Page 39

CHAPTER 39

Billie

I blinked hard after pulling the trigger on the shotgun. The flash from the muzzle had blinded me and now I couldn’t see anything.

“Good shot,” Daryl said. “Try to close one eye when you pull the trigger, if you can, without messing up your aim. That will help keep the muzzle flash from killing your night vision.”

“Thanks,” I said. My eyes were starting to adjust to the dark again and I stared at the man lying on the floor, eyes open, only a few feet from where we crouched behind the table. He’d burst in through the front door and I’d been forced to spin and shoot him.

My hands were shaking. I’ve threatened people with a gun plenty of times in the past, but I’d never shot anyone before. And I’d certainly never killed someone. I swallowed hard as I stared at the body.

It didn’t seem to matter to my nervous system that the guy had been about to kill us. It had my body trembling no matter what I tried to tell myself. I was glad that the other men out there decided not to follow their friend through my door. I would shoot them if I had to, but I wasn’t ready to just yet. I needed a minute to process.

“You okay?” Daryl asked, eyeing me.

“Yeah. Yeah, I am,” I whispered.

“That man made his decision,” he pointed out. “He’d have killed us if you hadn’t shot him.” He reached out and took the shotgun from me. Probably a good idea considering how badly I was shaking right now.

“I know,” I told him, tone determined even though my body wasn’t listening.

“Good,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Soon as you feel up to it, pick that back up because more will be coming.” He set the shotgun on the floor directly in front of me so it was within reach.

“Thanks, Daryl.” I was grateful he wasn’t making fun of me. Though I wasn’t sure what kind of person made fun of others when they’re shaken after killing their first person. “You think he’s okay?”

Gunfire split the air, as if to answer my question. Daryl’s teeth flashed in the darkness as we huddled together. Rather, I was cuddling close to his side and he was nice enough not to shove me out of his personal bubble.

“That’s him giving ‘em hell right now. Don’t worry about Boone, he’s got this under control. He’s a lot more dangerous than his playful nature lets on.”

Nodding, I picked my shotgun back up and faced the front door, my back pressed to Daryl’s. But they weren’t stupid enough to come through the same door twice. Not with their friend’s dead body lying in the entrance.

I let out a low yelp of surprise when the window in the living room shattered. I’d like to be able to say I made it through this fight being stoic and brave, but I was really just doing my best not to wet myself. If Isla was here, she’d probably be laughing in the face of danger.

Daryl shot the man who threw himself through my window. My poor house. He’d joined his friend lying on the floor. I listened hard as the gunfire got further away. “Are they leaving?”

“Boone’s leading them away from us.”

I nibbled my bottom lip. “Should we-” My shotgun jerked as movement came through the front door. I gasped in horror as I recognized Eris’s shadow. Pointed ears came trotting up happily to us. “Oh my God!” I clutched my heart. “I could have shot you,” I hissed at her, but pulled her into my arms as soon as she got close enough, and buried my face in her fur. “Are you okay?”

“Do you expect her to answer?” Daryl asked with a chuckle.

His statement dragged a laugh out of me. If I wasn’t careful I’d start laughing, then it would turn into hysterical sobbing. None of us needed that right now. I needed to be brave. These two men, and even my dog, were being strong in this situation. I could do the same. I dealt with obnoxious, thousand pound animals on a daily basis. I could handle this.

Eris struggled in my arms, ran to the door, then looked over her shoulder at me. I frowned.

“This dog Lassie or something?” Daryl muttered, getting to his feet.

“Huh?”

“She wants us to follow her.”

My eyes widened in the dark. “Toxic,” I gasped, scrambling to my feet. I held the shotgun close as I crossed to the front door.

Daryl grabbed hold of me before I could barge through.

“He must need our help,” I insisted.

“I know, but you can’t just go running out there. You’ll get shot.”

Right. The bad guys. I waited while he stuck his head out and looked around. “Stay as low as you can and follow me.”

The three of us slunk across the open area that separated the house and the barn. By the time we got around to the other side a sliver of moon was starting to rise, giving us just enough light to see.

Four men were yelling, and they were clustered around in an arc shouting angrily about something. Toxic. He was standing nearby with his hands in the air. We crept a little closer, sticking close to the fence line so we could see what was happening. “What do we do?” I asked.

“I can circle in behind them, but…” Daryl shook his head.

Hot breath blew over my hair and I looked up and over my shoulder. My eyes widened. My massive bull, Gus, was standing on the other side of the fence, blowing his hot breath all over me. Gus had impeccable bloodlines, and he was playful with me, but he hated strangers.

He must have busted through the fences between here and the field the heifers were in. The gunshots had probably agitated him. He blew out another snort as Daryl and I eyed him. Looking over at Daryl, I gave him a shaky smile. “I have an idea.”

“Let me do it,” he hissed my way a minute later as I started creeping toward the group of men.

“I’m smaller,” I insisted. “Besides, Gus knows me. He won’t trample me to death.” I hoped. “Wait here.”

Keeping low, I crept over to where the gate was. We were standing behind the four men. I could see Toxic, scowling at them as they barked orders at him. There wasn’t any more time.

“Just kill him. Then we’ll find the girl,” the leader of the four said.

I reached up and slowly, to keep from making noise, pulled the latch back and opened the door. “Eris,” I whispered.

The snap of teeth was drowned out by the enraged bellow coming from Gus. I pressed myself against the fence as the huge body flew past, racing toward the men out in front of us. I could only hope that Toxic managed to get out of the way in time.

Gripping my shotgun, I ran behind Gus, Eris at my side, ready to shoot any of these assholes who tried to hurt my biker, my soon to be father-in-law, or my animals. I’d had enough of people threatening me and those I loved. They were going to pay for it.

There was no deciphering which shouted curses were Toxic’s and which were the assholes that deserved to be dead as everyone tried to get out of Gus’s way. One man didn’t move fast enough. The bull lowered his head and I winced as the guy was gored by a massive horn and flung through the air. Gus didn’t stop there. He followed his target and trampled over the man with frightening speed.

Gunshots rang out, making me freeze, but I saw Toxic emerge from the shadows like a ghost. He was shooting and moving like an avenging angel. It was amazing to see. He and Daryl met up, then charged forward after the remaining men.

I looked down at Eris and she glanced up at me with her tongue lolled out. “I think they’ve got this. Why don’t we get Gus back in that field before he decides he’s better off without all of us?”

The bull was standing near the mangled body as I approached cautiously, hands outspread. He wasn’t a pet. He mostly put up with me because I gave him food and occasionally treats. In this state he’d happily kill me just to ensure his own safety and that of his herd. He’d just as likely throw me over the fence because he thought it was amusing.

“Hey there, Gus,” I called out in a soft voice, moving slowly.

He blew out a snort and swung his massive head my way. There was rage in his eyes but he didn’t move toward me. Thankfully he was standing near the large gate connecting to the barn. He wanted to go back to his ladies as much as I wanted him to. I crept around behind him.

Gus lumbered in a circle watching me with a suspicious gaze.

“Easy,” I cooed as I turned to face him. I was pinned between him and the gate. It was a dangerous position to be in, but the only way to get him contained again. Reaching behind me, I slid the latch, staring at the bull without blinking. I didn’t want to miss even the most micro of movements. That would end with me gored or trampled. Not the way I wanted to go out.

This gate opened inward, so I slowly started walking it backward. The bull watched me as I opened it. After a moment, as I moved out of the way, he took a step forward. I let out a soft whistle when Eris started to trot forward. He was hesitant, but moving on his own. I didn’t want her rushing him through the gate. She froze in her tracks at the musical directive I’d taught her as a puppy.

The bull, seeing a way to return back to his heifers, walked through the gate like a huge docile puppy now that the strangers and loud noises had died down. I shut the gate behind him then ran up the fence line to close the other gate I’d left open. As soon as there was a barrier between us again, I let out a breath of relief.

I yelped as a spotlight flared to life and lit me up from the sky. My jaw dropped as a helicopter flew into the area and landed in an open spot in the field I had my llamas and sheep in. Was that the cops? We were too far away for neighbors to have heard the gunshots, even though there had been a lot of them.

The world was nothing but loud sounds and blinding lights now. Eris pressed close to my side, her growls vibrating my leg. I leveled my shotgun as two men ran toward me in the light from the helicopter.

“Billie!” Warrant shouted as they stuttered to a stop when they saw me pointing my gun at them.

Dropping the muzzle, I gasped. “Warrant? Lockout?”

The helicopter was whirring down, but I heard another sound, a rumbling sound. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that there were motorcycles all over my property. The cavalry had arrived.