Page 42 (1/2)
CHAPTER 1
“STATUS,” Steele said in low tones
His receiver crackled in his ear and PJ Rutherford’s response was immediate
“No shot yet Repeat, no clear shot Give et him”
Steele’s gaze swept the guard towers and sio time and the extrication chopper would land in forty-five Which gave theet out
He wasn’t entirely certain this chick wanted out, but her parents were paying KGI a rasp of Matteo Garza During three days of round-the-clock surveillance, it had not appeared to Steele that Christina Westlake was in any sort of distress She’d pranced around in a thong and bikini top and five-inch heels, laughing and sly content He just hoped to hell she earing sensible shoes today because running would be a bitch in the stilettos and he needed her steady on her feet
“Make it fast, PJ,” Steele growled “We’re on a timetable here”
“Cool your jets, boss et the job done”
Steele rolled his eyes, and he knew da from the teds as soon as the mission was completed PJ would remove Cole’s balls for that remark
“Any sign of our target?” Dolphin broke in “I haven’t seen her in half an hour Thought she was supposed to be sunbathing at this time?”
Miss Westlake had a routine It was one thing Steele could say for her Dolphin, Baker and Renshaw had eagerly volunteered for the afternoon surveillance shift so they could see the leggy blonde in her thong Not to mention she always took her top off when she sunbathed
She was a looker, no doubt, but she didn’t do a da for Steele
“She’s late,” Baker o in”
“I’ll go get her,” Renshaw said, an evident grin in his voice
“Quiet,” Steele ordered “I want radio silence until I say differently Get the dauards so we can get this show on the road”
“Done and done,” PJ said curtly “Both front towers are clear Giddy up, cowboys Let’s rope the goat and get back home”
Cole’s chuckle echoed in Steele’s ear “That’s irl!”
“Move in,” Steele barked “I want a clean in-and-out”
Steele slid out from the blind he’d constructed, hoisted his rifle and crept through the thick shrubbery that surrounded the palatial home
Usually for a retrieval ht, hit hard and fast and get the hell out Garza, however, doubled his security at night, al the day, he employed few security men and those he had were lazy and inattentive This should be a piece of cake
Should be
He’d learned better than to actually utter those da words, and he didn’t have a superstitious bone in his body
He was heading in a direct line to the back of the house when gunfire erupted in the distance
“Goddamn it, what the hell is that?” he barked into his mic
“Sorry, boss man,” Dolphin said, a huff in his breath “Couldn’t be avoided They knoe’re here now”
Judging by the shrieks that filled the air, Christina Westlake knew they were here too She wouldn’t have a clue they were here to help her She just knew bullets were flying, as was blood
“Give us soirl”
“Already cleared you a path,” PJ said “They’ll think the queen of bloody England is co”
Steele shook his head at her wit and quickly scaled the stone wall over onto the veranda by the pool The pool where Christina Westlake was supposed to be sunbathing The woet unpredictable now of all times?
Another screech rent the air and Steele turned his head in the direction of the god-awful noise and i to the second-floor balcony He ducked a knife when he got to the top and rauy who’d tried to ambush him
Pain slashed through his ar aside the discoh skin
When his attacker stu the butt of his rifle up and crushed the guard’s jaw He cru thud Steele’s gaze i in any potential threat Another sound froht his attention
“Stupid bitch! Get out of my way!”
“You can’t leave me, Matteo!”
The shriek made Steele wince Evidently Matteo wasn’t as attached to Christina as she was to hi his escape, but it wasn’t Matteo Steele wanted Garza could make this as easy or as hard as he wanted Steele would prefer as little bloodshed as possible, but he was prepared for anything
Get the job done Whatever it takes
It was a creed that had daotten his teaone lone wolf, bent on vigilante justice
That was done, thankfully, and now they could get back to doing what they did best Working as a tea the job done
Steele edged toward the door and then kicked it in with his boot The door flew open and Steele grabbed his pistol with his left hand while holding his rifle with his right
Matteo Garza whirled around, dropping the bag that he’d been stuffing full of things from the wall safe His eyes ild and crazed Christina cowered, trying to insert herself between Matteo and the wall, but he was having none of that He shoved the screairl in front of him and wrapped a beefy arm around her neck
“What do you want?” he demanded hoarsely
Steele viewed hiirl as a shield No man used a woman in such a manner
“The girl,” Steele said calo in peace”
CHAPTER 1
“STATUS,” Steele said in low tones
His receiver crackled in his ear and PJ Rutherford’s response was immediate
“No shot yet Repeat, no clear shot Give et him”
Steele’s gaze swept the guard towers and sio time and the extrication chopper would land in forty-five Which gave theet out
He wasn’t entirely certain this chick wanted out, but her parents were paying KGI a rasp of Matteo Garza During three days of round-the-clock surveillance, it had not appeared to Steele that Christina Westlake was in any sort of distress She’d pranced around in a thong and bikini top and five-inch heels, laughing and sly content He just hoped to hell she earing sensible shoes today because running would be a bitch in the stilettos and he needed her steady on her feet
“Make it fast, PJ,” Steele growled “We’re on a timetable here”
“Cool your jets, boss et the job done”
Steele rolled his eyes, and he knew da from the teds as soon as the mission was completed PJ would remove Cole’s balls for that remark
“Any sign of our target?” Dolphin broke in “I haven’t seen her in half an hour Thought she was supposed to be sunbathing at this time?”
Miss Westlake had a routine It was one thing Steele could say for her Dolphin, Baker and Renshaw had eagerly volunteered for the afternoon surveillance shift so they could see the leggy blonde in her thong Not to mention she always took her top off when she sunbathed
She was a looker, no doubt, but she didn’t do a da for Steele
“She’s late,” Baker o in”
“I’ll go get her,” Renshaw said, an evident grin in his voice
“Quiet,” Steele ordered “I want radio silence until I say differently Get the dauards so we can get this show on the road”
“Done and done,” PJ said curtly “Both front towers are clear Giddy up, cowboys Let’s rope the goat and get back home”
Cole’s chuckle echoed in Steele’s ear “That’s irl!”
“Move in,” Steele barked “I want a clean in-and-out”
Steele slid out from the blind he’d constructed, hoisted his rifle and crept through the thick shrubbery that surrounded the palatial home
Usually for a retrieval ht, hit hard and fast and get the hell out Garza, however, doubled his security at night, al the day, he employed few security men and those he had were lazy and inattentive This should be a piece of cake
Should be
He’d learned better than to actually utter those da words, and he didn’t have a superstitious bone in his body