Promises Part 1 (Bounty Hunters 1)

“What the fuck?” Judge snarled, standing close to Duke. His own weapon raised and ready.

Quick spoke into his own radio, “We have a hostage situation. Stand down.”

Duke knew he was talking to his guys downstairs. Stand down for them really meant be on high alert and approach cautiously.

“You and your team got seconds to get the hell out of my house before I kill her.”

Duke took a couple of steps closer, his gun gripped so tight his hand began to cramp but he didn’t dare ease up. “Kill her,” Duke growled. “I don’t give a fuck.”

Aaron looked shocked for a split second. But he tightened his hold on the woman’s neck while he aimed his piece at Duke, then Judge, then Quick, then back to Duke. This man didn’t know what he wanted to do. His eyes darted all around the room like he was hallucinating. They needed to end this fast. Aaron was too fucked up to do any real damage.

“Take him, Duke,” Quick whispered sternly. “Get that fucker.”

“Help me,” the woman cried in the man’s arms. She still had on her gas station smock and her wild hair was all over her head like she’d literally been yanked out of the bed. “Please, help! My brother is crazy! Don’t let him hurt me! I don’t want to die!”

“Neither did I, bitch. But it didn’t stop you from trying to beat me to death,” Duke countered, getting angrier by the second. The woman’s eyes widened, then narrowed like she was trying to recognize Duke and couldn’t. Figured. She had no clue who he was. What she’d done to him. Fuck her.

Sirens were approaching outside and the second Aaron turned to look out the window all three of them pounced. Duke went for Aaron’s arm that held the weapon and pulled it above his head, punching him hard in the midsection to hopefully make him release the weapon. The gun fired twice in the air and Duke struggled to keep the barrel up. He threw a few elbows to the man’s jaw while slamming his arm against a dresser, trying to dislodge the weapon.

Quick jumped for the lady, removing her from the situation, throwing her body to the matted carpet. Judge had Aaron around his neck, trying to weaken him while they wrestled with the gun. Another shot was fired and Quick yelled out, gripping his shoulder. The woman was bucking hard beneath his large body, and Quick’s face was full of pain and anger as he fell against the wall.

“Rome!” Duke screamed.

“I’m all right.” Quick grimaced, trying to right himself. Duke noticed the blood on the wall. Fuck. Quick was hit.

The woman jumped up and headed for the door but was detained by one of the big brothers before she could get out of the room. Duke watched Brian’s impassive face as he used some military style restraint hold and brought the screaming bitch down to her knees. He didn’t hurt her but he was determined not to let her get the upper hand. With her hands secured behind her back, Brian ignored all the curses and angry slurs as he propped her against the wall, never uttering a word. He made it look so damn easy.

Duke and Judge continued to wrestle with Aaron, who was even stronger than Duke remembered. Judge kept one fist around the guy’s throat while he pummeled the guy’s ribs with the other. Duke knew those blows had to do some damage because Judge was hitting the man hard enough to jolt all three of them. It had to be the drugs and adrenaline pumping through the guy’s system that kept him upright so long. When Brian joined in, they were able to get the gun away from the perp without it firing again. When he was down, Judge allowed Duke to put the cuffs on him. Duke was breathing hard, but he got to his feet and yanked Aaron up with a little assistance from Brian. Once Duke was sure their bounty was secured, he passed him on to Judge and ran over to his best friend.

Quick was sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the wall. Sweat ran down his temples and Duke could see his friend trying to keep his composure. Duke yanked off Quick’s leather coat and pulled the short sleeve of the t-shirt up. The bullet looked to have grazed his friend on his shoulder. It took a pretty decent chunk of flesh as it passed through, but didn’t look to have done a ton of damage.

“How’s it look? It’s not the muscle is it?” Quick panted.

“Doesn’t look like it.” Duke said, applying pressure with a towel that Dana brought him. “It’s bleeding a lot, Rome. You’ll need stitches for sure.”

“Fuck.” Quick grunted, lifting himself up from the wall with one hand.