Dance Away, Danger by Alexa Bourne Read Free Book Online Page A

“Hello?”
    Sergeant Kyle Whittaker’s gravelly voice reached out to her. Just as Gerry said, “All right, Sarge. We’ll take care of it.”
    The room lost its shape. “Whit?” But he was supposed to be talking with Gerry. What was going on?
    Pete wrenched the cell from her and swore.
    His guilt slapped across her brain. She clenched her fists and punched Pete. White-hot rage boiled within her. “We trusted you!” She pushed him again.
    All hell broke loose.
    He gripped her wrists. “Tessa, it’s not what you think. Listen.”
    Matt shot forward, but Gerry held him back. Matt fought him, and punches flew.
    Tessa struggled. “Let me go, you traitor!”
    “Not happening.” Pete’s hold tightened, shooting pain halfway up her arms.
    She jerked away from him, but couldn’t break free. “Let go of me!”
    He tugged her closer. “You’re not going anywhere unless I say so.”
    Tessa Gage answered to no man. “Go to hell!” With as much force as she could gather, she slammed her knee toward his groin.
    He tried to deflect the blow. But not soon enough.
    “Son of a bitch, Tessa!” Pete grunted, doubled over, and shoved her.
    She crashed backward into the door. Her vision blurred for a moment. An ache shot across her skull, but she couldn’t waste time with her pains. Cram it to one side and get the job done.
    Pete fisted her sweater. “Get up. Now.”
    Like hell she’d let him win. “No!” Gathering her courage, she slapped at him.
    Behind him, Gerry collapsed. Matt rushed up to Pete, grabbed him around the neck, and yanked. In an instant, the cop reeled backward, still gripping her sweater. The material ripped under the pressure of his fingers.
    Tessa yelped and sank to the floor. She glanced up in time to see Matt throw Pete toward the living room to land with a grunt. Punches flew into hard bodies.
    Matt had all those cool Army moves in reserve, didn’t he? He had to win. She couldn’t save her brother without him.
    But she could assist him. She scrambled over to Gerry, still unconscious by the oven. Her insides twisted tighter than a leotard. Damn. Was he breathing? At the moment, she didn’t care. Just to be safe, she fumbled for his cuffs and snapped the metal closed around his wrists.
    Behind her, another thump.
    She spun around. Relief spread through her at the sight of Pete lying still.
    Matt crouched beside him. Quiet descended once again except for the jingling of metal and the rush of her breaths.
    “Head out to the truck.” Matt tucked a weapon into his waistband, then cinched Pete’s cuffs around the officer’s wrists.
    What about Gerry’s gun? Shouldn’t they take that as well? She unsnapped the holster. Her hand shook as she wrapped it around the butt of—
    “Tessa.”
    She jerked away from the weapon.
    “We don’t know how long they’ll be down. Go outside.” Matt grabbed his coat and followed her out, closing the door behind him.
    There would be no turning back. Running away would confirm her a target. But she had no choice.
    The snowfall had stopped since their attempted escape earlier. Unsteady legs carried her to his vehicle.
    “Hurry.” He slid in the driver’s side and laid his jacket across his lap. The engine roared to life. Tessa scrambled into the passenger seat, and they pulled out of the driveway before she’d shut the door. Her fingers shaking, she tried three, four times to fasten her seatbelt.
    “Are you all right?”
    She remained silent. If she dared open her mouth, a hysterical scream might rush out.
    “Tessa?”
    Her brain had trouble wrapping around the events of the last few minutes. “I’m fine.”
    But she wasn’t. Men who’d always taken care of her had hurt her, threatened her.
    Betrayed again, just like when Gavin, who’d promised her love and flowers and dances at the winter formal, had run away while she fought for breath. She thought she’d protected herself from that kind of pain by keeping her relationships uncomplicated. Apparently