Page 94 of Reckless
The soldiers froze in place and exchanged looks with one another. “Send out the girl, and no one gets hurt,” one of them yelled.
“Not going to happen!” a man shouted back.
Jazz wasn’t even sure she knew who that was. Maybe one of Serena’s brothers?
Then, surprising everyone, especially the soldiers, three bright spotlights glared. Suddenly, it looked like all ten soldiers were now starring in a nightmarish play in which they were the prey.
“Drop!” one of the soldiers shouted. As one, they fell flat to the ground and began crawling for cover.
If Jazz weren’t so infuriated that they had come here to kidnap her and hurt the people she loved, she’d almost feel sorry for them. They were outgunned, outsmarted, and didn’t stand a chance.
Xavier had been in many battles in his life. Having fought in some of the most violent hot spots in the world, he knew what war sounded like. This was a battle unlike any he’d ever seen. These people were farmers, businessmen, teachers, doctors, and lawyers. Yes, most of them had a military background, but what they were doing, protecting someone they barely knew, showed exactly who they were. He knew Jazz was terrified that something would happen to one of them, but it had to warm her heart to know that these people cared so much for her that they would put their lives on the line.
As quickly as the spotlights had been flicked on, they shut off, leaving inky darkness in their wake. He knew exactly what those men were seeing. The helmets they were wearing were equipped with night vision, which meant their retinas had gone haywire the instant the lights hit them. And now that they were in total darkness again, their eyes were having to adjust. He’d been there. It was discombobulating and frustrating, but a trained soldier powered through.
Xavier was beginning to think these men, no matter how lethally they were armed, weren’t up to the task they’d been assigned. It almost made him laugh, because he knew they had no idea what they were facing.
Moving slowly, he eased away from Jazz and made his way to the corner of the house. “You’re outmanned and outgunned,” he shouted. “Give up and go home!”
A shot rang out, pinging off the side of the house. Xavier cursed.
“He’s right,” Ed shouted. “You’re surrounded, boys. Might as well give it up.”
Another shot rang out in Ed’s direction.
A window shattered. And then, as if that had been some kind of signal, the soldiers let loose, apparently not caring who or what they hit.
Not another word was uttered by anyone in Serena’s family before their full fury made itself known. If the soldiers had simply laid down their arms and given up, none of this would have been necessary.
“Xavier!” Jazz yelled. “Watch out!” Turning, Xavier spotted the soldier just as he flew over a bush toward him. Barely getting out of the way of the torpedo body slam, Xavier grabbed the guy in a headlock and threw him to the ground.
The guy was having none of it, and in an impressive, acrobatic move, he twisted out of the headlock and landed on his feet. Seeing that the man had lost his weapon at some point, Xavier dropped his own.
The guy went after him again. Xavier blocked the upper cut and whirled, kicking the guy in the gut and his nuts. The guy didn’t drop, but forged ahead. Xavier saw the glint of a knife in his hand. A second before it could slash his face, a gunshot exploded, and the guy went down with a howl akin to the cry of an injured rabid wolf.
He turned to see Jazz standing a few feet away, holding the gun that had shot the bullet that had shattered the guy’s knee.
“Thanks, baby, but I had him.”
“Maybe so,” his beautiful fiancée answered, “but nobody messes with my man.”
Snorting at the cheesy line, he grabbed her and held her tight. “I love you, Jasmine McAlister.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
The trussed up soldier on the ground looked miserable as sweat poured down his pain-filled face. With a shattered knee and a bullet hole in his shoulder, the man was hurting. Serena’s sister-in-law, Mina, a trauma surgeon, had patched him up and even given him a little something for the pain. Not too much, though, because he needed to be alert for the next part.
Xavier glanced behind him at Serena’s relatives, noting that just one of the men standing there would intimidate most people. Ten of them was a little much, but that was okay with him. These people deserved to be here, to hear what this man had to tell them. He, along with nine others, had invaded their territory, caused untold property damage, and terrorized their families. The other nine were dead. This man had survived and would bear the brunt of their wrath.
No one would outright kill him, of course. That wasn’t who they were, and Xavier knew the men behind him would not shoot an unarmed man. They were, however, prepared to scare and intimidate him until he gave up what he knew. Fear of torture and death was often much more effective than the acts themselves.
“Okay, I’m going to ask you some questions, and if I don’t get the answers I’m looking for, I’ll let my friends behind me loose. They’ll be more than happy to get the answers their way.”
“I don’t know anything, man,” the soldier said. “I’m just a hired gun.”
“All right,” Xavier said, “tell me what you were hired to do. Your exact orders.”
Blinking from the sweat stinging his eyes, he looked up at Xavier. “Grab the girl.”