Chapter 6 #2
“Wasn’t me who got chased through the forest.” Dalton waved toward the door. “I’m not taking no for an answer. This will give everyone else a chance to start running a few deep dives. And Avery and Greer should be back by then. Let’s see what they uncovered before we all assume the worst.”
Tierney glanced at Buck, then nodded. “Thanks.”
Dalton waved them out, jumping in his truck, then waiting as Buck opened the passenger side of his for Tierney, then rounded to the driver’s side. He slid behind the wheel, started the engine, then pulled out, following Dalton along Main Street to the marina cutoff.
The massive building materialized out of the fog, the clean lines and large windows easing some of her tension. They parked out front, climbed the stairs to the upper floor before Dalton opened the door, waved them inside.
The interior was clean, minimalistic, hints of sea salt and gun oil mixed with a distinct vanilla scent. Soft lighting brightened the open concept living area, the foghorn from the lighthouse a low whisper through the walls.
She walked over to the main windows, stared out at the ocean as it surged against the pier, the rhythmic sound almost soothing.
Dalton crossed the room to the kitchen, flicking on the coffee maker as he grabbed a mug.
“You can each take a room or share one if you’d rather.
Though, sometimes I find it easier to settle out here on the couch, where the walls don’t feel so close.
I’ll make a few rounds of the perimeter, ensure we’re alone, then plant my ass on that chair for the rest of the night. ”
Buck moved over to the counter. “You don’t have to pace all night. Zain’s security measures are topnotch. Might be best if we all get some sleep.”
“I’ll sleep.”
Buck sighed. “Dalton…”
“I realize the chances of these assholes tracking you down this quickly are low, but I’ve dealt with these kinds of men before.
We have no idea what their mental state is, how obsessed they might be.
If they’ve been running some kind of illegal organization out of the woods for a while, they’ve obviously got connections that have kept it off the radar.
And if anyone saw the Raven’s Watch logo on the chopper, maybe caught the tail numbers…
” He whistled. “It wouldn’t take much to put a few things together.
So, I’ll spend some time walking the property lines, scoping out any possible nesting sites until my paranoia level drops a notch… or ten. Then, I’ll catch a few hours.”
Buck clapped the man on the shoulder. “Thanks, brother. I owe you.”
Dalton shrugged it off like it was nothing as he clipped a to-go mug on his belt loop, slipped on a vest then grabbed his rifle.
He stopped at the door, glancing back at them.
“There are extra blankets and pillows in the hall closet if you choose to hunker down out here. Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge. I’ll be back in a bit.”
He closed the door behind him, the sudden stillness skittering shivers down her spine. She focused on the water, on the fog threading along the pier. On anything but the voices in her head. The echoing memories lingering just out of sight.
Buck’s arms curled around her, drawing her against his chest. Strong. Unyielding. She leaned into him, drinking in the scent of pine and citrus on his skin, the hint of sea-salt from the ocean.
He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “We really should try to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be just as chaotic.”
She tensed. “I know.”
He sighed, easing back before gently turning her. “I’ll grab a blanket and some pillows. We can camp out on the sofa.”
She tsked. “You don’t have to sleep on a couch because I’m too wired to stay in a proper bedroom.”
“Already told you. I’ve got everything I need, right here. Pick a cushion.”
She rolled her eyes but ambled over to the sofa, sinking into the cushion farthest from the door.
Not because she felt safer there, but she knew Buck wouldn’t settle if he didn’t have a direct sightline across the pier.
If he couldn’t be her first line of defense if someone suddenly burst through the door.
Buck plopped down beside her, tucking a pillow behind both of them before tossing a blanket across their laps. He lifted his arm, pulled her in close when she rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, the steady rhythm of his heart easing the lingering tension.
He relaxed back, holding her close as the night settled, the ocean still surging in the background. “Sleep. Nothing’ll sneak past Dalton. Promise.”
She mumbled a reply, fading into an uneasy sleep.
Dalton returned a couple hours later, moving like a damn wraith as he grabbed more coffee, then planted his ass in the chair beside Buck.
She watched him for a few minutes, noting the furrowed brow and dark circles.
The kind she saw reflected back in the mirror most days and knew, he wasn’t quite as polished as she’d thought.
He simply hid his demons better.
The night wore on, the wind picking up outside, howling past the windows as a late spring storm rolled in off the ocean. A flash of lightning cracked across the sky, jolting her upright as thunder rumbled in the distance, rattling the glass before gradually fading.
Buck had his Sig out a heartbeat later, sweeping the room as Dalton scrambled onto his feet, eyes narrowed, gaze scanning the room. She jumped when another bolt forked out of the sky, breathing through the boom that followed.
Buck exhaled, brushing her hair off her shoulder, looking as if he wanted to kiss her, again, when Dalton charged at them, tackling them both over the arm of the sofa just as a suppressed thut sounded in the aftershock.
The window in front of them cracked, a spiderweb of lines quickly eating up the surface before the entire pane exploded inward in a shower of glass and mist, the roar of the ocean echoing through the room.
Static crackled somewhere below, followed by the crunch of boots on gravel and the hollow drum of movement on the boathouse roof. Red dots jittered over the ceiling, climbed the far wall, highlighting the hole where the first round had punched into the drywall.
This wasn't one shooter taking a chance in the dark. Some random drive-by. This was an army, and they’d already boxed them in.