Smash_ A Stepbrother MMA Romance(158)

One team of four men approached the front door. They used a heavy steel battering ram and slammed it into the door once, twice, sending loud, booming noises through the area.

The door exploded inward on the third try.

There was silence and then the deafening roar of gunfire.

The men up front fell back as another team moved up to cover them. Men inside were firing rifles out at us, high caliber shit that ricocheted off the dirt and bore holes through the trucks. Rigley dove behind a nearby bush and I followed. The bullets whizzed through the air, and Rigley laughed loudly. He began to return fire.

“Die motherfuckers,” he yelled, laughing joyously.

Another team moved forward and pulled what looked like grenades from their vests. Rigley looked at me.

“Avert your eyes!” he yelled over the gunfire.

I watched as the men tossed the grenades into the room. I looked away just in time.

There was a loud, deep boom, and a flash so bright that I saw it through my eyelids twenty feet away in full sunlight.

“Come on,” Rigley yelled. I opened my eyes and followed him. The gunfire from inside the house had stopped and Rigley burst in through the door.

I followed him closely. Ahead there was an overturned table with two men behind it, both clutching their eyes, screaming.

Rigley fired, killing them both. Their heads disappeared in red smoke.

Another team followed us in and we fanned out. The next room was clear, but the room after that had three more men. I ducked against the wall, firing back at them, but we were pinned down as bullets tore into the walls.

They were insane. Fearless and insane, firing like they’d never run out of ammo.

I retreated. Rigley stayed there, returning fire and laughing like a psycho.

I had to find Becca. It was my only option. I didn’t have time to play commando with the rest of the gangsters. I had to keep going forward. I moved back toward the front hall and went down another corridor. Most of the other teams were taking care of the other room, and so I found myself alone.

Up ahead, there was a T-junction and another door. I poked my head around the corner and saw nothing. I grabbed the door handle, turned and pushed it open.

Stairs, leading down.

My heart skipped a beat as I descended into the basement. I shut the door behind me and crept down as quietly as possible.

“Becca?” I said, looking around.

I heard something clink over in the back corner. I held my gun up and crept forward.

There were boxes all over the place and old workout equipment strewn around. The air felt muggy and damp, and I kept feeling spiderwebs on my skin. I picked my way through the mess and headed toward the noise.

I rounded a mound of boxes and froze.

“I’m surprised it’s you,” Jay said.

Standing a few feet away, illuminated by a single window, was Jay. He held his gun up, pressed against Becca’s temple, the chain wrapped around her throat.

I stared into her eyes. She didn’t look afraid, but she looked exhausted. Her shirt was torn but her bra was still intact, and Jay was holding the chain in one hand and a gun in the other. She shook her head slightly.

“Let her go,” I said.

“You must really like her,” Jay said casually. “You’re risking a lot.”

“And you’re hiding behind a fucking girl.”

“She’s my hostage. This is what you do with hostages.” He pressed the gun against Becca’s temple.

“Let her go, Jay. It’s over.”

“How about I don’t do that. Instead, why don’t you leave, or I blow her brains out.”

“You’re just making it worse for yourself.”

“It was you, wasn’t it,” he said suddenly.

“What are you talking about?”

“You robbed me.”

“Yeah. I did rob you.”

“And this bitch helped you.”

“She had nothing to do with it.”

“Ah. I don’t believe you.” He grinned and cocked his head. “My slut tells me otherwise.”

“Lindsey? She’s too fucked up half the time to know what’s going on around her.”

“Maybe that’s true. I guess it doesn’t matter. But you should leave now, or I’ll kill this pretty girl.”

“I can leave. But Rigley won’t.”

“I’ll handle him.”

“Let her go first.”

“No, that isn’t happening. You see, I like this one.” He smiled a sick, cruel smile. The hand holding her chain released it and moved down her chest. “She’s pretty. I think I’ll make her mine when this is all over.” He moved the gun slightly, concentrating on the hand reaching toward her chest.

Rage and adrenaline steadied my hands.

Becca jerked back suddenly as Jay’s hand reached to cup her breast.