Cage (Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT Book 1)

by Delilah Devlin

  She wished she’d had a chance to kiss him before he left, to look into his hazel-green eyes and tell herself he still loved her—if only for that second. But they’d been overrun at the highway rest stop with all the vehicles of the new arrivals. They were still waiting for Fetch and Lacey, who’d waited on the road for Fetch to catch him up on everything that had transpired that night. Fetch had already been in touch with an angry ATF official whose shouts had been picked up by Lacey’s phone as she’d passed messages along to Brian and Reaper from Fetch.

  Felicity sat forward, staring at her screen. “I see two bogies moving in front of the main building.”

  “Hook, here. I see them. Two armed guards.”

  In the divided screen marked “Hook”, Elaine watched as he moved forward then paused. “I’m going to get close enough to tase one,” he said.

  “I’ll take the other one out,” Dagger’s voice sounded from the speakers in the van.

  Everything happened with scary precision. The team moved forward.

  An arc of light shone and one of the guards stiffened and dropped to his knees before falling forward on his face. The other guard was just as quickly dispatched. Their weapons were gathered and their hands and feet quickly tied. Then Dagger and Hook dragged the men into the bushes.

  The team surrounded the main building.

  “Cage, you’re with me,” Reaper said. “We’ll go through the front door.”

  Hook and Cochise’s screens showed them running around the back of the building.

  “Cochise, here. Hook and I have the back covered,” Cochise said in a hushed tone.

  “Fig,” Reaper said, “you stay back. You see anyone approaching the building, use bean bag rounds. Everyone, use non-lethal force, if you can. On my signal, get ready to breach.” Then there was a pause. “On three, one…two…three…”

  All the screens showed movement.

  She kept her gaze on Cage’s screen, watching as he lifted a foot and kicked open the door, then he and Reaper moved inside. Once in, they flipped up their night vision goggles because the overhead lights lit the way as they moved through the foyer of the building and down a long hallway, each pausing at doors to open them and glance inside. Each room was empty.

  The sound of scuffling filled the van, and she glanced quickly at Cochise’s screen. His camera showed Hook wrestling on the floor with a man. His weapon was knocked away. Hook raised his prosthetic arm and hit the man on the side of the head, and the man went still. With a quick roll, he had his hands behind his back and tied. Then he picked up his weapon and the two men continued working their way through a kitchen and a dining room.

  “Kitchen clear. Dining room clear.”

  Her gaze went back to Reaper and Cage’s monitor, watching the split screen as they headed to a doorway at the end of the hallway marked, “Interrogation.”

  “What the hell does a recreation area need with a damn interrogation room?” Brian muttered.

  Reaper and Cage stood to either side of the last door. Cage’s camera caught Reaper’s mouth moving silently. Three…two…one…

  Cage darted in front of the door, kicked it open, then quickly darted back to the side as gunfire erupted.

  Elaine’s heart stopped as jagged holes appeared in the door and the wall surrounding it. The brief glance she’d gotten of the inside of the room when Cage kicked in the door had showed her brother tied to a wooden chair, his face a mass of bruises, his eyes swollen shut, and two men inside, one with a pistol held to his brother’s head and the other on one knee with a rifle aimed at the doorway.

  Cage moved farther away from the doorway as automatic fire sprayed the walls beside the door. Reaper did the same. Reaper was giving him a ferocious scowl. “That was damn close,” he whispered.

  Cage grimaced.

  When the shooter went silent, Cage turned his head toward the door to shout, “You in the room, you’re on your own. We’ve already taken out your guards. The building is surrounded. Lower your weapons and come out with your hands up.”

  “Like hell,” a shout sounded from inside. “You lower yours or we’re gonna shoot this fucker.”

  Cage knew Elaine was watching, and he hated that she was seeing and hearing this. “Why in hell would you think we give a shit what you do to him? You’re still not getting out of that room alive unless you put down your weapons and move toward us.”

  More gunfire peppered the doorway, and Cage sank back against the wall. The thin drywall wasn’t any protection against the rounds the AR was spitting out. With him and Reaper pinned to opposite corners, they couldn’t see inside the room to take advantage of a reload or the inattention of one of the gunmen.

  “Who are you fuckers, anyway?”

  “We’re Fugitive Recovery Agents,” Reaper said. “We’re here to take in the man you have tied to that chair.”

  “You’re bounty hunters?” A bark of laughter followed.

  Reaper rolled his eyes. “Laugh all you like. ATF and FBI are already outside your gates.”

  “I don’t think so,” the voice inside called out. “I’ve got eyes on the road. I don’t see shit.”

  “Fetch says they’re fifteen minutes out,” Brian’s voice sounded in his ear.

  “Did you see us coming through the woods?” Reaper drawled. “Did you watch us taking out your men?”

  “Tell you what’s gonna happen,” the man inside said. “I’m gonna walk this fella out. If you interfere in any way with me getting to my vehicle, I’ll shoot his brains out.”

  Reaper’s mouth twisted, and he gave Cage a nod.

  Yeah, he was thinking it would be easier to get the jump on them once they were out of the room, too.

  “Since the only thing I give a shit about is how much money your boy will bring me,” Cage said, “I’ll let you do that. But you have to leave him when you get to your car.”

  “Might be easier to get the drop on them once they’re outside,” another voice sounded in his ear. “I’m on the roof. I can pick them off from behind.”

  Reaper cleared his throat. “Sounds like a plan,” he muttered. “What’s next?” he said a little louder.

  “You two pull back. I want to see you walking down the hall in front of me, your arms raised.”

  Cage frowned.

  “You know,” Reaper said, “if you shoot us in the back, the rest of my team will take you the fuck out. Our bounty pays, dead or alive,” Reaper said, shrugging his shoulders as he continued to lie. “That’s all we care about.”

  “Now, lay down your weapons and get to walkin’,” the man inside shouted.

  Cage blew out a breath, and although every instinct told him this was a really bad idea, he laid his weapon on the floor, then raised his hands, moved away from the corner where he’d sheltered, and began walking down the hallway. Reaper’s heavy footsteps followed.

  Thankfully, no shots rang out. They entered the foyer. Through the windows, he couldn’t see any of the team, which was a good thing. They’d taken covered positions.

  “I’m in the parking lot,” Fig said. “I’ve got my eyes on the trucks, if they make it this far. Give me a signal, and I’ll start slashing tires.”

  “Do it,” Reaper whispered.

  “Keep moving,” the gunman behind them said. “Out the doors. Once you’re on the ground outside, I want you two on your knees.”

  “Move as far out as you can. Then lay the fuck down,” came a whisper in his ear.

  Cage pushed open the door and headed down the steps, stretching his stride and walking in a straight line. When he figured he’d moved far enough away, he went to his knees. When Reaper dropped to his knees beside them, he looked behind him. The two men escorting Elaine’s brother from the building were moving away from the steps, the one with the pistol cursed as Brent faltered and began to sink to the ground.

  “Now,” Cage said, and fell forward.

  A soft ping was followed by the sound of something hitting the dirt.

  Cage re
ached for the Glock in his holster, rolled to his back, and took aim at the man who had his hand beneath Brent’s arm, trying to pull him up. A single squeeze of the trigger was followed by the loud report of his weapon. A red circle blossomed on the shoulder of the man holding Brent as his arm dropped to his side, incapacitated by the round Cage had shot through the joint.

  Team members ran out from their covered positions, weapons drawn and held in front of them as they disarmed the two gunmen then methodically searched the rest of the compound for anyone else they’d missed.

  In the distance, he heard sirens.

  “The cavalry’s here,” Brian said. “We’ll keep surveilling until law enforcement takes over the site. Great job, everyone.”

  Cage pushed up from the dirt and walked over to Brent, who had landed on his knees. Elaine’s brother swayed as he tilted back his head. “That you, Cage?” he said, blinking through a swollen eye.

  “Yeah, kid.”

  A tear leaked down one cheek. “I fucked up.”

  Cage sighed and went down on a knee beside him. “I know.”

  “Elaine? Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s a mile away from here.”

  “She going to jail?”

  “For now, yeah. Whether she stays there is kind of up to you.”

  Brent’s head dropped. “I don’t feel so good.”

  Cage shook his head and bit back his response. He wanted Brent to do the right thing, but he couldn’t force him. Brent had to arrive at that conclusion on his own. In the meantime, he needed medical attention.

  “There an ambulance coming?” Cage asked.

  In his ear, he heard a crackling, then, “Yeah. One is on the way. I asked for two more. Elaine’s on her way to your location, too. Felicity is bringing her there.”

  “Thanks. You do good work,” Cage said.

  “I’ll be Fig’s trainer. Fetch is gonna outfit another van for your office. You’ll get the same level of support.”

  He patted Brent’s shoulder. “You take a seat. An ambulance is on the way. The other guys’ injuries are life-threatening, so I’m sure they’ll go first, but you’ll get help soon.”

  Brent nodded wearily and lowered himself to sit on his ass. “Elaine?”

  “She’s on her way, bro.”

  “Hey, Cage,” Reaper called out.

  “I’ll be back,” he said to Brent then pushed upward and walked toward Reaper who was standing over the two wounded gunmen.

  Dagger and Fig were doing what they could, staunching bloody wounds.

  “They’ll both make it, I’m sure,” Reaper said. “Not that I give a shit.” He locked glances with Cage. “You handled yourself well…for a SEAL.” His mouth stretched into a one-sided smirk.

  Cage shook his head. “Not bad for a Marine, old man.”

  “Old? I’ve only got a couple of years on you.”

  Cage grinned.

  Reaper’s gaze held his. “You think about long-term? About sticking with us?”

  Cage nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’m in. Working with your hunters feels—”

  “Natural, right? Like you’ve been preparing for this your entire life.”

  Again, Cage nodded. “Yeah. Natural.”

  Sirens were getting louder and strobing blue lights shone through the trees as the vehicles made their way down the gravel road.

  “I’m lookin’ to train up someone to take charge of the office in Dead Horse. You’re the one Fetch had in mind from the start. I’m in agreement. The job’s yours, if you want it. Fig’s already in place, and you’ll meet Martika soon enough, but you can hire whomever you want after that to staff up.”

  “I’m not even licensed,” Cage said, surprised but pleased to be asked.

  “Man, you’re in Montana. Do you think anyone gives a shit about a piece of paper? I’ll send you some links to some online legal classes, cop stuff, just so you know what’s a felony or a misdemeanor, and what you can do legally. But other than that, we can go ahead and order your badge. Between me and Brian, we’ll get you all knowed up.”

  Cage didn’t really have to think about the offer. He’d been floating through life. Purposeless between fights. Now, he’d have his own team to hire and train.

  “Tell Fetch, I’m all in.”

  Chapter 10

  Elaine sat in the waiting room at the ER in Bozeman, Fig sitting beside her as her brother Brent was examined and treated.

  Most of his injuries were superficial, other than a couple of fractured ribs. He’d needed eleven stitches to close cuts on his face, and there was going to be considerable bruising and swelling for the days to come, but otherwise, he’d gotten off light, considering the alternative.

  She couldn’t stop reliving the moments when she’d first spied him via Cage’s camera feed tied to a chair, his face nearly unrecognizable due to the beating he’d taken.

  Then she’d looked on as Cage had laid down his weapon and turned his back on the gunmen to march down that long hallway… She’d held her breath the entire time, expecting another spray of bullets to take him down.

  Watching as Cage had knelt in the dirt, then the crazy slip to the side as he’d rolled, raised his weapon in front of him, and shot the man inside a second… Well, she’d known Cage was a former SEAL, but she hadn’t really known what he was capable of doing.

  The fact both gunmen had been dispatched so quickly, and that no one else had been injured or killed, impressed her. Cage was where he belonged—working with this crew of rough and capable men women, taking down bad guys.

  Too bad there was no place for her in his world.

  At last, Reaper and Cage walked out of the double doors leading into the ER, Brent between them.

  Brent’s eyes weren’t nearly as swollen as they had been, and he gave her a crooked grin—which shocked her because he was missing a tooth in his formerly perfect smile.

  Reaper’s glance went to Elaine. “I’m taking this guy back to the motel in Dead Horse. I don’t think he’s gonna be safe on his own until the law gets Whitcomb in custody. They have a warrant out for his arrest for extortion and kidnapping. His people rolled on him as soon as the Feds showed up.”

  Elaine nodded. “Thank you for looking out for him.” She drew a deep breath. “So, I guess this is it, right? I don’t suppose Cage can come along for the trip to the detention facility in Bozeman, could he?”

  “About that…” Reaper said. “It’s the damn middle of the night, and I need some shuteye. We all do. Let’s convoy back to Dead Horse and get some rest. In the morning, the team’s meeting up at the diner in town. Then we’ll figure out who’s escorting you to jail. In the meantime…” He gave her a narrow-eyed stare. “Can I leave you in Cage’s custody for the night without you trying to escape?”

  Relief flooded her. One more night of freedom—a night spent with Cage. “I promise I won’t attempt to escape. I’m ready for this nightmare to end.” And she was speaking a very heartfelt truth. Whatever the outcome, however long the court decided to lock her away, she was at peace.

  Reaper clapped a hand on Brent’s shoulder, causing her brother to wince. “We’ll get you your own room.”

  Outside, Reaper tossed his keys to Cage. “You two go ahead. Brian’s gonna bring the rest of us back. He’s staying in Dead Horse a day or two to go over specs for the new ops van with Fig. See you two at ten for breakfast.”

  Cage met her gaze, one eyebrow raised.

  She grinned back. “Guess I’m your prisoner.”

  “You’ll have to do everything I say.”

  Brent groaned. “If it wouldn’t hurt so much, I’d clap my hands over my ears.”

  Laughter followed them as they ran hand-in-hand toward Reaper’s vehicle.

  In the early morning hours, they stopped at an all-night diner along the way and ordered the biggest, greasiest burgers they could before they headed to the motel.

  Once inside the room, they stripped—to save their clothing from messy drips, of course—and at
e their meal.

  Afterward, they took a shower together, hurrying through the process because they were both eager to spend the rest of their time together in bed.

  Neither spoke about what would happen in a few short hours when Cage and Reaper would take her to jail. Elaine purposefully shut away any thoughts of the future, determined to live in the moment and store away as many memories as she could of this night with this man.

  She’d spent three years yearning for Cage, regretting her decision to let him walk out of her life, hating herself for not following him. Not that she’d believed he would take her back if she had. They’d both been so incredibly angry the last time she’d seen him. The sound of the door slamming behind him had punctuated her belief that he was done with her.

  In the silence that had followed, she’d focused on her work, on giving Brent more responsibilities, so that, if ever she decided to walk away from the business, she could, on her own terms.

  But that was then. Watching as Cage tossed the coverlet and upper sheet onto the floor then moved the pillows to the center of the bed, she found she could easily push away the memories. She knew what he wanted by the way he stacked three slim pillows on top of each other then patted his hand on the uppermost one.

  She moved slowly toward the bed, her nipples already prickling and tightening, her pussy clenching as she crawled onto the end of the mattress then lay on the stack, her ass high in the air.

  The bed lowered behind her, and she waited in an agony of anticipation until a hand smoothed over the back of one thigh and another cupped her sex.

  Fingers pushed inside her entrance and swirled in the moisture gathering there. A thumb pushed against her other entrance, making her gasp, because while they’d always been adventurous, she’d been reluctant to ever let him play there, but if that was what he wanted… The thrill of excitement his illicit act gave her had her on edge.