from the west. Fast.”
Chapter Ten
Rushing outside with the others, Kat hoped like hell they didn’t need to worry about heat signatures.
“Hang on.” Brogan swiped his rifle off the ground and handed it to her, along with a handful of bullets he fished from his pocket. “Let’s get you up high for a better shot. Hector is in one of the choppers. I overhead some of his men talking before. They said he would be here soon.”
The fact he didn’t try to hide her under another mylar blanket sent a shockwave of warmth right down to her toes. He was letting her help.
Hank stepped near with a headset in his hand. “Here.”
Fighting the urge to fist-pump the air, she put on the headset and focused on their situation. There would be time to cheer later.
“How many men do you think Hector has in each chopper?” Swede asked.
“Only one is his,” Brogan replied. “The other is Knight’s.”
She stilled. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “I recognize the sound from Hank’s place the other day.”
Swede stepped close. “This is fascinating and all, Sonic, but we need to take cover.”
Kat smiled. “Not if Brooke is piloting one.”
“That may be,” Brogan said, ushering her into the woods, while the other two booked it across the driveway to the other side of the ranch. “But I’m not taking any chances. Let’s climb.”
He was right. Even though she knew Brooke never missed a target, it would be foolish to stand out in the open. She shoved the bullets into her front pocket and slung the rifle over her shoulder in preparation for her climb. They chose a tree diagonal to the field and ranch.
Perfect line of sight.
Brogan knelt on one knee, joined his hands, and when she stepped into his palms, he hoisted her upward. The momentum propelled her close enough to grasp the nearest branch, and she pulled herself up.
She’d just settled into a solid perch when the sound of choppers echoed in the distance.
“Look alive,” Hank’s voice sounded on the radio.
She glanced down at Brogan. He chose to hunker down behind a tree, instead of in one—due to his injury, no doubt.
He gave her a thumbs up while his voice came over the com. “Roger, that.”
“Roger, that,” she acknowledged too.
Her heart was pounding, blood was pumping. It reminded her of her Naval Intelligence days. She missed them, but now she was starting a new chapter in her life, and was excited about the prospects.
Lifting the rifle to her shoulder, she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face at being included in the op, instead of hidden away.
As soon as the first chopper came into view, she immediately found it through her scope, and adjusted the site. Almost within range.
“Lead one is Hector,” Brogan said through the com.
“Roger that,” she replied, a little bit in awe over the fact she was the one with the scope, yet he could tell the choppers apart by the sound. Her godfather’s chopper, she noted, was closing in on Hector, but might not make in time to stop the bastard from doing more damage to Brogan’s ranch.
Following Hector with her sight, she clamped her jaw, hating that he was shooting up the fields and she couldn’t stop him.
Yet.
Concentrating on her approaching target, she slowed her breathing like before, and as soon as he was within her capabilities, she squeezed the trigger, hitting the goon firing the guns.
Shots echoed from below as the men opened fire, too, more for a show of force than accuracy.
The chopper immediately changed direction and
flew back out of range.
Dammit.
Then it swerved again as her godfather’s chopper closed in.
Kat got off two more shots, disabling their guns, because she didn’t have a clear shot at the pilot. She reloaded, but before she could lift it to her shoulder, her godfather’s chopper engaged Hector’s. It caught fire and sputtered above them before veering straight into the mountain and exploding.
“Now that’s what I call crazy,” Swede said over the com.
Kat chuckled, and was still smiling when she climbed down and joined Brogan on the ground.
He held up a pair of binoculars. “Great shooting.” With admiration shining in his eyes, he hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. “What do you do for an encore?”
She laughed and slid her arm around him as they walked toward his house where the others were gathering. “Hopefully, you.”
“Ah, you do know we can hear you, right?” Swede’s voice came over the radio.
Shoot. She had forgotten, but since it was already said, she smiled. “Sorry, Swede. Didn’t mean to offend your sensibilities.”
Laughter filled her ears from each com, and echoed softly in the air as she removed the headset and handed it to Hank.
“What’d I miss?” her uncle asked, walking toward them with Brooke and her godfather.
Brooke had landed their chopper in a clearing a few hundred yards away.
She released Brogan to rush forward and hug them, happier to see the trio than she realized. “Did you get the message about Hector’s network?”
Her uncle nodded. “Already on it. By the time we tracked the slippery bugger down, he was halfway here.”
“How did he find us?” Brogan asked, stopping beside her.
She reached for his hand, unsure if he’d be willing to show affection for her in front of her uncle, but she needn’t have worried. He slid his arm around her, and drew her against his side, instead.
A smile tugged Brooke’s lips as she gave Kat a slight nod of approval.
“A threat to one of my contacts.” Her uncle scowled. “That call you received was from him. He’d kidnapped their little boy and extorted your number. In light of that, we’ve been digging. He’d had his hooks into a few good people. We had to neutralize several threats, before we could pursue him. That’s why we took so long.”
“Are you sure he was in that chopper?” she asked, nodding toward the smoke billowing into the sky from the foot of the mountain where the chopper rested in a twisted heap.
“Positive,” Brooke replied. “I had visual several times during our cat-and-mouse game. I also saw two horses drinking from a stream.” She nodded toward the charred barn. “Are they yours?”
“Yes.” Brogan nodded. “There aren’t any ranches close by. Must be them. I’ll fetch them after this place stops smoldering.”
Her godfather stepped up to shake hands with the men. “Don’t worry about the mess. We have people on the way here now to clean it.” He surveyed the area “Looks like you fared well, considering.”
“Yeah, thanks to Kat,” Brogan stated. “You were right, sir. She’s one hell of a shot.”
“Of course she is.” Her godfather grinned. “Who do you think taught her?”
Uncle Tom puffed out his chest. “I did.”
She’d learned from them both, and the Navy.
“And as I promised, Kat,” her uncle said, facing her fully. “Now that this is over, I think it’s time you got back to working in the field.”
She blew out a breath and grinned, unable to keep the satisfaction inside. “’Bout time.”
“So, how did you enjoy your stay in Montana?” Brooke asked, slight curve to her lips. “Or maybe I should be asking if you’re leaving it?”
All of a sudden, the men grew quiet, and she felt the man at her side stiffen.
Kat glanced at him, not sure where they were headed, but knowing she didn’t want whatever was going on between them to end.
Brogan grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, apparently not in the least bit worried about their audience. “I’ll be happy to commute. Or anything you want, Kat. I just want you in my life.”
Joy like she’d never known filled her heart until she thought her chest would burst. “That won’t be necessary. I heard of an outfit around here looking to hire bodyguards. Isn’t that right, Hank?”
“Yes, ma’am. I have a position for you if you’re interested,” Hank replied, but since he’d technically just hired her, she let the “ma’am” reference slide.
“Oh, I’m interested,” she answered, her gaze still glued to Brogan’s. “But first, I need a vacation.” She slid her arms up his chest and wrapped her hands around his neck. “You interested?”
Heat flickered in his gorgeous hazel depths. “Hell, yeah,” he said, drawing her against him. “I heard there’s great snorkeling in Bora Bora.”
“I’ve heard that, too. A good friend of mine told me,” she said, doing her best to keep a straight face.
“How good?” He cocked his head and narrowed his playful gaze.
“The best. Elite, even,” she murmured, before he captured her lips and kissed her as if he’d waited his whole life for her to come along.
It was all in, and consuming, like something right out of one of her fantasies. Except, the man kept proving to her that reality with him was so much more.
***
If you enjoyed ELITE PROTECTOR, please consider leaving a review. Thank you.
The danger all started in Lisa’s story, Knight’s SEAL, and continues in Nikki’s story LOCKE and Load, Gina’s story, A Daye with a SEAL, Tarah’s story, Cowboy LAWE,
a connection to Kat’s story in, Elite Protector, with more stories, connected stories and crossovers to come in the
Dangerous Curves Series!
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ALSO BY DONNA MICHAELS
Amazon.com/author.donna-michaels
~Citizen Soldier Novels~
(Harland County Spinoff Series)
Wyne and Dine (#1) (Award Winning)
Wyne and Chocolate (#2)
Wyne and Song (#3)
Wine and Her New Year Cowboy (#4)
Whine and Rescue KW(#5)
Wine and Hot Shoes (#6)
~Harland County Series~
Harland County Christmas (Prequel)
Her Fated Cowboy (#1)
Her Unbridled Cowboy (#2)
Her Uniform Cowboy (#3) (Award Winning)
Her Forever Cowboy (#4) (Award Winning)
Her Healing Cowboy (#5)
Her Volunteer Cowboy (#6)
Her Indulgent Cowboy (#7)
Her Hell Yeah Cowboy (#8) (Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! KW Crossover Novella)
Her Troubled Cowboy (#9) (Citizen Soldier Crossover)
Her Hell No Cowboy (#10) (Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! KW Crossover Novella)
~The Men of At Ease Ranch Series~
~Entangled Publications~
In A Ranger’s Arms (#1)
Her Secret Ranger (#2)
The Right Ranger (#3) rel. 6/12/17
~Dangerous Curves Series~
Knight’s SEAL –KW (#1)
Locke and Load (#2)
A DAYE with a SEAL—KW (#3)
Cowboy LAWE (#4)
~Time-shift Heroes Series~
Captive Hero (#1)
Future Cowboy Hero (#2) (tba)
~Related~
Cowboy-Fiancé (formerly Cowboy-Sexy) (Hand drawn Japanese Translation now avail!)
Cowboy Payback (sequel)
~Do-Over Series~
Valentine’s Day Do-Over (#1)
Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings (#2)
~Novels~
She Does Know Jack
Royally Unleashed
The Spy Who Fanged Me
<
br /> ~Novellas~
Thanks for Giving
Ten Things I’d Do for a Cowboy
Vampire Kristmas
DonnaMichaelsAuthor.com
About the Author
Donna Michaels is an award winning, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Romaginative fiction. Her hot, humorous, and heartwarming stories include cowboys, men in uniform, and some sexy, primal alphas. With a husband in the military fulltime, and a household of nine, she never runs out of material. From short to epic, her books entertain readers across a variety of sub-genres, and one has even been hand drawn into a Japanese Translation.
To learn more about Donna Michaels and her books, or to join her mailing list, visit www.DonnaMichealsAuthor.com
Find titles at Donna’s Amazon Page and don’t forget to click the yellow FOLLOW button for Author Alerts!
Thanks for reading,
~Donna
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