Striking Out In The Mountains (Greene Mountain Boys)

“We need backup,” I say as we step out of the car and face the massive brawl outside of the old worn-down bar with the gray faded wood and the bright neon signs.

“Emmanuel is coming,” Henry says as he pulls out his club.

“We need at least another dozen units,” I say as I pull my club out with my heart pounding. I cringe when I see someone getting punched in the jaw and dropping to the pavement.

“Small town, Cara,” he says with a shrug. “We work with what we got and this is all we’ve got.”

He runs into the mob and starts swinging his club, trying to break it up.

“What the hell?” I mutter as I watch him go. That is not police protocol in any town anywhere in the world. I don’t know what that is.

I spot a biker close by who’s about to nail some college boy from behind with a stool. “Hey!” I shout as I rush over and grab it.

And just like that, I’m absorbed into the brawl.

The biker turns around and throws a haymaker that grazes my chin, so I hit him in the ribs with my club. He drops the stool, but someone kicks me from behind.

I go flying and roll onto the ground before popping back up with my hands clenched into fists. I lost my club. Shit.

Another biker swings at me and hits me in the temple. I stumble back, dazed for a second as he comes forward for another shot. Someone else breaks a beer bottle over his head and he drops to a knee before he can hit me again.

I knee him in the face and then turn him around, grabbing his wrist as I take out my handcuffs.

“You’re under arrest,” I say as I cuff his wrist.

A massive Jeep screeches to a stop in the parking lot. Emmanuel jumps out wearing nothing but pajama pants. He’s not even wearing shoes! I spot a few dozen zip ties sticking out of his pocket.

“What the hell?” I whisper as he charges into the battle with a booming war cry. He looks gigantic with a shirt on, but his torso looks like it was designed by CGI now that he’s shirtless. Good lord.

I cuff the other guy’s wrist and then stand up, breathing hard as chaos ensues all around me.

I spot a biker waving a knife at another biker, so I rush over, pushing two guys out of the way as I go.

“Freeze!” I shout as I pull out my taser. “Drop the knife.”

He growls as he turns to me, swinging the deadly knife around. When he takes a step toward me, I shoot him with the taser, dropping him. He shakes and seizes up as he hits the pavement, but before I can cuff him, someone grabs me in a headlock from behind.

“Fuck,” I grunt as he squeezes my neck and whips me around. I grab his leg, lift him up, and slam him onto the pavement. I learned that move in police training.

But it’s not enough. He holds on through the impact, squeezing my neck with an iron grip.

A siren rings out and I’m happy that we’re going to have some backup until I realize it’s not a cop siren. It’s the firefighters.

I’m starting to get lightheaded as he continues squeezing my neck. I’m pulling his arm with all my might, which is allowing a little bit of air to get through, but it won’t keep me awake for long. I don’t have much leverage from this angle.

I see the firetruck rolling into the parking lot as the edges of my vision begin to blur.

There are people fighting all around me. I have no idea where Henry or Emmanuel are. I have seconds until I pass out.

Then I see him.

Graham West leaps off the firetruck and runs over. He pushes someone out of his way, sending them flying onto their ass as he comes for me.

He slams his fist into the man holding my neck, landing four hard punches. The arm goes loose around my neck and I yank it off, taking a deep breath of sweet glorious air.

“Thank you,” I say as I look up at him, my voice as hoarse as a three-pack-a-day smoker.

His sexy eyes linger on me so he doesn’t notice the guy approaching behind him. The biker punches Graham in the back of the head and then grabs his neck.

I lunge forward and crack the biker right in the nose, sending him flying backward. I rush over as he lands and punch him two more times before turning him onto his stomach and pulling out my second, and last, pair of handcuffs.

“You’re under arrest, you prick.”

I look around and most of the guys are fleeing on their motorcycles. Emmanuel has about eight or nine men tied up with zip ties. Henry is watching them as Emmanuel grabs another biker by his leather vest and yanks him back.

James, the tattooed fireman, has his fists up and is fighting three guys at once. I run over to help him, but Graham grabs my arm.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “You’re bleeding.”

I feel the hot blood from my temple dripping down my cheek. I didn’t realize I was injured until he said it. But there’s no time to focus on that now.

“I have to help James.”

I turn to rush over, but Graham doesn’t let go. “He’s fine.”

“He’s fighting three guys!”

Now two. Now one.

He drops all three of them easily with quick surgical punches and fierce devastating kicks.

The parking lot empties out really fast now that us cops are getting the upper hand thanks to the firemen.

The prick who sucker punched me tries to run away with his hands handcuffed behind his back, but Graham grabs him by the hair and yanks him back. He falls to the ground at my feet and kicks my leg.

“Don’t touch her,” Graham hisses, about to crack him in the nose.

I step in and stop him. “He’s under arrest,” I say, grabbing the guy’s arm. “And he’s under my protection.”

I drag him over to the group of other guys heading to the county jail as Marv comes out of the bar. He’s older than I thought he’d be with gray hair and a limp.

“It’s not even Fight Night,” Henry says as Marv limps over. “What happened?”

“Some shit disturbers from out of town,” Marv says, glaring at one of them on the ground. “Started a brawl with the local guys. Hope you don’t mind that I called the fire department. Thought you guys could use James’ help.”

“Let me clean that gash for you in my truck,” Graham says in a low voice as he steps beside me.

“I’m working,” I say, walking over to join my fellow officers.

Henry is still breathing heavily and bleeding from a cut on his swollen lip, but Emmanuel doesn’t look injured or tired at all.

“Where are we going to bring these guys?” I ask them. “We don’t have the transportation or room at the police station to hold them all.”

“We’ll just make sure they don’t come back,” Emmanuel says as he glares at the group of guys sitting on the pavement with their hands bound behind their backs.

“Listen up, fuckers,” Emmanuel says to them. “You ever come back to the Greene Mountains and I’ll shove a nightstick up your ass. Got it?”

They all nod as they look up at him with terror in their eyes. I’d be terrified too with that monster standing over me.

Emmanuel picks up a switchblade off the ground and grins as he shows them the long blade. “Who’s first?”

The closest guy to him squeezes his eyes shut in a panic as Emmanuel reaches for him. He grabs him by the hair and lifts him to his feet. He cuts the zip tie off with the knife and pushes him away, sending him stumbling onto the grass. “Get the fuck out of here.”

I watch with my pulse racing as he runs to his motorcycle, hops on, and peels out of the parking lot.

Emmanuel does the same to all of them.

“Not him,” I say when he grabs the hair of the guy who punched me in the temple. “He’s going to jail for assaulting an officer.”

“He’s all yours,” Emmanuel says as he lifts him to his feet and pushes him toward me.

I grab the biker’s arm and bring him to our squad car.

“Hey, Finch,” Emmanuel says, stopping me.

“Yeah?”

“Nice roundhouse,” he says, looking impressed. “Welcome to the force.”

“Thanks,” I say, smiling.

It’s the first time he’s called me by my name. Actually, it’s the first time he’s addressed me or even acknowledged that I’m alive now that I think about it.

I guess I’m in now. Nothing like a battle to bond you to your fellow officers.

I bring the biker to the car and put him into the back seat.

Graham keeps a watchful eye on me the entire time, but he keeps his distance.

I walk over to him with a forced smile on my face. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

It was nice of him to be so worried, but I guess I’m a little sensitive about things like that. As a woman on the force, you always have to deal with men thinking you’re weaker and need to be protected. I don’t think that’s what Graham was doing though, but the instinct is always to snap back.

“I’m sorry I interrupted you at the office,” he says with a warm smile. “It won’t happen again.”

He’s looking so good in a navy blue Polo top with his station’s emblem on it, and dark gray pants. Our eyes linger on each other and that spark we were feeling at the game comes roaring back, hotter than ever.

My temple starts to burn and I can feel blood still dripping down my face. I must look like a wreck with my hair a mess and blood pouring down my cheek. This is not the second impression I wanted to make with my hot new crush.

“Can I still take you up on the offer?” I ask.

“Of course,” he says in a deep sexy voice.

I’m getting another rush of adrenaline, but it’s the other kind. It’s not from the rush of danger, it’s from the rush of having Mr. Hot Sexy Fire Chief’s dark possessive eyes on me.

I follow him over to the firetruck and hop into a seat in the back. He climbs in after me and closes the door, leaving the window open.

I get a shiver of excitement now that we’re so close in such a confined area. He’s so big. So tall and wide. I guess I didn’t realize the true size difference between us until now.

“I hated that,” he says as he pulls out the first aid kit. “I felt sick when I saw you getting choked.”

“I guess I’m a little rusty,” I say, feeling embarrassed. “This small town has gotten me soft.”

“You didn’t look soft to me,” he says as he pulls out some gauze. “You looked outnumbered twenty to one.”

“Thanks for evening out the odds.”

He smiles warmly as he looks at my cut. “The good news is, you won’t need stitches.”

“The bad news is, I’ll have a swollen head for my hot date.”

He grins as his eyes meet mine. “Good news is, swollen heads are my kink.”

I laugh as he presses the gauze to my gash. “Lucky me then.”

He’s so big and his hands are so strong, but he’s so gentle with the way he cleans me up, wiping the blood from my cheek, chin, and temple. He’s touching me like I’m a priceless porcelain doll that he doesn’t want to break.

I just give myself over to him, letting him take care of me as I stare into his beautiful focused eyes. He smells so good too. I don’t know what kind of cologne he’s wearing, but I want a bottle of my own so I can pull it out and come back to this perfect moment whenever I want.

Dirty thoughts start filling my head as his gentle hands touch my skin. I imagine what they would feel like sliding down my neck and onto my chest. I tingle all over as I imagine them sliding up my inner thighs and feeling my wetness.

I want this man. I want him like I’ve never wanted anyone before.

Lust takes over my brain as I watch his sexy hands pull out the bottle of alcohol. He has big strong forearms and a nice thick wrist. I’ve always loved big forearms. They’re my kryptonite. Especially with a long flannel shirt rolled up them.noveldrama

“Where are you taking me tomorrow?” I ask, looking dreamily into his eyes.

He grins as he dips the alcohol onto the gauze. “I was thinking of Jack Jameson’s Bar and Grill. It’s either that or here. Not too many places to choose from that are still open after nine o’clock in our small town.”

“Anywhere but here,” I say, laughing. “I’ve had enough of The Cracked Barrel Saloon for one week.”

“Maybe for our second date,” he says with a grin.

“Presumptuous to assume you’ll get a second date,” I say teasingly.

“Presumptuous is assuming we’re soulmates,” he says, gazing into my eyes. “And I’m a presumptuous guy.”

I swallow hard as we make some heavy eye contact, filling the truck with a sensual energy that has my body burning.

“This may sting a bit,” he says as he lifts the gauze to my temple. “Are you ready?”

“Can you distract me?”

“Of course,” he says as he looks at my mouth. He kisses me and presses the gauze onto my cut at the same time. I moan as the burning desire surging through my veins overpowers any pain the alcohol is causing.

All I can focus on are those soft lips taking my mouth and claiming it as his own.

I part my lips and turn to melted butter when I feel his tongue touching mine. I dig my hands into his hair and pull him closer, shoving my tongue into his mouth.

He drops his hand and wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his hard body as he kisses me with intense sizzling passion.

It’s the best kiss of my life. Probably the best I’ll ever have.

But it’s over too soon.

Someone opens the passenger side door and we explode apart, my heart pounding.

“Marv is offering to give us some free burgers,” James says as he grabs his phone from the front. “You guys want anything special?”

“I’m good!” I say guiltily.

“Whatever he’s got,” Graham says, staring at me with heated eyes.

I take a deep breath, grab a bandage, and slip out of the truck while I can. If I stay here any longer, I might not be able to stop myself from rounding second base with this irresistible man.

“I’m not done,” Graham says when my feet hit the concrete.

“We’ll have to pick it up tomorrow,” I say with a grin as I back away, feeling flustered and shaky all over. “I can take it from here.”

I give him one last smile and then head to my car which has a handcuffed guy in the back seat who I forgot all about until just now.

I turn back one last time and see Graham’s possessive eyes still watching me.

And I get another hot shiver.