Page 69 of Vicious in the Dark

As soon as I sprang into motion, Ruthless reacted. He reached straight back behind him without looking and seized hold of Pete’s gun hand. Moving his head to one side to avoid the shot Pete fired, Ruthless twisted his forearm. The brutal snap that followed was sickeningly satisfying.

Charlie’s gun fired into the ground next to me, mere inches away. Blood poured from his wound, and he frantically clutched his crotch. I didn’t hesitate, rising up to slash his throat wide open.

In seconds Ruthless and I had turned the tables. We weren’t in the clear yet though. Not with three Thorns still standing.

Pete’s gun hit the ground as he gaped at his savagely broken arm. Shock spread over his face when he saw Charlie’s limp body sprawled a few feet away. Everything happened so fast then, becoming a blur.

Ruthless snatched up Pete’s fallen weapon and grabbed my hand, pulling me behind the SUV we’d just been inside. Shots rang out as everyone else reacted. Ace and Wolfe ducked behind the Escalade, using it for cover as they fired at the Thorns. Maddox fired off a few shots as he darted toward our hiding spot, nailing one of the Thorns in the chest.

“You are in so much trouble, Vixen,” Maddox hissed, sliding in behind the SUV next to me. “Just wait until I get you home.”

Staying down low, I clutched my knife, wishing I had one of my bigger blades. They were still inside Charlie’s jacket where he stuck them after lifting them off me. Dammit.

“More punishment?” I taunted Mads, wincing as Ruthless stood up to take a shot. “Will that include a spanking?”

“You have no fucking idea,” Maddox snarled, moving closer to shield me with his body in case someone rounded the vehicle. “You won’t walk for a week when I’m done with you.”

Ruthless ducked back down beside us. “Do you two mind saving your kinky talk for when we’re not being shot at?”

“Sorry, Ruthless,” I said, slowly rising up to peer through the windows of the SUV. “Would it make you feel better if you were included in the kinky talk? Do you want to spank me too?”

As I looked through the back window, the front window next to me shattered. Both Ruthless and Maddox dragged me back down. Ruthless looked absolutely livid. “I’m more of a hands around your throat kind of guy. Stay put, goddammit.”

My heart pounded from the rush of the violent scene playing out all around us. That didn’t stop me from feeling a wave of heat through my stomach at his words. I very much wanted Ruthless’s hands around my throat and his cock inside me. One thing at a time. We had to survive this first.

From where I crouched I saw Ace lean out from behind the Escalade to take a shot. He moved to get out of the way, but the return shot hit him in the shoulder. With a curse he disappeared behind the Escalade again. My adrenaline ratcheted up several notches.

“Ace is hit,” I said, frantic now that one of my guys was hurt. “We have to end this.”

I started to rise, and Maddox held tight to my arm, keeping me in place. Ruthless risked a peek at the situation. “Two still standing,” he said. Then without warning, he darted out from behind the SUV and rushed the remaining Thorns.

Together Maddox and I rose, watching through the windshield as Ruthless shot out the knee of one man while tackling the other. He took the man down, slamming the gun against his head to stun him before putting the barrel to his forehead and pulling the trigger. Ruthless had always been ready to rumble, but this fearless and rather reckless behavior didn’t sit well with me.

While he was distracted with his kill, the man he’d dropped with a knee shot scrambled to grab his fallen weapon. A guttural pained wail came from him as he turned the gun on Ruthless.

I tried to jerk free of Maddox and run toward the threat. I guess I was a little reckless too. Maddox held tight, refusing to let me go. Expecting the worst to play out before my eyes, I clapped a hand over my mouth in horror.

That’s when Wolfe emerged from behind the Escalade. He fired two shots, each of them blasting a hole in the brain of the man aiming at Ruthless. He slumped to the ground, limp and unmoving.

My shoulders drooped in relief. Only one man remained alive, and that was Pete. He sat on the ground shaking and bleeding from a gunshot to the leg. While I retrieved my knives from Charlie’s body, Maddox approached Pete, crouching down in front of him.

“You’re not looking too good, my friend.” Maddox clamped a hand down on his shoulder, gripping hard. “Here’s the deal. We’re going to let you live because someone has to tell your boss about your royal fuck up here tonight. You will admit defeat and make sure he never sends anyone back here or we will wage war on your city. Starting with you. Understand?”

Pete shoved Maddox’s hand away. “Might as well kill me too. My boss will make me wish you had.”

“Tough luck.” Maddox rose, considering Pete for a long moment before walking away.

Shoving my blades back into my boots, I went to check on Ace’s injury. Blood soaked through his t-shirt from the wound in his shoulder.

“Take this off.” I tugged on the hem of his shirt, gently pulling it over his head. Then I used the shirt to bind the wound, tying it around his shoulder. “You’re going to need a doctor to pry that bullet out.”

Ace flashed me a grin that turned into a wince as I pulled the fabric tight. “It’s cool. I know a guy.”

“Of course you do,” I murmured, my gaze lingering on the bloody wound.

Maddox’s voice cut through the now silent night. “Let’s get moving. We’ll meet back at my house. Watch for tails. Vixen, you’re riding with me.”

I didn’t argue this time, but only because Ace’s bleeding had slowed, and the injury wasn’t life threatening. I joined Maddox and Ruthless in the Escalade, sucking in deep breaths as the adrenaline began to ebb. Sitting in the passenger seat, I glanced back just once at Pete in the side mirror as we left him there surrounded by the bodies of his companions.

---