nd. Please. He’s not even an obstacle, I swear.”
She felt the palm of his hand move up her thigh to her waist. He caressed her as he held her gaze.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“How do I know that you’re just not saying that?”
She couldn’t believe this big, strong, mountain of a man was insecure.
Her body shook and her heart ached as she slowly moved her mouth closer to his. The tears filled her eyes, and she kissed him softly on the lips. That soft gentle kiss turned deep until the sound of double CB radios went off from the hips of both deputies.
She pulled away and laughed. So did Vic and Tommy.
Tommy pulled off the radio and responded saying that he and Vic were on their way.
“Sorry, baby, but duty calls.” She stood up and Vic fixed his uniform as Tommy gave her a quick kiss on the mouth.
“Call us when you’re leaving work? We’re working all night.”
“Thank you again for dinner.”
They both smiled.
After they left the room, Elise took a long-needed deep breath. God, were they amazing, and she was falling for them faster than she ever fell for anyone in her life, including Devlon.
Chapter 6
The place was surrounded with insurgents. It was a setup. Vic knew he had no way of escaping. The only way out was the front door at the bottom of the stairs and right now, two of his dead soldiers blocked it and the bad guys were coming in. He heard the gunshots and the rapid fire crunching against the concrete inside the home. Ducking low, he checked his weapon. He was fully loaded with multiple clips on his shoulder and waist. He looked to the right and saw Ted. He pointed toward the stairs to exit and Vic shook his head. In an instant the explosion rocked the building. Ted was sucked through the gaping hole and through the smoke. Vic saw the armed men coming for him. In his mind he saw Tommy, their parents and family. He was going to die. They began to fire their weapons and he did the same as he screamed at the top of his lungs and took a group of them out. He turned and headed down the stairs as the sound of return fire echoed in the streets. Was help coming? Could there be a chance that he would live? He rushed down the stairs, reached for the door, glanced down at his dead brothers, and he heard the click then felt the barrel of the gun against his head. In a thick accent he heard the words, “Die, American scum.”
Vic lunged upward in bed. He was slowly coming out of his nightmare that seemed so real. “Vic?”
He turned and leaped from the bed grabbing the person by the throat and shoving them hard against the wall.
“Whoa, Vic, it’s Tommy. You’re okay. It was a bad one, but you’re in Texas, not Iraq.”
Vic was breathing heavy, but some way, somehow, the sound of his brother’s voice brought him back to the present. He loosened his hold on Tommy’s throat and his brother coughed then took slow, short breaths.
“I’m sorry,” Vic said as he stumbled backward until he sat on the bed and placed his hands over his face.
“Hey, it was a long night at work. We got into that fight with those drunken assholes from the house party on Burbank Avenue. It was bound to sit in your subconscious.” Tommy took a seat next to him on the bed.
Vic snorted then shook his head. “What the fuck are you rambling on about?”
“I don’t know.” Tommy chuckled.
Vic lay back down on bed and pulled the covers up to his chest. He placed his arm over his eyes.
“It seemed so real.”
“It always does.”
Vic tried to close his eyes, but he just kept feeling the barrel of the gun at his head.
“Try to rest. I’ve got your back, brother. I’m staying here. I’m on guard. Nothing will get to you.”
Vic heard his brother’s words and tried to focus on them and clear his head. He was a fucking wuss that needed his brother to babysit him while he slept.