A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(74)

Once they’d settled on their plans, they had agreed to let it go. Tomorrow would take care of itself. Tonight had been all about Irelyn and Grey. They had laughed and talked, watched a movie, ate popcorn, lay in front of the fireplace, dreaming and making love. It had been magical, beautiful. He wanted more of those moments. An eternity would not be enough. He wanted days on end of blissful—

A shrill alarm blared in the darkness. Grey and Irelyn sprang from the bed as one. No time for questions, no need to ask who or why. They had trained for this for years. It had been a while since they'd had practice drills, but he had no doubts about their preparedness.

“How much time do we have?” Irelyn asked.

“Ten minutes.”

“You think it’s Dark?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, guess not.”

“Let's move, then.” An unexpected anxiety hit him. He grabbed her arm before he could stop himself. “We can leave. We don't have to do this.”

“Stop trying to protect me, Justice. I don't back away from a fight. And if you think I'd let you face this alone, you don't know me.”

“Yes, I do, Irelyn. I always have.”

Not waiting for a response, he went to the closet and pulled on a pair of black pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Knowing she was getting dressed, too, he called out as he left the room, “Meet me in the sanctuary.”

He ran down the hallway and took the stairs three at a time. Going to the back of the house, he keyed a code into the keypad next to the pantry door beside the kitchen. Another door swung open. He stepped inside, turned on the overhead light. They had named this room the very opposite of what it was. Weapons of all kinds covered the walls. Several steel chests held drawers filled with grenades, flash bangs, C-4, stun guns, and Tasers. A variety of handguns were within easy reach in a glass casing. A countertop displayed an assortment of knives.

There was no telling how many were coming, but they were prepared for an army. Their arsenal had been built over time, and it was a good one. Anything beyond a nuclear war, they were equipped and ready to engage.

He sensed Irelyn come in behind him. Turning, he took in her apparel, glad to see she had chosen to dress in a similar fashion, though she looked a damn sight sexier.

She gazed around the room. “You've added a few more items.”

“Yeah.” He threw a bulletproof vest her way and then slipped into one himself. Grabbing an HK237, he watched as she removed an M16 from the wall and handled the weapon like she'd been born with one in her hand.

A glance at the cameras showed the intruders’ progress. Three large trucks were parked outside the perimeter. It was Dark’s people. No one else would have sent this many men.

“Ready?”

He turned to face Irelyn, his warrior woman. She was dressed in black, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail, holding an M16, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone more beautiful or capable.

Though they had set up these safeguards in every house they owned, he couldn’t resist asking, “You know what to do if we get separated? Where to go?”

“Yes. And no heroics from you, big guy. Got it? We do this together.”

He smiled. “Yes, ma’am.” Grabbing her shoulders, he gave her a long, hard kiss.

She returned his kiss with equal fervor and then said softly, “Let’s get rid of these bastards so we can go back to bed.”

Grinning, he took two earbuds from a drawer. Handing her one, he inserted the other into his ear. “Sound check.”

She gave a quick, affirmative nod and said, “Loud and clear.”

There were so many things he wanted to say to her right now. There was no guarantee they would come out of this alive. They both knew that. Even though they’d faced this kind of challenge in the past, this one was more personal than any others. Dark was the spawn of Hill Reed and was just as evil. Ending him would put some finality to Irelyn’s painful past.

Still, he couldn’t just send her off without saying something. “Irelyn, you know that I—”

“Save it for later, Justice.” Warmth turned her eyes a shimmering gray. “When I can fully appreciate it.”

“It’s a date.”

Weapons loaded, they walked out the door together.





Chapter Thirty-One





The battle had been a bloody one and it still wasn’t over. Crouched on the floor behind the kitchen counter, Irelyn stayed on alert as she eased open a drawer. Feeling around in the dark, she grabbed hold of a kitchen towel. Shards of broken glass from a hallway mirror were gouged into her left arm and thigh. Most were superficial cuts on her arm, but her left thigh hadn’t been so lucky. She could feel blood oozing down her leg from a large piece embedded in her skin.

She wrapped the towel around her thigh and tied it off. She was tempted to remove the glass but feared causing more damage. She’d wait until the fight was over. The hail of gunfire had finally stopped for a moment, and her ears were no longer ringing. Right now, there was only silence. She had taken three men out, but she was sure there were more. How many were left?

Where was Grey? In a hand-to-hand battle with one of Dark’s men, she had lost her earbud and now had no way to reach him. Calling out to him would reveal their positions to the remaining men.