Talon (Uncompromising #1)(64)
A pickup hauled ass around the corner, slid to a stop inches from my bike and the passenger door flew open. Randy dropped out of the cab and single-handedly aimed a twelve gauge at my face. “Get in the truck, Nicole.”
Everything went slow motion.
Kicked-up dust floated down to my boots. I took in each of the seven men in the back of the truck training guns on us. Five with handguns, two with AK-47s. A blood-soaked makeshift bandage was wrapped around Randy’s thigh. A huge red stain had grown on his left shoulder as blood dripped down his arm. The old Ford needed a new muffler. Same as me, Neil had a 9mm in each hand. Siren was three feet from the cab of Neil’s truck.
I calculated if both Neil and I each took out two men with our first shots, we’d still be dead. We were outnumbered. But none of that stood out as much as Stone’s parting words.
I mentally assessed Randy’s wounds. “Stone thinks you’re dead.”
“I bet he does.” Voice steady, arm not wavering, it was the most confident I’d ever heard him.
“I’m not lettin’ her get involved in your family shit,” I warned.
“She is my family.”
“She’s not comin’ with you.” No fucking way.
“You’re outnumbered,” he countered.
I kept my aim on his chest. “You’d be dead with my first shot.”
“I’m already dead.”
“Not if you stop the bleedin’.” Maybe.
“She’s coming with me if we gotta stand here all night.”
“You don’t have all night.” I gave him fifteen, twenty minutes tops before he bled out.
“I drop now, you’re still outnumbered and they’ll still take her.”
“I’m willin’ to gamble with those odds. Neil?”
“Same,” Neil agreed.
Randy ignored Neil. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with, Talerco.”
No fucking shit. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
His jaw clenched as he moved his injured arm closer to his body. “She needs to live.”
“Concur.”
Randy glanced at Siren. “Walk to the truck, Nicole.”
“Don’t do it, Siren.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her looking between us, but I couldn’t risk taking my eyes off Randy. “You know the difference between me and Neil and eight armed men, darlin’?”
“No.” Her voice shook.
“Seventeen years of Special Forces military training. Do you think I’m gonna let anythin’ happen to you?”
“Talon,” she quietly pleaded.
“Answer the question, darlin’.”
“You’re outnumbered,” she repeated Randy’s words.
“You’re right. But I’m still not gonna lose. Know why?”
“No.”
I went for broke. “Because this mornin’ was the best fuckin’ mornin’ of my life.”
Randy growled and Siren sucked in a breath.
“Get in Neil’s truck, it’s armored,” I lied.
She didn’t move.
“Right now.” The second I said it, I knew I’d fucked up because she stepped backward instead of toward the truck.
Randy smirked.
Then Siren twisted the knife. “Randy, if you let Talon look at your wounds, I’ll go with you.”
Fuck no. “Not happenin’.”
“I’m done playing games with you, Nicole,” Randy barked. “Get in the fucking truck.”
“Hey!” I took a step forward and eight guns swung to my head. “You yell at her one more time, you’re dead.”
“I’m already fucking dead, you motherfucker!” Randy pulled the trigger.
A deafening blast rushed past my ears. I dropped and rolled, then took up position on one knee and fired off four rounds before I took one in the chest. The impact a hundred times worse than a punch to the sternum, the air left my lungs and I reeled back. Another shot hit me in the stomach.
“Talon!”
Choking, chest on fire, vision blurred, I fell back and hit the ground. The sound of automatic fire ripped through the night and hot shells started raining down on me.
I unloaded everything I had.
The Ford’s tires chirped and dirt kicked up into my face as taillights flew down the county road.
“Siren?” I tried to yell but only choked.
Neil stood above me, holding a machine gun. “She is safe.”
“Goddamn.” I ripped my vest off.
“You are fine. Nothing pierced your armor.”
“Cocksucker.” Still fucking hurt. I pushed to my feet but had to bend at the waist to catch my breath. “You had a motherfuckin’ machine gun and you waited till after they started firin’ to pull that shit out? What the fuck?” Holstering one weapon on my thigh, I shoved the other in my back waistband and looked toward Neil’s truck for Siren.