Into the Fury (BOSS, Inc. #1)(96)

“She’s fine. She said you put a man on her house.”

Dirk sighed. “I’d rather it was me, but that isn’t what she wants.”

When Val made no reply, he looked at Ethan. “You think it’s him, The Preacher?”

“Hoover doesn’t think so. He thinks the shooter was aiming at me, not Val. Old case, somebody I pissed off.”

“Yeah? What do you think?”

“Not convinced. Hoping to hear something from Jack Morrell. He’s checking Latham’s connection to South America.”

“South America? You’re still gnawing that bone? You really think this has something to do with drugs?”

“Call it a gut feeling, but yeah, I do. A couple of things turned up while you were gone. Why don’t you get out of those wet clothes and we’ll talk?”

“I’ll make some coffee,” Val offered. “And see what there is to eat.”

“Sounds good.” Dirk headed down the hall, his leathers squeaking, black boots muddying up the floor as his long legs carried him into his bedroom.





Chapter Thirty-Six



“You always thought Delilah was murdered by a pro,” Dirk said while Val worked in the kitchen and Ethan finished summing things up. A lot had happened since Dirk had left the city.

“For a while, I thought maybe I was wrong and it was just a crazy,” Ethan said. “After Stern came on to Val and started talking about the murder, hinting that the victim was killed because she’d made someone mad, I decided to take another look. When Sadie found the info on Julian Latham and his travels to South America, it all seemed to fall into place.”

“So you think the whole note thing was a setup. Just a way to throw the cops off the trail.”

“Yeah, but I could be wrong.”

“You could be. I guess we won’t know till you hear from Morrell, and that could take some time.”

“I hope not.”

“What can I do to help?” Dirk asked.

“I was just about to call Luke. I need to get out of here for a while, clear my head. I thought I’d go back to Val’s, take another look around, knock on some doors, see if someone remembers something they didn’t think of before. We’ve got to come up with a lead.”

“I’ll stay with Val.” Dirk yawned. “I could use a little downtime after all that riding. My muscles haven’t stopped vibrating yet. They think I’m still on the road.”

Ethan chuckled. He was still smiling when his disposable started to ring. He picked it up off the dining table. “Brodie.”

“You been on your computer?” Sadie’s voice sounded sharp over the line.

“Last night, not this morning. Why?”

“They planted some kind of Trojan horse, Ethan. I was afraid of that, so I set up an alert. It’s real smart software. They know it was you looking at them. That’s probably how they found you at Valerie’s place. They’re tracking you through your computer. They know where you are.”

“Christ. You said they. You talking about Latham?”

“Julian Latham and everyone he knows. Not sure where you picked it up. Now get the heck on the road.”

“Thanks, Sadie. I’ll call when we get somewhere safe.”

Val walked out of the kitchen. “I’ve got biscuits in the oven. Breakfast is almost ready, but . . . umm . . . I might have seen something outside.”

“What?” Ethan asked.

“Two men on the lower road. I only caught a glimpse, but it kind of looked like they were trying not to be seen. It’s probably nothing, but—”

Dirk moved toward the window above the kitchen sink. “We got visitors. I can see two from here. Where the hell is Pete?”

Ethan grabbed his shoulder holster and slid it on as he moved to a spot in the dining area where he could see Pete’s location through the trees. “Pete’s down. I can see a little of his rain slicker in the mud behind some bushes.”

“We’re gonna need some firepower.” Dirk started running down the hall.

“What’s going on?” Val asked.

“You need to get down, honey.” Dragging the heavy antique oak dining room table away from the window, he turned it onto its side. “Over here.” He ignored the knot in his stomach and the sudden pallor of her face. “Stay as low as you can and don’t get up. You got your phone?”

She swallowed, nodded.

“Call nine-one-one. You know how to shoot?”

“Bobby taught me.” Her voice shook. “It’s been a long time.”

“Good to know, but it probably won’t come to that.”

Val’s hands trembled as she tugged the disposable out of her pocket and punched 9-1-1.

Dirk raced back into the living room, an AR-15 assault rifle slung across his chest, a tactical vest in his hand. His Browning 9 mil rode in the clip holster at his side. An extra clip protruded from his pocket.

He tossed Val a vest and Ethan a semiauto S&W .45. Ethan checked the clip, racked the slide, and put the safety on, then shoved the second gun into his waistband behind his back. Catching the extra clip Dirk tossed him, he jammed it into his pocket.

While Dirk headed for the rear of the house, Ethan covered the front. As he moved into position next to the dining room window, the first shots rang out, a burst of automatic rifle fire that shattered the glass next to where he pressed against the wall just out of sight.