Megan's Mark(16)

She backed up, watching as the dog followed her. If Mo-Jo didn't want to tackle whatever was downstairs then she would be damned if she was going to.

She flicked her fingers to the bedroom door, commanding the animal to follow her. They moved quickly back to the room. Locking the door silently, she raced to the window, threw it wide and slipped over the windowsill to the porch roof.

Mo-Jo followed as she closed the window and moved back from it an instant before gunfire blasted through her bedroom door and the sound of shattering wood sent Mo-Jo jumping from the porch roof to the thickly padded sandbox she kept for him.

Megan quickly followed, landing hard and cursing silently at the impact of the ground on her bruised body.

"I'm going to kill them," she muttered as she came to her feet and raced to the front of the house, following her furious canine as he ran to the open front door. There were no vehicles in the drive; the lock had been

lasered. Whoever was in there knew what the hell they were doing.

She slid into the kitchen as Mo-Jo moved to position himself at the entrance of the short hallway that led to the staircase. When he moved, she moved, until they were beneath the stairs, silent and waiting.

"The bitch was here. Water is still hot. She went out the window."

She crouched close to Mo-Jo.

"All I smell is that stinking dog," another voice growled. "People should learn to bathe their f**king animals."

They were at the top of the stairs. Megan narrowed her eyes, her fingers clenching Mo-Jo's ruff as she waited.

Yeah, so getting the mutt smell off him wasn't always easy, but he was about to show these bastards exactly why she put up with it.

They were coming down. Her fingers tightened. Wait. All she had to do was wait. Mo-Jo would surprise them and she would take them out. Simple. Easy.

"Outside." The animalistic growl had the hairs at the nape of her neck rising in alarm. "She's on foot. We'll catch her."

They ran down the stairs, nearly silent in their pursuit of her. She released Mo-Jo's ruff and waited on him to make the first move.

When he did, he went out snarling as they made the landing, while Megan rolled across the floor, lying flat and firing. She took out the first intruder with a deadly blow to the chest while Mo-Jo took the other man down. Rushing to her feet, she raced to the confrontation to kick the assailant's gun across the floor.

"Jo. Move!" she yelled as she watched the flash of a knife heading for the dog's exposed belly. She couldn't get a clear shot, but she didn't have to. She turned her head as wicked, sharp canines tore into the Coyote's throat no more than a breath before the knife touched vulnerable flesh.

Mo-Jo wasn't a neat animal. Blood splattered around her as he shook the neck of the assailant viciously before letting it go and jumping protectively to her.

She went down in a surprised heap, rolling to her stomach and coming up with her gun aimed at the door. The dog set off a round of snarling. furious barks as Lance and Braden skidded to a shocked stop at the doorway.

"Fuck!" Lance stared at the scene, his expression blank as he blinked at

the sight.

"Where did you come from?' she snapped, blinking back at him in surprise.

"We drove up as the shots were being fired." Lance shook his head as Mo-Jo snarled in warning.

"Down, Mo-Jo." Megan pulled herself to her feet, all most groaning in pain as her body suddenly began to protest the additional abuse. "Down."

The two men stared at the dead bodies at the foot of the stairs. Lance shook his head in amazement as Braden turned back to stare at her, his brows lifting in question.

"Hope you have a good cleaning service." Braden drawled as he leaned against the doorframe. "Blood stains old hardwood like that fast, Megan. Might want to go ahead and call them."

A sharp burst of laughter escaped her lips, not hysterical but not exactly calm either as she stared at the mess.

Blood pooled around the bodies, the stench of death nearly overwhelming in the closed area of the house.

"Now this just sucks." She felt her knees buckling as she stood up and moved quickly to the steps.

"They're Breeds."