turn to growl. “What the hell are they waiting for?”
“ Bet they’re almost dry.”
He slid the barrel of his rifle slowly through the window. “Doubt
they carry much extra ammunition when they’re going to fuck
somebody up. Your average posse depends on brute force and
numbers.”
Leave it to Oliver to get downright
loquacious when talking about the strategy involved with successful
vigilantism. “They can’t sit out there all day.”
“ They won’t.” He sounded
sure. “They’ll either come up with another plan, or they’ll bum
rush us.”
The third option announced itself with a
furious howl. A wolf barreled into one of the men, his powerful
jaws closing on the back of the man’s neck. A furious surge of
power roared through the house, leaving no doubt that the wolf who
had joined the fight was the alpha.
And he was pissed.
God damn it. “Jack.” Ginny snatched up her revolvers and
scrambled to her feet.
Oliver caught her arm. “If I let you go out
there, Jack’ll skin me alive.”
Only the knowledge that he
was trying to do what Jack wanted kept her from tearing his arm out
of its socket to get away. “I like you Ollie. Now turn me loose .”
“ All right.” He did, only
to yank his own revolvers out of their twin holsters. “But I’m
going first.”
They made it out into the yard a moment
before one of the remaining men fired at Jack. The wolf rolled out
of the way just in time to avoid the bullet that dug into the
ground an inch from his body.
Rage gripped Ginny, and she emptied both of
her pistols into the man. Oliver yelled something, but she couldn’t
understand him through the blood rushing in her ears. More gunfire
exploded around her, and a hard hand wrapped around her arm like a
vise.
The last shooter, a rough man named Keller,
jerked her to him, her back to his chest, and the hot steel of a
blade bit into her throat. “Drop the guns and back away.”
Being used as a shield, as a means for
escape, only made her angrier. He thought she was weak, that he
could use her to leave Oliver and Jack helpless.
Ginny smashed the heel of her boot back into
Keller’s shin and twisted the arm around her chest, unmindful of
the knife scoring her flesh. She spun, grasped his face between her
hands, and whispered, “I’m not a weapon.” A quick wrench of her
hands snapped his neck.
“ Ginny.” It was Jack’s
voice, hoarse and tired. “Are you all right?”
She stepped over Keller’s legs and hurried
to Jack’s side. Blood slicked his bare skin, and his eyes were
red-rimmed and exhausted. “I’m okay.” She propped him up with his
arm draped over her shoulders. “Ollie.”
He nodded. “I’ll make sure that’s
everyone.”
Jack’s body stiffened as he glanced around.
“Where’s Hazel?”
“ Hiding inside.” Ginny
urged him toward the house. “We’ll send --” Shit. She couldn’t send Hazel back to
town with Oliver, not after the way she’d almost lost control and
ravished him earlier. “We’ll send Ollie to fetch Thomas and Lottie.
Thomas can deal with Dawson’s crew, and Lottie will take care of
Hazel.”
“ That would be a good
solution.” He stopped and turned to look at Oliver. “Did you catch
that?”
“ Got it.” Oliver holstered
his revolvers. “Need anything else?”
Jack’s gaze flickered to Oliver’s arm. “How
badly you hurt?”
“ Already almost healed
up.”
“ Good. Thank
you.”
Ginny fought the urge to gnash her teeth
impatiently they made their way up the steps and to the door. She
knew Oliver would take care of the gunmen and be on his way as
quickly as possible, so she focused her attention on Jack. “Can you
manage the stairs?”
He shot her a tired but indulgent look.
“It’s my arm, Ginny. I bled a lot, but I’m not going to die. If I
hadn’t run on it, it’d already be knitting shut.”
“ You shouldn’t have.” Fear
sharpened her tone. “We were doing fine, and you could have been
killed.”
“ I had no
“ Bet they’re almost dry.”
He slid the barrel of his rifle slowly through the window. “Doubt
they carry much extra ammunition when they’re going to fuck
somebody up. Your average posse depends on brute force and
numbers.”
Leave it to Oliver to get downright
loquacious when talking about the strategy involved with successful
vigilantism. “They can’t sit out there all day.”
“ They won’t.” He sounded
sure. “They’ll either come up with another plan, or they’ll bum
rush us.”
The third option announced itself with a
furious howl. A wolf barreled into one of the men, his powerful
jaws closing on the back of the man’s neck. A furious surge of
power roared through the house, leaving no doubt that the wolf who
had joined the fight was the alpha.
And he was pissed.
God damn it. “Jack.” Ginny snatched up her revolvers and
scrambled to her feet.
Oliver caught her arm. “If I let you go out
there, Jack’ll skin me alive.”
Only the knowledge that he
was trying to do what Jack wanted kept her from tearing his arm out
of its socket to get away. “I like you Ollie. Now turn me loose .”
“ All right.” He did, only
to yank his own revolvers out of their twin holsters. “But I’m
going first.”
They made it out into the yard a moment
before one of the remaining men fired at Jack. The wolf rolled out
of the way just in time to avoid the bullet that dug into the
ground an inch from his body.
Rage gripped Ginny, and she emptied both of
her pistols into the man. Oliver yelled something, but she couldn’t
understand him through the blood rushing in her ears. More gunfire
exploded around her, and a hard hand wrapped around her arm like a
vise.
The last shooter, a rough man named Keller,
jerked her to him, her back to his chest, and the hot steel of a
blade bit into her throat. “Drop the guns and back away.”
Being used as a shield, as a means for
escape, only made her angrier. He thought she was weak, that he
could use her to leave Oliver and Jack helpless.
Ginny smashed the heel of her boot back into
Keller’s shin and twisted the arm around her chest, unmindful of
the knife scoring her flesh. She spun, grasped his face between her
hands, and whispered, “I’m not a weapon.” A quick wrench of her
hands snapped his neck.
“ Ginny.” It was Jack’s
voice, hoarse and tired. “Are you all right?”
She stepped over Keller’s legs and hurried
to Jack’s side. Blood slicked his bare skin, and his eyes were
red-rimmed and exhausted. “I’m okay.” She propped him up with his
arm draped over her shoulders. “Ollie.”
He nodded. “I’ll make sure that’s
everyone.”
Jack’s body stiffened as he glanced around.
“Where’s Hazel?”
“ Hiding inside.” Ginny
urged him toward the house. “We’ll send --” Shit. She couldn’t send Hazel back to
town with Oliver, not after the way she’d almost lost control and
ravished him earlier. “We’ll send Ollie to fetch Thomas and Lottie.
Thomas can deal with Dawson’s crew, and Lottie will take care of
Hazel.”
“ That would be a good
solution.” He stopped and turned to look at Oliver. “Did you catch
that?”
“ Got it.” Oliver holstered
his revolvers. “Need anything else?”
Jack’s gaze flickered to Oliver’s arm. “How
badly you hurt?”
“ Already almost healed
up.”
“ Good. Thank
you.”
Ginny fought the urge to gnash her teeth
impatiently they made their way up the steps and to the door. She
knew Oliver would take care of the gunmen and be on his way as
quickly as possible, so she focused her attention on Jack. “Can you
manage the stairs?”
He shot her a tired but indulgent look.
“It’s my arm, Ginny. I bled a lot, but I’m not going to die. If I
hadn’t run on it, it’d already be knitting shut.”
“ You shouldn’t have.” Fear
sharpened her tone. “We were doing fine, and you could have been
killed.”
“ I had no
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