Page 5 of Stilettos & Whiskey (Deputy Gemma Stone)

The theme song from The Lone Ranger filled the ambulance. I ignored it. I had no desire to talk to Lucas.

“You’re not going to answer that?” Samuel asked.

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“How would you feel if you kissed a girl and she got violently ill, puked on your boots, and ran off without a word?”

Samuel grimaced. “That’s a new one on me. He never gave you an explanation?”

“Nope. The wuss didn’t even send me a text.”

“Ouch.”

The music stopped.

Samuel peered out the back window of the ambulance and frowned. “That’s weird.”

“What’s weird?”

“We have a police escort,” Samuel replied.

“Huh? That is weird.” I pulled my cellphone out and dialed Frank’s number. The minute he answered, I asked, “What’s going on?”

“Evans’ six brothers showed up. They demanded we release him and arrest you for assault and inappropriate sexual conduct. When we refused, they attacked us.”

“Oh, my, God. That’s crazy. Anyone hurt?”

Samuel hit the speaker button on my phone.

“Nothing too serious, but they took Evans with them and shot out our tires.”

I frowned in confusion. “Why would they do that? What’s with this inappropriate sexual conduct? Like I would touch that fool. None of this makes any sense.”

“We found more human remains in the trunk of Evans’ patrol car,” Frank advised grimly.

“Well, that explains his crazy behavior. Was he looking for a place to bury them? If he was, he picked a piss-poor place to hide evidence.”

Samuel interjected, “Our squad has had dealings with the family before. They have a compound out Wickenburg way and they’re all military extremists.”

“That’s not the worst of it,” Frank growled. “While they were making their escape, they assaulted Ben and Fred and freed the chain-gang prisoners.”

I rubbed my aching forehead. “How in the hell did Evans ever get hired?”

“According to Sergeant Bergman, Evans’ father was a Maricopa County Bureau Chief who was in charge of human resources until he was fired for insubordination,” Frank replied.

I exhaled a long breath. “So, we all have targets on our backs now.”

“Pretty much,” Frank said.

The sirens cut off.

“We’re at the hospital.”

Frank’s voice was rough with anxiety, “Watch your back, Julie. Evans wants you dead.”

“I’d like to know why. We’ve never had any altercations until today.”

“Dunno, but I bet your dad can find out.”

My lower lip twinged as I smiled. I knew without a doubt he would. No one messed with his family.

The door to the ambulance swung open and there stood Grandpa Reynolds, every inch a badass black ops CIA agent.

My eyes widened in alarm. He was armed to the teeth. Damn, were things that bad? I mean, the bazooka slung over his shoulder was a bit of an overkill.

A visibly nervous Doctor Halliday was standing next to him. “He says he’s your grandfather.”

“He is.”

“And he says someone is trying to kill you.”

I nodded. “They are.”

“So, the usual,” Doc Halliday said.

A sigh escaped me. “Yep.”

“Okay, good to know.” Doc turned his attention to Samuel. “Put her in bay two.”

“Yes, sir.” Samuel pulled the gurney out of the ambulance.

I grunted as it hit the floor.

“Sorry.” Samuel pushed it down the hallway.

To my utter surprise, Grandpa Reynolds took my hand and walked beside me. His cold-eyed gaze surveyed my face. “Did you kick his ass?”

“Didn’t get a chance to, sir.”

Samuel interjected, “Evans shoved her down a thirty-foot incline without any warning.”

A terrifying smile curved Grandpa’s mouth. “I don’t give warnings either.”

Doc Halliday and Samuel stared at him in horror.

“Quit scaring people Grandpa.” Huh? For some unknown reason, I wasn’t afraid of him today. Weird.

Grandpa Reynolds’ demeanor began to change and before our eyes he morphed into a harmless old man. “Better?”

“No, the bazooka ruins the effect, but you’re just what she needs.” Doc Halliday said as they pushed the gurney into bay two.

Samuel and Grandpa lifted me onto the bed. I winced as all sorts of aches and pains made themselves known. “Is Mom coming?”

“Some moron got lost in the Superstition Mountains and she’s searching for him. Your father and the boys will be here shortly.”

My stomach knotted. “All of them?” Including Lucas?

“Someone tried to kill you, squirt. Of course they’re all coming. Once they make sure you’re okay, they’ll start their hunt.”

Samuel’s eyebrows rose. “Hunt? Wouldn’t the Sheriff’s Office handle the search?”

“The Alpha Dogs are better equipped to handle this pursuit,” Grandpa replied, patting his bazooka.

I grimaced. “You’re just dying to try out the new surface-to-air missiles, aren’t you, Grandpa?

“Surface-to-air missiles?” The look of horror on Doc Halliday’s face was funny as hell.

Grandpa grinned. “I liberated them from the Hezbollah.”

“You are too damn old to be doing that shit alone,” I scolded.

“Lucas and Jacob went with me.”

I glared at him. “And you didn’t invite Gemma and me? We are Alpha Dogs too.”

“Sergeant Bergman nixed it. He said he was too shorthanded.”

Samuel frowned. “I thought you had to be a member of the Stone family to become an Alpha Dog.”

“I am a part of the Stone family,” I said.

“But your last name is Garza.”

“I’m adopted.”

“Does Evans know that?” Samuel asked.

I put in blithely, “Nope.”

“God, I’d love to see his face when he finds out.” Samuel handed me a business card. “Call me. My number’s on the back.” He pushed the gurney down the hallway.

Doc Halliday pulled the privacy curtains around my bed and fixed a stern gaze on Grandpa Reynolds. “I need you to step out while I examine Julie.”

He nodded but didn’t move. “Are you thinking of dating the medic?”

“He asked me out and I accepted.”

Grandpa chortled. “Lucas won’t like that.”

“I don’t care.”

Grandpa Reynolds grinned. “I think I like you.”

“Gee, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.” Most of the time Grandpa Reynolds acted like I was invisible.

An angry voice shouted, “Where is that psychotic bitch?”

“That was fast.” I pulled my Glock.

Grandpa Reynolds’ expression reminded me of a hungry hyena. “Put it away. I’ll take care of him.”

“Don’t kill him, Grandpa.”

Doc Halliday’s eyebrows shot up in alarm. “What she said.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

I rolled my eyes. “Grandpa, don’t make me arrest you.”

“You’re in no shape to arrest anyone.”

I gave him the stink eye. “I’ll sic Mom on you.”

He quickly holstered his gun. “Fine, I’ll just bend him a little.”

“I want that fucking bitch. Now or people start dying!” the moron bellowed.

A woman screamed, “He’s got a gun!”

His lips drawn back in a feral snarl, Grandpa stepped through the privacy curtain.

“Oh, hell.” I slid off the bed. “This is going to get ugly.”

Doc Halliday yanked out his cellphone. “I’m calling 9-1-1.”

“They won’t make it in time.” I blinked rapidly.

Crap, there were two of everything and why did the hallway tilt to one side?

I increased my pace at the sounds of fists hitting flesh.

Pulling my gun, I hurried into the waiting room and stumbled to a stop.

It was empty except for a heavyset man sprawled on the floor.

I guess the sick and injured had run for their lives.

“Give me your cuffs,” Grandpa Reynolds ordered.

I handed them to him. The man could be Evans’ twin, beer belly and all. Yeow! How had Grandpa done that much damage in such a short time and with a bazooka slung over his shoulder?

Dad and the boys rushed into the waiting room with guns drawn.

“Code Four.” My knees buckled and I hit the floor as everything spun around me. “Ugh. I don’t feel so good.”

Grandpa picked me up and kissed my forehead. “You should have stayed put. I told you I wouldn’t kill him.”

“You did.” I lay my head on his shoulder and wished the room would quit spinning.

Utter disbelief in his voice, Dad said, “You kissed Julie.”

“She is my granddaughter and Gemma said if I wanted to be a part of this family, I had to act like you all.”

“But you are never affectionate with anyone,” Lucas replied.

Grandpa puckered up. “Come closer and I’ll kiss you too.”

“Holy hell,” Nate exclaimed. “Did you hit your head Grandpa Reynolds?”

The man on the floor began to moan, “Lawyer. I. Want. A. Lawyer.”

“You threw the first punch, asshole.” Grandpa carried me over to the gurney Doc Halliday had brought out.

“Incoming hostiles,” Logan warned.

“Get Julie out of here,” Lucas bellowed.

“I’ve got a gun.”

Doc Halliday quickly wheeled me back to bay two. “But can you hit your target?”

“Probably not.”

“Your grandfather is one strange man,” Doc Halliday said and began his exam.

“You have no idea.” I frowned when gunfire erupted.

Kaboom!

“Oh hell, Grandpa used the bazooka.”

Doc Halliday peered out the privacy curtains. “There’s an armored Humvee on fire in the parking lot.”

“Hospitals are such dangerous places,” I grumbled.

“Only when Gemma and you are in them,” Doc Halliday replied.

He had a point.

The gunfire and explosions stopped. The silence was suddenly broken by a woman screaming.

My hand wrapped around the butt of my gun.

“Whoa! Wait! Let me take a look.” The Doc peeked out the curtains and his shoulders sagged in relief. “Relax, the good guys won, and it looks like Nurse Wilson is having a panic attack.”

I exhaled a long breath. “Don’t worry. One of my brothers will calm her down. There isn’t a female alive who can resist them.”

The screaming stopped abruptly.

“See?”

“Let’s get you X-rayed. I have a feeling your father isn’t going to leave you here.”

“If Evans is still on the loose, probably not.”