"All hands, code orange! I repeat, code orange! Prepare for attack at the rear entrance. One vehicle; two or more hostiles inbound!”
Just before the echo of a klaxon sounded through the truck's Bluetooth, Dillon heard someone give a wild, "YEEEE-HAW."
Nasa give a smirk as he made another hard right, avoiding the second barrage of gunfire.
If the glass hadn't been bulletproof, the rear window would have completely shattered instead of only partially fractured, and she'd have taken a bullet to the face.
“I'd really like to shoot out their tires now,” Dillon sang, tasting her pulse as the adrenaline and fear started to pool in her stomach.
“This ain't some action flick, cowgirl! Don't you fuckin' dare stick your head or an arm out the window and risk getting shot!” Top ordered in what had to be his drill sergeant voice.
“The Tank is built to withstand anything unless you open a window and compromise the integrity of the cab. I know you're scared, just sit tight. Nasa will get you home in one piece.”
There it was again, that word. Home.
“We're all set here,” Top told them confidently. “Himbo is heading up in the blind, and Damon is moving the flip in place. Keep left when you pass the red zone; we'll mop up the mess. ETA?”
“Five minutes,” Nasa answered. “Make sure everyone maintains cover until after the SUV hits the flip.”
“Copy that.”
Nasa counted down the closer they got to the compound, never taking his eyes off the road to judge how far behind them the SUV was.
His focus was fixed ahead, and while she could feel the simmering rage emanating from him, Nasa remained calm. It would strike her as strange later, even with bullets flying at them, Dillon wasn't afraid.
She trusted Nasa with her life.
He made a final turn, and Dillon saw the familiar black wrought-iron fencing that surrounded the entire compound. They were going so fast everything seemed to be a blur, and with one final push, Nasa sped through the opening and swerved left, coming to a stop just beyond the treeline.
Dillon looked back to see the SUV whip around with a squeal of rubber on asphalt and take off back the way they'd come.
“What the hell?” Nasa growled, throwing the truck in park as he twisted around to get a better look at the retreating vehicle.
“Talk to me,” Top snapped tersely.
Nasa shook his head, clearly baffled. “They just... they fuckin'... turned around!”
“Well, shit.” Top grunted, his frustration and disappointment coming through loud and clear. “The boys got all dressed up for nothin’.”
As though summoned, Dillon watched eight armed men in fancy black body armor—complete with sci-fi looking helmets—melt out of the trees.
“Alright, lock it up and come on back to the house.”
Top hung up, and Nasa looked at her after blowing out a harsh sigh.
“You can holster that cute little gun now, Tiger Lily. It's over.”
Over. Just like that. Seriously?
*****
Nasa felt the rush of adrenaline of making it home safe, the disappointment of not getting that damn SUV onto their turf to take it out, and a vicious twist of arousal that came from the realization Dillon had been armed this whole time without him noticing.
When he looked over at her, he saw Dillon's hand shake when she pulled her loose tank up and holstered her compact Defender, but it wasn't fear he saw in her expression. In fact, she looked pissed.
Dillon glanced back and reached out to touch Elka, who sat up and had plenty to say about their wild ride, expressed in short growling grunts.
Soon as they got back to the compound, Nasa planned to get in touch with his leather maker for a custom dog harness.
If they had to do evasive maneuvers again, he didn't want Elka to get bounced around or potentially hurt.
“You good?” he asked, wondering if it was adrenaline that had Dillon's nipples pressing hard against her shirt.
“Balls out honesty?” she asked tersely.
Nasa was coming to like this code of theirs because every time she said 'balls', his dick jumped.
“Always.”
“I don't have a mark on me, but I am definitely not good!” Dillon glared at him and smacked the center console to emphasize her anger.
“We were just in a high-speed chase; we got shot at! I'm freaked out, I'm pissed off, and I'm more turned on than I've ever been in my life. What the hell was that? Who the hell was that?”
Dillon went on to rant a little more, and Nasa understood it was a byproduct of the adrenaline. He used his heel to hit the bar under his seat, shoving it back even as he flipped up the center console, unbuckled her belt, and yanked her into his lap.
For two people of above average height, it wasn't an ideal fit, but the confined space didn't deter Nasa one bit.
They clashed in an aggressive kiss that poured liquid fire through his bloodstream, and he'd just barely got a good grip on her ass, feeling the nose of her Colt low on her right hip, when someone tapped on the window.
Dillon moved so fast Nasa didn't have time to react. She was up, pressing him hard against the seat to keep him down, gun once again in hand aimed at the driver's side window.
Following her mother's example, Elka went nuts, snarling and barking to further intimidate Raid, who stood on the opposite side of the glass with his hands up and a look of astonishment on his face.
“Throttle down, quick draw. I was just comin’ to check on y'all, and I see that you're fine.”
Dillon gave the sexiest snarl as she reached over and stabbed the button to roll down the window, lowering her weapon before she shook her fist menacingly at Raid.
“Fine? Fine? I could have shot you in the face, asshole!”
Nasa relinquished his hold on her ass to hook his arm around her hips, feeling how she shook and trembled as the adrenaline started to ebb and shock settled in.
“I'm real glad you didn't. The bullet would
