probably had something to do with the way she looked at him—like she’d been betrayed.
Damn. He had to force himself to get his mind on the job. He and Loni would need to talk later and he’d apologize and hope that she’d forgive him.
Hell, he didn’t deserve to be forgiven.
He turned away from her and sensed her feelings that vacillated between confused and angry. Anger was good. He could deal with that. He deserved that.
He faced the others. “This should be pretty straightforward. Once we’ve made sure Samuel is alone, we’ll grab him and take him in.”
“You got it,” Lyle said.
The others nodded and Loni stood by quietly.
Time to roll.
Chapter 14
Raindrops landed on Alec’s face but he ignored them as he eased through the lush backyard to the backside of Samuel Rogers’s house. Lightning cracked the sky and thundered followed close behind.
Flowers lined pathways and a fountain stood in the back, water trickling from one bowl to the next. A slow jazz tune floated from the house, the music smooth and almost as tranquil as the fountain sounded.
Loni kept close behind Alec. She had barely said two words to him since they’d left his home before the meeting at the Bar None. He felt the tension between them but had to put it aside for now.
He peeked in through a gap at the bottom of drawn wooden blinds and saw that he was looking into a kitchen. Someone sat at a table close to the window but the space Alec was staring through was too small to tell who it was.
Alec moved through the rain, up the back stairs, and onto a sun porch. One of the steps squeaked but the jazz playing inside the house would have covered the noise. No sounds came from the other side of the door other than the music.
He reached the backdoor and pressed himself to the wall beside the door. Behind him Loni did the same. She was holding the dagger that he’d given her earlier.
“Everyone in position?” he said as he touched his earpiece and the others respond in the affirmative. He unsheathed his sword and looked over his shoulder at Loni and said, “Stay back. There might be gunfire.”
She nodded but looked at him with a question in her eyes. If there might be gunfire, why would they bring a sword and a dagger to a gunfight?
Alec braced his shoulder against the backdoor, gritted his teeth, and then shouted, “Now!”
He rammed the door with his shoulder, his sword raised. He burst into a huge marble, wood, and tile kitchen. Immediately the blond male scooped a gun off the table and fired. Lead pinged against metal as Alec blocked every shot with his sword.
The male, who was an identical match to the picture of Samuel Rogers, dropped the gun and started to shift into an animal form. Alec had his sword to Samuel’s throat before the paranorm got much past his features beginning to transform.
The other Enforcers made sure the house was clear as Alec handled Samuel. He took the firearm and slipped it into the back of his pants where it would stay out of the drug dealer’s reach. Alec instructed two of his teammates to remain outside while the third covered the front door. Loni stood by the open back door, watching.
“Just stopped by to talk, Samuel.” Alec sheathed his sword and pushed the dealer up against the wall and patted him down. “But now that you’ve shot at an enforcer of the law, we’re going to drag your ass down to task force headquarters.”
The male’s features shifted back into his human form as Alec cuffed his wrists behind his back then forced him onto his knees. They were near a table covered with small vials of liquid and a host of syringes. Someone shut off the jazz.
“Don’t take me in.” Samuel’s voice sounded rough from smoking the type of tobacco paranorms preferred. “He’ll have me killed.”
Alec braced one hand on a chair as he looked down at the shifter. “Who will have you killed?”
Samuel clamped his mouth shut and shook his head.
Alec gave him a grim look.
Damn. He had to force himself to get his mind on the job. He and Loni would need to talk later and he’d apologize and hope that she’d forgive him.
Hell, he didn’t deserve to be forgiven.
He turned away from her and sensed her feelings that vacillated between confused and angry. Anger was good. He could deal with that. He deserved that.
He faced the others. “This should be pretty straightforward. Once we’ve made sure Samuel is alone, we’ll grab him and take him in.”
“You got it,” Lyle said.
The others nodded and Loni stood by quietly.
Time to roll.
Chapter 14
Raindrops landed on Alec’s face but he ignored them as he eased through the lush backyard to the backside of Samuel Rogers’s house. Lightning cracked the sky and thundered followed close behind.
Flowers lined pathways and a fountain stood in the back, water trickling from one bowl to the next. A slow jazz tune floated from the house, the music smooth and almost as tranquil as the fountain sounded.
Loni kept close behind Alec. She had barely said two words to him since they’d left his home before the meeting at the Bar None. He felt the tension between them but had to put it aside for now.
He peeked in through a gap at the bottom of drawn wooden blinds and saw that he was looking into a kitchen. Someone sat at a table close to the window but the space Alec was staring through was too small to tell who it was.
Alec moved through the rain, up the back stairs, and onto a sun porch. One of the steps squeaked but the jazz playing inside the house would have covered the noise. No sounds came from the other side of the door other than the music.
He reached the backdoor and pressed himself to the wall beside the door. Behind him Loni did the same. She was holding the dagger that he’d given her earlier.
“Everyone in position?” he said as he touched his earpiece and the others respond in the affirmative. He unsheathed his sword and looked over his shoulder at Loni and said, “Stay back. There might be gunfire.”
She nodded but looked at him with a question in her eyes. If there might be gunfire, why would they bring a sword and a dagger to a gunfight?
Alec braced his shoulder against the backdoor, gritted his teeth, and then shouted, “Now!”
He rammed the door with his shoulder, his sword raised. He burst into a huge marble, wood, and tile kitchen. Immediately the blond male scooped a gun off the table and fired. Lead pinged against metal as Alec blocked every shot with his sword.
The male, who was an identical match to the picture of Samuel Rogers, dropped the gun and started to shift into an animal form. Alec had his sword to Samuel’s throat before the paranorm got much past his features beginning to transform.
The other Enforcers made sure the house was clear as Alec handled Samuel. He took the firearm and slipped it into the back of his pants where it would stay out of the drug dealer’s reach. Alec instructed two of his teammates to remain outside while the third covered the front door. Loni stood by the open back door, watching.
“Just stopped by to talk, Samuel.” Alec sheathed his sword and pushed the dealer up against the wall and patted him down. “But now that you’ve shot at an enforcer of the law, we’re going to drag your ass down to task force headquarters.”
The male’s features shifted back into his human form as Alec cuffed his wrists behind his back then forced him onto his knees. They were near a table covered with small vials of liquid and a host of syringes. Someone shut off the jazz.
“Don’t take me in.” Samuel’s voice sounded rough from smoking the type of tobacco paranorms preferred. “He’ll have me killed.”
Alec braced one hand on a chair as he looked down at the shifter. “Who will have you killed?”
Samuel clamped his mouth shut and shook his head.
Alec gave him a grim look.
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