Page 150 of One Last Stand

He pulled up to the house and parked his Tahoe next to Axel’s Yukon and a shiny Porsche.

Probably Oaken’s.

Caspian jumped out the driver’s-side door.

The front light flicked on when Shep climbed the steps and opened the door, expecting a kitchen full of his team.

Shouting from downstairs, and Caspian ran past him, barking.

He followed him in and then?—

A gunshot. He froze.

The door to the basement stood open, and Caspian ran down the stairs to more shouting, a scream, the crash of glass?—

Shep scrambled down the stairs after the dog.

The sight stopped him. Tillie, going mano a mano with a burly guy, dodging a punch, landing an uppercut on his chin, then sweeping out his legs and pouncing on him, trapping his arms.

Only then did he see the blood cresting down her face onto her shirt. But the woman seemed unfazed, and she hit the man just as Flynn ripped flex cuffs from Axel’s wrists with a piece of glass from the shattered television.

Axel rolled to his feet. “Help Tillie!”

Flynn grabbed the angry man by one arm, and Axel was right there, grabbing the other arm.

Tillie hit him again, and this time the man stopped struggling.

Boo had picked up Oaken, sat him up against the wall, had shoved a pillow into his shoulder. Blood saturated his shirt.

And Moose had completely lost it, ripping at his leg ties.

Only then did Shep see the shattered glass door.

Moose looked up at him. “She’s out there!” He pointed to the door. “She went after him.”

Caspian, as if understanding completely, took off into the night.

Shep came into the room, slowing. “Who?”

“London!”

He stalled for just a second.London?

Of course, London. Showing up, unexpected. Completely changing his world.

Then he looked at the shattered door and took off.

Bloody footsteps shone in the snow in the pool of light from the house. The illumination reached out enough to show two figures fighting in the night.

London—seriously? But he could recognize her anywhere, fast and tough as she dodged a man swinging at her. She returned a blow and staggered.

Staggered? Oh no.Herblood darkened the snow.

The man rounded on her, and Shep’s entire body nearly exploded when he connected, a right hook to her face.

Her gorgeous, beautiful face?—

Shep tasted only justice as he roared, running full-out toward them.

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