Page 47 of Haze's Jewel

I come back and we look at the screen, Talon has managed to send visuals to him, and he’s checking it against the image from his drone. Four human forms are outlined. He zeroes in on the back of the tent. “Your woman is sitting alone in the back by herself, well I’m assuming it’s her, the other forms are moving around. Not to throw a monkey wrench into the plan, but you might be able to cut the tent open and grab her before the shooting starts.”

I give his shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks, Ven. I owe you one, brother.”

He grins at me. “I’ll remember that. Expect me to call that favor in when you least expect it.”

I give him a grateful smile and jump to my feet. I want to be in place for when Siege gives the go ahead. Along the way, I shove my gun into the front of my waistband where I can get to it easily and pull out my biggest hunting knife. It’s ten inches long. If Venom’s hunch is correct, then this fucker will be invaluable.

***

It takes the better part of twenty minutes to get into place and for my club brothers to take out the cameras. Once I get the all-clear I start to move into position. I can hear voices as I creep closer to the back of the tent, and I put my ear to the camouflage netting covered canvas.

Someone says in a guff voice, “Our deal was that she washes up on shore within twenty-four hours. Is that still the plan?”

A younger and less masculine voice replies, “Yeah, that’s still the plan. If you meet the deadline, you get the ten grand bonus.”

“She’s a good-lookin’ woman, worth more than you’re paying me to eliminate her. Maybe we could work out a new deal. Instead of washing up on the riverbank, she disappears. I can sell her off to someone internationally. I guarantee she’ll never turn up in the US again.”

I was all but ready to make my move then but calmed myself down.

The other voice speaks, “No, fucking way. I need a dead body. If I don’t have one, the State of California makes you wait five years to declare a person dead. I can’t wait five fucking years to collect on the insurance policy my old man left for her. She’s the primary and my mother and I are the secondary. My mother is dead. That leaves me, and I want my damned money now, not later. Got it?”

“Give me a few days with her and you can keep the ten grand bonus. It’s been a long time since I’ve blown off steam with a beautiful woman,” The older man says.

By this point my blood is boiling, but yet another voice joins in. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. We could take turns. I wouldn’t mind a last go at her for old time’s sake.”

The guy who by process of elimination is clearly Anna’s stepbrother, speaks up in an exasperated voice. “Jesus fucking Christ, both of you are out of your freaking minds. The plan is, she washes up on the riverbank wearing a swimsuit and they assume she drowned while swimming or white-water rafting. Her washing up freshly raped, bruised, cut up or whatever in the fuck you two have in mind, means the cops will see her death as foul play. Then they’ll insist upon opening a damned investigation that can drag on for months or years. Fuck no, to all that. What part of I want my damn inheritance money now, do the two of you not understand?”

I’ve heard enough, I run my hand across the canvas until I feel Anna’s warm body.

“Anna,” I whisper, figuring the three stooges are jabbering too loudly to hear. I feel her tense, “Hold still, darlin’, I’m comin’ to get you.”

Then I jab my knife through the thick fabric and drag it all the way to the ground. Quick as I can manage, I drop the knife and pull out my gun before stepping through the opening, grabbing my surprised woman, and pointing my gun at the three assholes who are still trying to decide the most expeditious way to fucking kill her.

“How about we don’t do any of that shit and I kill you instead. I point my gun at the one who looks like he might be her stepbrother and pull the trigger. It was a clean headshot taken before any of them had a chance to react. The man behind the table dives to the side and comes back up with a weapon.

Damn it! I should have taken him out first, but it was hard to know who was the most dangerous.

I shove Anna out of the gap in the tent and aim my gun. Suddenly we hear a shotgun discharging in the distance, though it sounds more like an explosion. The younger man is frozen in place, but the older one doesn’t even twitch and has his gun trained on me, just like I have mine on him.

“I think that was my club brother, destroying your boat. So much for making a clean getaway—”

My words are cut off as he pulls the trigger, hitting me center mass.

Before I fall, I take aim and fire, but the force of his bullet knocks me back on my ass, making me regret that I hadn’t shot first and gloated later. Still, he’s lying there bleeding out, and I’m alive to fight another day, so it all worked out okay.

Though the other man legged it as soon as the shooting started. I hope one of my club brothers is tracking him down.

Anna is on me within seconds. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

I run my hand over my chest and feel the bullet embedded in my armored vest. “Yeah, but you don’t have body armor, so stay behind me. I’ll get you out of here and circle back around for the bastard that got away once you’re safe.”

She couldn’t keep her hands off me. “Alright, as long as you’re okay, I am as well.”

I begin running with her because all hell has broken loose, it sounds like my club brothers are on the third man’s tail.

I mutter, “Sorry I had to shoot your brother right in front of you that way.”

“You didn’t,” she responds flatly. “That was my ex, Trevor. My brother is the coward who ran.”

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