Page 8 of Stilettos & Whiskey (Deputy Gemma Stone)

Since no one in the Evans family had ever been inside the house they didn’t know about the Alpha Dogs’ military-style command center.

We had our own dual-screen, portable UVA control station.

The drone’s camera could spot a fly on Bodacious’ rump from a thousand feet up.

The command console held eight security camera screens, a secure modem, an EMP shield, and a matrix-based encrypted radio system.

On the back wall was a gun vault with all sorts of weaponry.

I had changed into an Alpha Dog jumpsuit just in case they needed help at the Vulture Mine command center.

Devon shook his head and patted the chair next to him. “Sit. There is no way you’re leaving this house.”

I opened my mouth to protest then subsided with a resigned sigh. My face was a battered mess, and I still had a tendency to list to the left.

“Dad’s body camera is on screen five and the Huey’s camera is screen six,” Jacob advised.

“Thanks, where are Lucas, Nate and Logan?”

Devon grimaced. “Lucas is doing a perimeter check. Nate got a bomb callout, and Logan is having a “come to Jesus” meeting with your grandfather.”

“With my grandfather? Why?”

“Your grandfather is suing Mom and Dad for ten million dollars for alienation of affection,” Jacob interjected.

I frowned. “But alienation of affection only works if you’re married and the spouse is cheating.”

“Exactly,” Devon replied.

Sucking in a disgruntled breath, I spat, “That old bastard thinks we owe him money?”

“Yep.” Jacob’s voice was taut with venom. “And he’s demanding you spend time with him.”

I made a rude noise. “After he was going to sell me to that child molester? Not happening.”

“Which Logan is explaining to him in explicit detail,” Devon said.

Just the thought of seeing that old bastard again gave me the willies.

Devon stiffened and keyed his radio mic, “We’ve got visitors at the main gate, Lucas.”

“Copy.”

I glanced at the security screens. Two heavily armed men climbed out of an old military Humvee. One was carrying a rocket launcher. “Oh hell, they’re going to blow the gates again, and Mom just got them replaced.”

Jacob snorted. “Not a chance.” He brought his drone down to thirty feet and in a strafing run, released the stun grenades. Boom! Boom! Boom! The suspects dropped like flies. “Suspects down.”

“Copy,” Lucas replied.

I watched as Lucas ran over to the men and quickly disarmed and cuffed them. I grinned. The bad guys were in custody without a single shot being fired. No one messed with the Alpha Dogs.

“Julie, man my station while I help Lucas lock up the suspects,” Jacob instructed.

Nodding, I slid into his chair and took control of the drone. “Go.”

Jacob kissed the top of my head and left.

Hmmm. If the Evans family were so determined to kill me, why would they only send two men? I gave myself a mental head smack. Because the guys at the front gate were a diversion. I widened my search pattern.

Movement in the dry streambed behind our ranch caught my attention, and I zoomed the camera in. “Shit!”

“What’s wrong?” Devon demanded.

I pointed to the drone’s computer monitor. “We have eight heavily-armed hostiles on the south side of the ranch.”

“Lower the boom on them,” Devon commanded and relayed the information to Lucas and Jacob.

“Copy.” I brought the drone down to twenty feet and in a strafing run, released the last of the stun grenades. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! I smiled as the bad guys fell to the ground and didn’t even twitch. “Hostiles neutralized.”

“Put the drone on hover mode and take the command console. Lucas and Jacob will need help with all those prisoners.”

My fingers flew across the keyboard. “Drone is on hover mode and I’m taking control of the command console.”

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Devon asked as he strapped on his gun belt.

“Other than a headache, I’m fine. Go.”

Devon handed me an earpiece. “You’ll need this.”

“Thanks.” I stuck it in my right ear. “Go.”

He nodded and left.

Keeping a watchful eye on the guys as they disarmed and searched the prisoners; I brought the volume up on screens five and six. The Huey’s camera showed them rapidly approaching the Evans’ compound. The shit was about to hit the fan.

Kablooey!

I jumped about a foot. Screens five and six showed nothing but billowing black smoke and flames. Oh, my, God! It was a trap! Had the assault team been killed?

Bringing the encrypted radio system online, I quickly typed in the number for Mom’s helicopter and prayed. “C’mon. C’mon. Answer.”

“We’re okay, but the Huey is a bit singed,” Mom growled.

I shuddered in relief. “Dad and the assault team?”

“They’re good. Pops dropped several stun grenades on the compound, and they triggered the booby traps before anyone could get hurt.”

Blowing out a relieved breath, I advised, “We’ve had a little excitement here too.”

“They attacked the ranch?” Mom snarled.

“They tried,” I scoffed. “We have ten men in custody.”

Grandpa cursed loudly. “Told you the whole setup stunk. They wanted to draw us away from the ranch.”

“I’ll let your father and Sergeant Bergman know. We’ll be at the ranch in ten.”

“Copy.” I switched to our walkie-talkie system and keyed my mic. “Guys, the Evans booby-trapped their compound, but Grandpa Reynolds triggered the bombs before anyone was injured. I advised them of our situation, and Mom’s en route.”

“Copy,” Lucas growled.

A flash of movement on the drone’s monitor drew my attention to the roadway.

What the heck? A vintage white Cadillac with bull horns on the hood turned down our private road.

I keyed the radio mic, “Guys, we have more company coming and I think he’s that shyster lawyer on TV.

You know, the one who always says he’ll duke it out for his clients. ”

“He can wait. I’ll deal with him later,” Lucas replied.

“Copy.” Hmmm. It seemed Logan’s “come to Jesus” meeting with Papa Garza hadn’t worked. I put the front-gate surveillance camera up on the main screen. This should be fun.

The Cadillac came to a stop at the gate. A white male in his late fifties got out. He was wearing a white business suit, white cowboy hat and what looked like alligator boots.

I grinned. Even his eyes and hair were white, and he reminded me of J. R. Ewing from that old TV show Mom had me hooked on.

He pushed the buzzer.

“State your business,” I said in my most official voice.

“I’m Jim Bob Duke and I need to talk with Alexander or Tess Stone.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

Jim Bob glared at the camera. “I’m Jim Bob Duke, the lawyer. You know, when you need help in a legal fight, I’ll Duke it out for you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll take that as a no. You need to make an appointment. They’re very busy people.”

“Now see here, little lady, it’s very important that I talk to them today.”

Little lady? Seriously? “Not happening. Leave now or you will be arrested for trespassing.”

“You can’t do that!” Jim Bob blustered.

Frank’s patrol car pulled in behind him.

“Yeah, I can. Leave now or that nice officer will arrest you.”

In his bad ass mode, Frank approached the lawyer. “You heard her. Leave or go to jail.”

Jim Bob glared at Frank. “I’ll see you all in court.” He got back in his car and drove off.

“Heard you had some excitement,” Frank said.

I hit the button to open the main gate. “We did. They’re booking the prisoners now.”

“Sergeant Bergman sent me to help out.” Frank watched the Cadillac until it turned onto the highway. “Leave the gate open. The task force is heading this way.”

“Copy.”

“Oh, and we’re gonna need a lot more coffee too.”

I frowned. “Exactly how many people are coming?”

“A lot.” Frank got in his patrol car and drove to the training center.

My eyes widened in alarm as a caravan of vehicles drove through the gates. Most were marked police cars, but some weren’t. Trying to keep track of all the people gave me the headache from hell.

The door to the command center opened. Grandpa looked around in disbelief. “Where are your brothers?”

“Nate had a bomb callout, Logan is having a “come to Jesus” talk with Papa Garza and the others are booking the prisoners,” I replied.

Grandpa sat down at the other console. “You look like hell. Go take a nap. I’ve got this.”

“Ah, do you know how to work everything?”

He shot me a narrow sidelong glare. “Yes, I do.”

“Okay, thanks, no offense meant.”

“None taken.”

“I’ll just leave then.” My entire body hurt, and I really needed to lie down for a bit. I stumbled out of the command center and crashed into Sergeant Bergman. “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you.”

“You look like hell. Didn’t Doctor Halliday put you on bed rest?”

I frowned. “Probably, but we had unexpected visitors, and the boys needed me to run the command center.”

Sergeant Bergman escorted me to my bedroom. “Get some sleep.”

“Yes, sir.” I collapsed on the bed with a groan. I was so damned tired. I closed my eyes. A twenty-minute catnap and I would be fine.