Captured by Cowboys (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 1)

Sergei slapped his hand over her mouth, silencing her, but kept her in front of him, crouching behind her like a coward. “Niet, my love. No talking.”

His heart pounded against his ribs like a wrecking ball. “I got this,” he whispered to his brothers. “Distract him and I’ll get the shot.”

“Deal,” Cody whispered back. “Take down the bastard.”

His brothers knew his sharpshooting skills surpassed theirs by far. They wouldn’t risk a chance of missing the fucker and hitting Amber. They would trust him to slay Sergei and save Amber. His gut tightened, knowing that even with his expertise, there was still a risk. This whole fucking thing was wrought with risks as long as the motherfucker held a gun and their woman. As horrific as Iraq’s many war zones had been, he’d never felt a more agonizing burden than now. One shot and this nightmare could be over, or could go on and on for the rest of his life.

Cody took a step left, away from him. Bryant did the same to the right.

“Stop right there, cowpokes. I’m not stupid. You move another inch and I put a bullet in Kathy’s pretty head.”

Come on, fucker. Show me your face.

But he didn’t. The fucker was no better than the goddamn Taliban. More than once, he’d seen them use innocents—women and children—marching them in front of their worthless asses as cover.

One little peek over her shoulder, Sergei. Just one.

“You want your drugs, right?” Cody asked. “Let her go and I will take you to them.”

“I’ve got men retrieving my product already.”

“Really?” Cody held up a bag. “This look familiar to you? Your boys aren’t coming down our mountain anytime soon, mister.”

Sergei cursed in Russian, but he still didn’t come out from behind Amber.

“We took out the other four in town, Sergei.” Bryant’s tone shredded the very air. Gone was his quiet restraint. Amber had changed him, changed them all.

Come on, you motherfucking coward.

Amber’s eyes were darting madly.

“Three big weapons against my little pistol. Doesn’t seem fair to me.”

She kept looking up, past them, and then back.

Up? Sergei must have more men.

“On the roofs,” he whispered to his brothers.

After that, everything happened simultaneously and lightning fast.

Cody and Bryant crouched, twisted around, and started blasting away.

Amber balled up her fist and hit Sergei in the groin.

His grasp on her didn’t hold.

She crouched to the ground.

The madman’s face was twisted in pain, then shock, as he realized his shield was gone.

Clear shot!

Emmett unloaded every bullet into the man’s head, making hamburger out of his brains. He tried to run to Amber, but fell to the ground instead.

Agonizing pain, unimaginable and overwhelming, seemed to permeate every inch of his body, but especially in his chest.

He needed to get up, to go to Amber, to cover her with his body from the barrage of bullets, to make sure she was safe.