Storm Warning (Security Specialists International Book 4) (14 page)

“You … and Ace?” DJ looked at Callie. Surprisingly, all she felt over Callie’s disclosure was envy since Callie admitted it had gone no further. But the M.I.T gal? Her, DJ wanted to hunt down and disembowel. She had just the knife for the job.

Sweet Jesus, when had she gotten so territorial over Ace? Oh, yeah, it had been during the two days in the cave.

Callie nodded. “We were both tired of saving it, and we liked each other, but…” She scrunched her nose. “…the experience was uncomfortable. After all, we were practically raised together. Right after we ‘did it,’ he went back to M.I.T. with Keely and met up with … what in the heck was her name?”

“Buffy Smithson.” Keely spoke the name as if it left a rotten taste in her mouth. “At least, Callie I liked. Buffy? Meh. She merely wanted to use my handsome, popular, so smart brother as an escort and fuck buddy. She never really cared for or about him.”

“Fuck buddy?” DJ couldn’t help the snarl in her voice. God, she was jealous of some female called Buffy from Ace’s past. That was just wrong. Damn, the man had changed her whole attitude about men and relationships in less than two weeks.

“Yep. I guess my brother has some moves.” Keely wiggled her eyebrows.

Callie and Lacey laughed like loons. DJ swallowed hard, wondering what other moves he might have besides his kisses. Since his kisses were earth-shattering to her equilibrium, how in the hell would she survive more?

“Buffy panted after Tweetie like a bitch in heat. It was embarrassing. The she-devil didn’t like me. I lived with Tweetie, because I was underage during my first years in college. I was always,” Keely used her fingers to indicate quotes, “‘underfoot’ as she called it. She was a stuck-up piece of work and not nearly good enough for my brother. I quite illegally, and damn proud of it, placed a bug on her phone and listened in on her conversations with her friends. She was always bragging about my brother’s sexual prowess and how she had him twisted around her little finger.”

“Bragged to others?” DJ couldn’t help herself. “She actually talked about their sex life with her friends?”

“Yep.” Keely nodded. “By the way, you’re perfect for Tweetie. I approve. My whole family loves you. So, if you’re scared about him hurting you, don’t be. He’s serious about you. If you can’t feel the same way about him, then you need to let him down gently—and soon, before he decides to make his move.”

Move? What kind of move? Sex? Or more? At that moment, she wanted it all, whatever
it
was.

Then she realized—“He’s been making subtle moves for a while—and just now, he—” DJ blushed and scanned the faces of the women who looked at her with genuine affection. Then she singled out Keely. “I like your brother a lot—
a lot
a lot.” Her use of Keely’s exact words had all the ladies chuckling. “He’s different. He treats me like a partner and not some dumb blonde bimbo with tits and ass. He … gawd, this is awkward.”

Lacey rubbed DJ’s arm. “Go on, you can tell us anything. We won’t tell Tweeter or Nancy, who, by the way, has shared with everyone she likes the idea of you and Tweeter together.”

“My momma’s talking about us?” DJ inhaled and then coughed.

“Honey,” Lacey said. “Everyone’s been talking about you two since the day after you arrived at Sanctuary. Tweeter doesn’t usually participate in the training sessions every single day, all day. Other than his routine trips to check on the security arrays, he normally spends most of his time in the Bat Cave and, maybe, the gym after the training sessions are done for the day.”

“And as for Nancy, she’s an excellent observer. She came to me and asked about my brother’s actions. I told her what I thought,” Keely put in. “Even Ren said something to me about Tweetie’s interest in you. Men are usually the last to realize what’s going on in other people’s relationships. So, fess up, what was the latest move my too-smart-for-his-own-britches brother made over the phone?”

“When I told him I was stiff after the trip and all?” The girls nodded, and Keely fluttered her fingers in a give-me-more gesture. “He suggested I ask Lacey to give me a massage, because he was afraid if he offered, I’d take him down.” She kept Ace’s balls out of the conversation.

“Ooooh, and that was why you replied in a sexy tone of voice that he hadn’t offered?” Callie gave her two thumbs up. “Good response. I figure Lacey won’t be giving you a full body massage this evening, because Tweeter is probably urging Ren to break land speed records from the air strip to get to your side.”

The other women smiled and nodded. DJ stared at the menu which she’d crumpled in her fist. “We’ll see. He might not even offer.”

“Oh, he’ll offer,” Keely said. “You didn’t hear yourself. If I were a guy, I’d frick-fracking offer. This calls for a drink.” She looked around. “This place is packed. Cabin fever must’ve hit everyone within a fifty-kilometer radius. Who’s going with me to the bar to order drinks? I know what the guys want. We can wait on them to order food.”

DJ nudged Lacey with her thigh. “Move, please. Someone has to protect the midget. Callie doesn’t need to get pushed around in the crowded barroom.”

Callie smiled at DJ. “Thanks. I have to admit, I do feel more tired than normal. I’ll take a 7-Up with a lime in it. Would you bring some bar mix back? The baby and I are starving.”

“Bar mix sounds good. Lunch was a long time ago. A bottle of Bud for me.” Lacey got out of the booth. “I’ll grab some chairs so the guys can sit on the other side of the table. The booth isn’t big enough for all of us.”

“Sounds like a plan.” DJ exited the booth. She looked at Keely who’d scooted out after her so Callie didn’t have to move. The blonde’s head came to just below her shoulders. “Let’s go, Shorty.”

“Okie-dokie, Legs.” Keely snickered and led the way, nodding to friends and stopping once to tell their harried waitress that three more were coming and to take her time getting to them. The waitress looked profoundly grateful.

As they entered the bar area, the noise volume suddenly dropped by half. Several men’s heads turned their way. DJ was prepared to ignore the male interest since that was her normal response, but the looks from some men at two tables in particular raised the hairs at the nape of her neck. Their interest wasn’t the usual male scoping out a female just for the hell of it; it was more darkly speculative and, for lack of a better word, evil.

DJ touched the gun holstered at her back and hidden by the loose, plaid flannel shirt she wore. She took the safety off by feel.

Grabbing Keely by the arm, she stopped the little blonde before she could go any farther into the bar. “Getting bad vibes here. Maybe you should go back. I’ll place the drink orders and tell the bartender to give them to our waitress to bring to the table.”

Keely looked at DJ. Her green eyes slitted like a cat’s. “What’s wrong?”

“Multiple asshole alert. The two tables at two o’clock.” DJ pulled Keely to the side, out of the way of some men exiting the bar to the dining area. Then, keeping the two tables in her line of sight, she began to move them sideways toward the doorway to the dining area. “Six huge guys dressed in hunting camouflage and armed.”

The men hadn’t bothered to hide their weapons. She spotted the holsters right off.

“Let go of my arm. Need to ready my weapon.” Keely tugged and DJ released her.

She and Keely continued to sidle toward the dining room. A fusillade of gunfire in the crowded bar and restaurant would result in a lot of injured and possibly dead innocents.

DJ wanted, at the very least, to take the potential clusterfuck outside.

“I recognize some of them. They’re part of a local militia group that recently moved into the area. They’re stupid, mean, and crazy. They’ve been causing all sorts of trouble. Dan isn’t happy,” Keely said
sotte voce
. “At Dan’s request, Ren has had me looking into their backgrounds. Dan and Ren think these guys might have contracts of mutual support with Varney’s militia group.”

“No thinking about it. I’ll guarantee they’re in a mutual support treaty with Varney’s militia. I can’t get away from my damn father and his scummy friends.”

When she and Keely were within a few feet of the doorway, the six men rose as one and began moving toward them. Oh hell yeah, they were very armed. She spotted knives and more than one hand gun per man—the defenders at the Alamo hadn’t had that much firepower. God, she hated it when she was right.

“Not getting a good feeling about this, Keely. Let’s peddle.”

DJ turned taking Keely with her and came face-to-face with two more huge guys—she named them Sasquatch and Baldy—dressed like the ones coming up behind her and Keely.

In an instant, DJ grabbed Keely and hustled her to the bar so they’d have only the bartender at their backs. She chanced a glance at the bartender who had his hands in the air and a pissed expression on his face. One of the six guys had split off and now held a gun on him.

Eight armed bad guys and two armed women equaled clusterfuck in any language.

The barroom had gone completely quiet at the moves. It was as if everyone in the room held their breath, waiting to see what would happen.

“Shit,” she muttered.

“Yep, that about sums it up. Ren is going to freak.” Keely scooted behind DJ’s body and said in a low monotone, “Sending an SOS to Ren. Our men will come in hot. So get ready.”

Not sure they could wait that long, but DJ would stall for as long as possible.

“Problem, boys?” she drawled, addressing the five men in the center of the room and keeping the two who’d entered from the restaurant in her peripheral vision.

“Your daddy and Sean want you and your momma home, bitch.” The speaker was one of the men in the center of the room.
Arrogant ass.

As if she’d go anywhere with any of them on her father’s say-so. As for Sean? How stupid did the man think she was? She’d never make it easy for anyone to take her to that rapist bastard. And if they dared to get near her sweet momma? She’d gut them and hang them up to dry.

Mentally counting to ten, DJ took one long, deep breath and then let it out. “Not gonna happen. Consider the message delivered. Now, you boys go back to your tables and let me and my friends eat and drink in peace.”

“Can’t do that, girl. We’re not messengers. We’re transport. You and your momma are going back to West Virginia,” Arrogant Ass said. “Now, we can do this easy or hard. You don’t want us to shoot up the place and take the chance to hurt some of these fine citizens, do ya?”

Yep, dumber than shit if Arrogant Ass hadn’t realized that at least half the men in the barroom could take care of themselves and would take care of any innocent civilians. That probably several fine citizens had already dialed the local emergency number for the sheriff’s office. Plus, she’d recognized several men from the last time she’d been involved in a shoot out with bad guys at Ma’s. They’d nodded at her. She had backup, and they’d follow her lead.

Arrogant Ass had no fucking clue what he’d just bit off.

Movement at DJ’s back.

Keely had removed DJ’s gun and pushed it into her hand. The bastards weren’t expecting her or Keely to be armed—that was her ultimate ace in the hole. But she’d still like to move this whole potential shooting match outside.

But how?

“I’m waiting, girl. Get your ass over here so we can go fetch your momma.” Arrogant Ass gestured with his gun to a spot next to him.

“I’m fine right here. And I don’t know where my momma is.” And that was the honest to God’s truth.

“Get ready,” Keely murmured.

DJ inclined her head in acknowledgment as she shot Arrogant Ass a fake smile.

Obviously, Keely knew something DJ didn’t. Whatever happened, they’d have to take out Sasquatch and Baldy, who currently blocked their way out of the bar. The two hadn’t pulled their weapons yet, so that gave her and Keely a slight advantage. But still without a distraction, she wasn’t sure how they’d escape eight men.

Then Callie entered the game.

“No one move.” Callie’s voice was loud and mean. “I’m tired, hungry, and my feet hurt really, really bad. So, if you move toward my friends, I’ll drop you.”

“Hey, I know you,” Arrogant Ass drawled. “I jack off to the
Sports Illustrated
issues you’re in.”

“You really are as dumb as you look.” Callie’s sigh was exaggerated. “I figure you all know what expert-rated sniper means, and I’ll admit to being expert-rated in long and short guns. If you don’t believe me, check out the jacker’s forehead.”

Sure enough, a laser dot was centered on Arrogant Ass’s forehead. When he moved, it moved. DJ didn’t know where Callie was positioned exactly, but she had the men in the middle of the room covered for sure.

“But you’re a super-model,” Sasquatch said as he looked over his shoulder into the dining room. “Super models can’t shoot worth spit.”

Callie’s answer was to shoot the floor right in front of Arrogant Ass’s boot, forcing him to jump back. The red dot went back to his forehead within a split second. “I don’t miss … ever.”

One of the locals shouted, “That’s for damn sure. She beats me at the local shooting range every damn time.”

“Thanks, Zeke. Oh, and I’ll add that I have enough firepower to take y’all down without taking a fucking breath. So, drop your weapons and put your hands behind your necks, fingers laced.”

“Jesus, Callie’s one mean bitch when riled.” DJ had used the shock from Callie’s threats to point her weapon at Sasquatch. “You got, Baldy, Keely?”

“Yep.” Keely stepped to DJ’s side. “The bartender, who’s an off-duty deputy, got the drop on the guy covering him when Callie entered the picture.”

Nothing like a beautiful woman with a loaded gun to shift the advantage to the good guys.

“Okay, assholes, here’s the deal—” Using her gun, DJ motioned Sasquatch and Baldy toward their buddies in the center of the barroom. “We’re gonna stand here until the law arrives. You all,” DJ indicated the entire group with a sweep of her head, “will be going to jail.”

Callie’s shooting buddy Zeke and several other locals moved to relieve the militia men of their weapons.

DJ shook her head and tsked. “Now, don’t you regret hooking up with my loser father and his asshole friends?”