The Darkest Corner (Gravediggers #1)(6)

Elias sighed. "You know I'm in. But she'll find out. She always does."

"Fuck her," Colin said dismissively.

"Very mature," Deacon said. "I'm telling you, brother, one day she's going to hand your ass to you on a platter."

"I'm French," Colin said. "I've never met a woman I can't handle."

The others hooted, and Deacon just shook his head. The French had never met a woman like Eve Winter. He wasn't really a hundred percent sure she was even human.

"Let's make it quick," Elias said. "We've still got to send the van off to be detailed. The sexy Miss Sherman is bound to notice all the mud inside one of her transport vans."

"Stop calling her that," Deacon growled. "It embarrasses her."

"Hey, it's not my fault she can't see what a package she is. I wouldn't mind helping her discover it, though. All that freakin' red hair. Drives me crazy when she sticks those pencils in it to get it out of her face."

Deacon gritted his teeth and shot Elias a look that told him he'd better shut up or he'd end up with a fist in his face, but Elias's crooked grin mocked him in the rearview mirror.

"I can't imagine how she's managed to keep her distance from you as long as she has," Dante said smoothly. "You're so charming."

"You're in America now," Elias told him. "Women like straightforward men. I'm amazed the British have managed to populate the country as long as it takes you to make your move."

"There's nothing wrong with romance," Dante said. "Besides, I haven't had any problems with an empty bed since I've been here."

"It's that accent," Elias said. "Puts the rest of us at a disadvantage."

"Or maybe it's just that I have manners."

"If you blokes don't mind," Axel said, interrupting their argument, "our new friends are armed. And since we've already agreed to deviate from the mission, maybe we can take care of business and get the hell out of here."

"Visual on two suspects," Deacon said before things could escalate. "Weapon visible."



       
         
       
        

"Thanks, Grandpa," Elias said. "Lord, the two of you need to loosen up. It's like we're in that movie with all the retired spies."

"I liked that movie," Axel said. "I could still kick your ass when I'm in my fifties."

Elias snorted. "In your dreams, mate. I was a SEAL."

"In other news," Deacon broke in, "the homeowners are either contained inside or they're dead." Sometimes he felt like he was the only adult in the room. An unusual feeling considering the level of expertise the five of them had.

"Let's hope everyone is still alive," Elias said. "Dead bodies are a pain in the ass to deal with."

"There you go. Always looking on the bright side." Deacon pressed his foot on the accelerator. "Picking up speed. In and out, boys. Clean and easy."

"I'd rather just kill them," Colin said. "It's not like we're going to wait around for the police one way or the other. The world doesn't need any more scum."

"Maybe you'll get lucky, bro, and one of them will shoot at you first," Elias said. "Maybe it'll knock that stick out of your ass."

Deacon heard the familiar sound of magazines being checked and loaded from the back, along with a lot of smart-ass comments he blocked out. The two males loading the big-screen TV into the maroon minivan were barely older than teenagers. Hell, they were probably using one of their mother's vans to transport the stolen goods.

"Hang on," he called out and made a hard left into the driveway of the house that was being robbed. He flicked on his brights at the last second, and it came as enough of a surprise to the amateur burglars for both the boys to drop the TV and put their hands up to shield their eyes. He turned the wheel hard, mud spewing up and hitting the windshield, and then the back doors flew open and all hell broke loose.

"Down on the ground!"

"Drop your weapons!"

Deacon and Axel pushed open their doors to join in the fray. Two rounds were fired off in rapid succession, one hitting the open back door just a few inches from Deacon's head, the other burying itself in the mahogany casket.

Elias didn't hesitate to return fire, hitting the shooter in the thigh. Deacon breathed a sigh of relief. They really didn't want to deal with the mess of a dead body. And it wouldn't put anyone in Winter's good graces.

The shooter tossed the gun to the ground and went down, pressing his hands down on the wound. He was crying and making a racket, so Elias chopped him in the back of the neck to get him to shut up.