Page 69 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

We take a right at the alley, then move around the building and head for the service entrance of Candy’s. As soon as we reach the door, however, and mere seconds before I notice the black SUV parked just beyond the dumpsters, Roman’s entire body stiffens.

“What’s wrong, brother?” I ask in a low voice.

I follow his gaze. Four men in dark suits get out of the SUV, all carrying semi-automatic weapons.

“Shit! It’s an ambush!” I shout and immediately take out my piece.

POP-POP-POP.

Time stops as Oliver returns fire. I follow. Roman ducks, then bolts forward toward the nearest assailant.

POP-POP-POP.

I can hear screaming and shouting from the main street as the sound of gunfire bounces off the alley walls.

Roman tackles one of the goons and takes him down. The others fire their weapons at him, but Oliver and I cover him, firing round after round. As they shoot back, we’re forced to take cover behind a dumpster, bullets ricocheting off the metal.

“Call 911!” I hear someone shout from inside Candy’s.

“Roman, pull back!” I call out.

“Just… one… minute,” he growls as he snaps the guy’s neck.

I empty my magazine and quickly reload while Oliver covers for me. It’s just what Roman needs to move back and join us behind the dumpster.

A second assailant falls, blood pooling around him.

“Two fuckers down. Two more to go,” Roman hisses.

“Too late,” I say, watching as the survivors fire in our direction then jump back into the sleek black SUV.

“Fuck,” I grumble as I watch the car swerve at the end of the alley and drive back onto the main street. They’re gone.

The back door bursts wide open and the three of us immediately point our weapons at the two men stepping out. “At ease, gentlemen,” one of them says.

“Chip,” I breathe, recognizing our agent.

“What the hell happened?” he asks, visibly alarmed and on edge.

I measure him from head to toe, observing the black suit and the semi-automatic pistol in his hand. “Where’s Kara?” I ask.

“As soon as we heard the first shots, I sent her out of here. She’s gone,” he says, then glances down at the fuckers we managed to drop. “All dead?”

“Two out of four,” Oliver shakes his head. “The others got away.”

“They were waiting for us in the alley,” Roman says. “A complete ambush.”

I give Chip a curious look. “Everybody okay in there?”

“Yeah,” he nods. “There was no commotion at the front. Fucking hell, Jim, they were targeting you.”

“They must’ve assumed we’d take the back door,” Roman says.

“I need to talk to Kara,” I tell Chip.

Oliver, Roman, and I patiently wait for Chip to contact her while the sound of wailing sirens grows louder. This place will soon be crawling with sheriff’s deputies and crime scene investigators.

“Shit,” Chip mumbles, staring at his phone screen.

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