Page 36 of The Keeper

“Not happening, Frannie. I might have been foolish enough to believe there was something good inside you that I could feel something for. I know better now. What I didn’t know before you tried to burn my club down, I sure as hell figured out when your hitman killed Hank.”

“That was a mistake, Damon. The security guard wasn’t the target; that ginger-haired slut was.”

Miley placed her hand on Damon’s arm, shaking her head slowly. “Don’t let her bait you. Besides, I don’t mind being your slut.”

The cackle of laughter that came from other units did precisely what Miley expected it to do, lessening the tension amongst her crew and soliciting a smile and a waggle of his index finger for her from Damon.

“That ginger-haired slut is more woman than you’ll ever be,” started Damon.

“I finally managed to get a drone in position,” interrupted Seth. “You have her outnumbered—your eight to her six. Dusty wasn’t badly injured, and Brock is heading back to you, which gives you nine.”

“You’re outnumbered, Frannie. The feds would like to talk to you. They’d be more than happy to let you take enough money to be comfortable in exchange for some info to put Franco away.”

Miley shot him a look. As far as she knew the feds had said no such thing. Damon grinned at her and shrugged his shoulders. He was lying through his teeth. Actually, that wasn’t true, he was trying to keep the bloodshed to a minimum. They’d already lost Jimmy. Keeping bloodshed to a minimum wasn’t high on her agenda.

“Would you come with me?” Francesca said in a pleading, ultra-feminine voice.

“That’s not happening,” said Miley. “Of course, if you’d like, you and I could settle this between us one-on-one. No one else needs to get hurt. Guns, knives, or bare handed. What do you say, Frannie. You willing to fight for him?”

“You are not going out there to fight with her,” Damon hissed.

“Oh, please. I could take that bitch blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back,” Miley retorted.

“I loved you, Damon. You broke my heart,” cried Francesca before saying to her men, “Kill them. Kill them all. I’m going home. I hate all this nature shit.”

“Rob, keep your weapon trained on the vehicle. Make sure she doesn’t get away.”

“You got it, Miley. She leaves here in cuffs or a body bag.”

There was a brief moment of silence before the Acosta team opened fire on the Cerberus team. The shootout was intense with bullets whizzing through the air with deadly precision, forcing some of the Cerberus shooters to take better cover. Frannie’s men started to advance, allowing Damon’s ex to escape through an unseen exit in a small SUV. Rob had to give up cover to take a shot, but instead a shot grazed his arm, making him recoil as Frannie drove away.

“I’ve got a drone in position. I’ll get her,” said Seth over the comm.

In the distance, Miley could hear the drone open gunfire on Frannie as Miley and her men turned toward the more immediate threat. The team from Cerberus was returning fire and holding the Acosta men at bay when the distinctive sound of a grenade launcher being fired was heard seconds before it hit its target—the cabin. The concussion from the explosion took out the remainder of the Acosta team—killing or wounding them all.

Miley whirled around to see a grim-faced Brock holding the smoking weapon. “They killed Jimmy.”

Miley nodded. “I know. We’ll get her and her father. We’ll make them pay, Brock; I swear.”

Brock nodded in acknowledgement of Miley’s vow and recognition of her ability to carry it out.

“That bitch was crazy,” said Seth.

“Was?” said Miley, picking up on the past tense.

“Yeah. I lowered the drone in front of her and instead of stopping or trying to swerve around me or anything else like any sane person would have done, she drove the damn vehicle right off the ravine, a laThelma and Louise.I sent the drone down there. The SUV was a crumpled fireball. No way she survived, but I’m searching anyway.”

“Rob, take two of the men and head to the ravine to help Seth check. The rest of you, let’s make sure we know who survived and who didn’t. Dusty, will you be okay?”

“Yeah, boss, just antiseptic and a Band-Aid.”

Miley grinned. “Call the paramedics. I want them to take a look at you first and any of our wounded; then they can look at the goon squad.” She looked up at Damon. “You don’t seem surprised.”

Damon shook his head grimly. “I’m not.Thelma and Louisewas one of her favorite movies.”

“You do know that should have been one of your first clues, right?”

“What’s your favorite movie?” he asked.

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