Page 105 of Garrison's Creed

“Hi.”

The word melted through him, earpiece to his toes. He smiled, loving that word.Hi.

She continued, “Second bomb. My parents’ house.”

On it already.Giving her another confirmation that he was there for her, Cash slid another round forward, cradled Miss Betty to him andbam. More tree debris landed on the roof.

How about that shot, baby?

The fuzzy feelings drained away as he listened to a man grunting around her, moving something metal.

Cash pulled back from Betty. “How we going to get her out of there?”

“Are you sure she wants usto get her out of there? This probably isn’t her first time tied up.”

“Jared, I will kill you.”

“What? Calm your trigger finger. I meant in the captive sense. Not whatever your perverted mind came up with.”

“Uh-huh.”

Jared laughed. “We’ve had direct orders to kill Smooth, so we’re not only in backup mode, but we have to trust our girl to either kill them or ask for help. She knows we’re here. She said, “hi,” not “help.” We’re five hundred yards away and can get there quick. If Smooth was going to kill her, he’d have done it by now.”

Voices buzzed in their earpieces. Jared and Cash paused, listening.

Don’t touch me. Untie me first, you prick.Smooth laughed. The sound of Nicola struggling stopped Cash’s heart.

“I’m getting closer. If she wants help, she can look over her shoulder and nod.” Cash was on his feet, ready to shimmy down the building. “Don’t lose that gun. I have a sentimental attachment to it.”

Pushing from one covered spot to the next, he was at the warehouse door lightning fast. He pulled the transmitter’s earpiece out, keeping Jared in his other ear. The real deal was happening on the other side of that door. He wouldn’t need the transmitter.

Cash slid through the door. It squeaked, but Antilla and Nic didn’t notice as Smooth cut through her zip ties with a pocket knife. At once, she popped to her feet, striking him in the throat.

God, Cash loved a good throat punch. That one was spectacular. Still, the protector in him needed to run to their tangle, throw her to safety, and shred Antilla Smooth into flesh and bone with his bare hands.

Acting as backup fucking sucked. She held her own, which was good and bad. It didn’t matter though, no clean shots at this angle anyway.

Cash crept closer. The urge to annihilate Smooth beat loudly in his ears, speeding his pulse and competing with Nicola’s concern that he didn’t trust her to do the job.

If this was Roman, would he step in? Christ, man, he couldn’t answer that. Could he? Would he jump in now for Roman?

No… fuck, no, he wouldn’t.

Not yet.

Smooth rebounded, grabbing her arm. She countered, striking.Good girl. Nicola moved fast.Faster than when we sparred.She didn’t run from the son of a bitch. She speared toward him, nailing him in the groin, giving cheap shots and calculated moves equal play time. Nicola was good, but she needed to end this.

Smooth went down on his knee, her follow up could—

Damn it. A hand wrapped around her ankle. She flipped through the air. Smooth was on her. They spun, growled, and grunted. Curses and war cries echoed around the empty warehouse.

Antilla slammed her against the wall. Her head lolled to the side, but righted. Her eyes locked on Cash’s. A fucking smile danced across her face, mouthing, “hi.”

She’s insane. I’m in love with a crazy woman.

Cash took a step forward into the open. Smooth didn’t see him, but Nic did.

“No,” she growled, looking bull’s-eye at him.

---