Wild Card by Moira Rogers Page A

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 way of knowing if Oliver had gotten over here yet,” Jack countered. “You’re good, Ginny, but you’re only one person.”
    “I could --” She bit her tongue.