Rock Me Deeper (Licks of Leather #5) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,68
tall cedar elm, scanning the property through the high-powered scope of his rifle.
The wireless security system, intended to provide us a modicum of safety, went balls up when opossums, bats, and other nocturnal creatures kept setting off the alarm.
McCoy and his men were now taking shifts physically securing the perimeter. In their downtime, they were teaching the ladies how to shoot. After accompanying Quinn and Ava to Chicago the first time, McCoy had returned with a cache of handguns and plenty of ammo for each of us. Cole and Mia were offering basic self-defense maneuvers, in case Zattman discovered our hideout, escaped our bullets, and forced us to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
I didn’t attend any of their classes. Living on the streets of Detroit, I’d learned how to fight dirty and deadly and wouldn’t hesitate to use my skills. No matter what, the cocksucker would be dead before he laid a finger on Caris or any of our women.
“Hopefully, we’ll find out soon. I think Quinn’s inside talking to Reed,” Burk announced before taking a long pull of his beer.
“I’m sure you boys are ready to get back on the road, but I gotta say, I’m enjoying this little vacation.” Walter smirked. “Susan’s honey-do list that’s usually a couple miles long is practically nonexistent here.”
His comment drew a chuckle from all of us.
“You’d better not let Mom hear you say that,” Darren warned.
Walter darted a quick glance toward the door and grinned.
“What are they making in the kitchen?” Ozzy rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving.”
“Harmony said we were having tacos and enchiladas.” Ross leaned forward, pinning me with an expectant stare.
“What?”
“I said tacos and enchiladas.”
“I heard you. They smell good. I’m hungry, too.”
“Tacos,” Ross repeated again.
“I know. What’s the big deal about tacos?”
“Nobody move,” Ross warned, dragging out his cell phone before snapping a photo of me. “You all are witnesses.”
“Witnesses for what?”
“For when I call Ripley’s and report that Syd Wilson didn’t make a cu—” Ross stopped short and darted his attention toward Dustin. “A comment about a woman’s body part when I mentioned tacos.”
I rolled my eyes. “Smart-ass.”
“Smart-ass,” Dustin called from the driveway. “I a smart-ass, too.”
“Way to go, ace,” Burk chided with a chuckle.
“No, son. You’re a smart boy,” Darren corrected, slanting me a sidelong glare.
“I a smart boy,” Dustin repeated in a singsong voice as he pedaled in a big circle.
I bit back a smirk. The kid was like a breath of fresh air. I knew Darren and Tori would give him the kind of childhood I’d always dreamed of having.
Suddenly, an ear-piercing alarm began to blare, sending my heart slamming against my ribs. Darren leapt from his chair and darted toward the driveway where Dustin had skidded to a halt. The little guy’s eyes were as big as saucers and filled with fear.
“F’ing drills,” Ross spat as we stood and raced for the screen door.
“It’s okay, buddy,” Darren soothed as he plucked the tot from his Big Wheel and sprinted back to the porch. “It’s just another drill, like the last one.”
“At least this one isn’t at four in the morning, like the last.” Duke chuckled.
“Thank goodness.” I nodded.
“Dustin. Dustin,” Susan called frantically.
“I got him, Mom,” Darren replied as he followed me inside the lodge and passed his son to the older woman.
Lucia stood in the doorway of the dining room, hands on her hips, spewing in Spanish what were no doubt, scathing swear words and scowling at McCoy, who was timing the chaos on his watch.
“If you ruin my dinner, I’m making you eat all the burned enchiladas,” she railed.
“Dinner is going to be fine, Lucia,” McCoy assured, not bothering to raise his head.
“Syd.” Caris ran from the kitchen and straight to me.
“It’s just a drill,” I cooed, wrapping a protective arm around her waist and tucking her trembling, tense body against my side.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ozzy trying to ease Mia’s fears as he met my gaze. With a nod, the four of us bounded up the stairs and into the spacious closet in Ozzy and Mia’s room.
Ozzy punched in the code of the lock to the safe room hidden in the back of the closet as Caris peered up at me.
“You’ll hurry back, right?”
“In the blink of an eye.” I kissed her hard, then nudged her toward the portal as Mia flipped on the light inside.
After closing the door, Ozzy and I sprinted back down the stairs as McCoy pressed the face of his watch.