Page 38 of Comforted By The Mountain Man
The second man lunges at me with a knife but I'm already spinning away from his clumsy attack. My elbow catches him in the solar plexus and he doubles over, gasping.
That's when I see the third man. He's bigger than the other two, with arms covered in tattoos and a face that belongs in a nightmare. He's got a pistol in his hand and it's pointed directly at Ryder.
"Back off," he snarls. "Or I blow his fucking head off."
Time slows to a crawl. I can see Ryder's terrified face, the man's finger tightening on the trigger, then Beckett appearing in the doorway behind me with his own weapon drawn.
"Drop it," Beckett orders, his voice carrying all the authority of his years as a firefighter.
The tattooed man swings his gun toward Beckett instead. "Fuck you."
That's when everything goes to hell.
The first gunshot is deafeningly loud in the confined space. I throw myself toward Ryder as the muzzle flash lights up the room like lightning. More shots follow, some from Beckett's rifle, others from somewhere deeper in the building.
I cover Ryder's small body with mine, feeling him shake against my chest as bullets fly over our heads. The man with the knife tries to get up and I kick him in the face hard enough to put him back down.
"Status report!" Grayson's voice crackles through my earpiece, nearly drowned out by the gunfire.
"We have him," I manage to say, even as more shots ring out. "But we're pinned down. Multiple hostiles, unknown number."
"Copy that. South team is moving to assist."
Beckett fires three quick shots and I hear someone scream in pain. But there are more men coming up the stairs now, their boots pounding on the metal steps.
"We need an exit," I tell Beckett.
"Working on it," he replies, changing position to get a better angle on the doorway.
That's when I hear them. Car engines starting up outside. They're running but not all of them. Enough stay behind to keep us busy while the others escape.
"This isn't over," the tattooed man shouts from wherever he's taken cover. "We know where you live now. We'll be back for the bitch and her brat."
The threat sends ice through my veins but I push it aside. Right now, all that matters is getting Ryder out of here safely.
"Daddy, I'm scared," he whispers against my chest.
"I know, buddy. But you're safe now. I've got you and I'm never letting go."
More gunshots echo through the warehouse, closer now. Beckett curses as wood splinters explode near his head.
"How many rounds you got left?" I ask him.
"Enough to get us out of here."
From somewhere in the distance, I hear sirens approaching. Real ones this time, not just Grayson's bluff. Someone must have called in the shots fired.
"Police are coming," I tell Ryder. "Everything's going to be okay."
But even as I say it, I know this is far from over. The MC knows where we live now. They'll be back and next time, they won't make the mistake of underestimating us.
The gunfire intensifies and Beckett drops behind cover as bullets punch through the drywall where his head was a second before.
"We’re pinned in!" His voice is urgent on the radio. "We need a distraction."
I bend, brushing Ryder’s tears from his cheeks. “I need you to stay with Beckett, bud.” Ryder shakes his head, clinging to me. “I need you to be brave, okay?”
There’s no time. I pick him up and hand him to my brother.
