then two.
Grace moved as fast as she could.
She shifted her hips to the side and, with her fist, aimed right for the man’s balls behind her.
He lost his grip while Sokolov lunged for her.
Her knee came up and Sokolov doubled over.
She made it three feet and one of them grabbed at her legs, and she fell to the ground with a scream.
Dameon pulled alongside Grace’s car, and Max pulled in behind him.
He waited until Max joined him before walking up to the house.
Max extended his hand. “Thanks, Dameon.”
He smiled. “Don’t thank me yet,” he said.
They turned to the house, and Max patted him on the back.
Under the cover of the porch, Dameon stomped his feet on the welcome mat Grace had bought him for Christmas.
He was fishing the keys out of his pocket when he heard Grace cry out.
“Grace?” he yelled.
“Dameon! Help!” She was screaming.
He grabbed the doorknob, said the hell with the keys, and kicked the flimsy lock open.
Grace was sprawled on the floor, on her back, and kicking at the man who was scrambling to get out of the way.
Dameon saw red, and he charged in with a full football-style tackle.
The man over Grace went down under him.
Grace screamed again and yelled, “Watch out.”
Dameon didn’t look up. His fist struck out at the man he’d just shoved to the ground.
His knuckles hit flesh.
The man on the ground swung back.
Dameon’s lip split and he struck out again.
This time the man under him slumped.
Dameon turned his head enough to see that there was a second man in the house. This one was bigger and he’d just slammed his fist into Max’s face.
Grace was scrambling out of the way.
Dameon pushed to his feet and charged the man beating on Max.
He felt a punch to his ribs before landing one himself.
“Help!” Grace yelled to his side.
When he looked, she had the cordless phone in one hand and a fireplace poker in the other. Her yell for help was over the phone.
Her distraction was enough to give the bigger man a clean shot at Dameon’s kidney.
He went to a knee, and Grace screamed as she charged with the swinging fireplace poker she used like a sword.
Dameon heard a yelp and saw the steel make contact. As it caught the nylon-faced man, it ripped the fabric.
Dameon pulled himself up and charged right as Max did the same.
The stranger was on the ground with Max’s booted foot pressed against the back of his head.
A moan came from the other man, who was trying to stand.
Grace stumbled toward him with the poker and swung. “You son of a bitch!” She lifted the poker to hit again.
Dameon grabbed it after the third hit. “He’s down.”
And he was. Face-first.
Grace turned her wild eyes to him.
“It’s okay.” Dameon reached for her.
She stumbled into him and went limp in his arms. “I didn’t see them.”
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”
And she cried.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
By the time the police arrived, Dameon and Max had found zip ties in the garage at Grace’s suggestion and bound the two men together.
Within twenty minutes, the house was swarming with police, paramedics, and one fire engine with a crew.
Grace sat inside one of the ambulances while the medics cleaned up a cut on her arm and poked around to determine if she needed to go to the hospital.
Dameon and Max both stood beside the officer who had arrived first and was writing everything down.
Sokolov and his thug were both en route to the local hospital, in handcuffs.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle, and a little bit of fading sunlight started to peek through.
“Hey.” Miah, one of the police officers that she knew, looked inside the ambulance. “How are you feeling?”
She lifted her bandaged arm. “Not bad, considering.”
The paramedic frowned. “She doesn’t want to go to the ER. That ankle looks nasty.”
Grace wiggled her toes, pretended it didn’t hurt. “It’s fine.”
Miah laughed. “The zip ties were a nice touch.”
She found herself smiling. “I did learn a few things being a cop’s daughter.”
“Your pop is on his way.”
“Along with everyone else, I’m sure.”
Miah looked at the medic. “You don’t have to push her to go to the hospital. Her family will do it for you.”
Grace frowned. “Isn’t there some work for you to do out there?” she teased, shocked she had it in her to give him a hard time.
Miah lifted his hands and walked away.
She turned to the medic. “I’m really fine. If it gets worse, I’ll go in without the lights and sirens.”
“I know Matt. He’s
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