Greer grabbed the fire extinguisher that Remi had on the kitchen wall. He’d barely gotten it in hand before men dressed in black, their faces masked, slammed into the apartment. The smoke alarms sounded from the fire on the kitchen table. In only seconds, Remi would be up and out of her room and open to attack. He had to end this fast.
Greer made his way over to the hallway beside the kitchen and met his attackers at a spot of his choosing. The first to charge him got an iron canister to his forehead, dropping him in place. The next lifted a gun with a silencer as the first guy fell. Greer ducked behind the wall as a bullet thudded into the jamb of the kitchen door.
Another thug was waiting for him just inside the kitchen. The guy caught him by the neck and banged him against the wall. Greer sprayed the guy’s face with the pressurized spray from the extinguisher, causing him to step back. Greer kicked him in the gut, followed by one to the head, the force of which landed him against the kitchen island. Stunned, he slumped down the side of the island.
Greer was vaguely aware of Remi rushing out of her room. She reached for the fire extinguisher. He handed it to her and shoved her to the ground behind the kitchen island.
“Forget the fire. Stay down.”
Remi stayed on her knees but began spraying the fire anyway. Two guys were left—one had a gun. They both came into the kitchen. One went for Remi. Greer ran then slid feetfirst into the gunman. Twisting his legs through the gunman’s, he dropped him fast. His gun skidded across the floor. Greer slammed his fist into the guy’s face, incapacitating him.
He turned to help Remi. She had sprayed the other guy with the fire extinguisher, freeing herself. He scrabbled for the loose gun. Greer reached him first and flipped him over, then slammed his head against the floor until he we went limp.
Greer looked back to make sure the fire was out. Smoke, steam, and the stink of retardant foam blanketed the room. He sought out Remi. “Shout out, Remi. You okay?”
“I’m not hurt.”
Greer smiled. Even in the middle of a shitstorm, she still managed to properly qualify her answer. “Stay put.”
Searching under the sink for the plastic trash bags, he grabbed a couple. He had to immobilize the guys fast, else they’d be gone long before the cops got there. He cut two bags in half longways, then used the makeshift strips to bind their arms behind them.
“Max, read me?” he said into his comm unit. “We got a situation.”
“Go, Greer,” Max’s voice came over his comm unit loud and calm.
“The doc’s apartment was just hit by a handful of thugs. I’ve secured them, but the cops are on their way. Lobo’s going to want these guys.”
“Roger that. You or Remi hurt?”
The sirens got loud out front, then stopped, leaving only flashing emergency lights. “No. Tell Kit I’m gonna need bail money.”
“Team’s on their way. I’ll have Kit call Lobo.”
“Copy.”
“Get their IDs?”
“Not yet.”
“On the ground! On the ground, now!” the first couple of cops through the door shouted. “On the ground!”
Greer put his hands on the back of his head and slowly knelt. The cops were all over Remi, who was stiff with shock and didn’t follow the instructions fast enough.
Greer looked around the room, calibrating an escape plan in case any of the cops were on King’s payroll. He and Remi were at their most vulnerable right then. He stayed quiet, however. Any argument he put up might have the effect of getting them separated.
Two of the cops pulled them to their feet and led them roughly over to a spot in the hall. One of them picked up the gunman’s weapon.
He looked over at Greer. “You want to tell me what happened?”
Greer shrugged. He nodded toward Remi, who was almost as white as the wall. “We were getting ready for bed when these bozos broke in.”
“What were they after?”
“How the hell would I know?” Greer snapped.
“This your apartment?”
“No. It belongs to my girlfriend.” The cops cleared the apartment, then let the firemen in. One of them lifted the remains of the glass bottle that had come through the window and started the fire. “Looks like it might have been thrown from the fire escape.”
The cop frowned. “Why raid a hoarder’s apartment? What’s in all these boxes?”
“Stuff,” Greer snapped.
The cop questioning him was summoned out to the hallway. Greer checked Remi. Her face had gone from white to gray with shock. At least she wasn’t screaming hysterically.
Jesus. He hoped she wasn’t getting used to this.
“Remi, come here.”
Her haunted eyes lifted to his.
“Now, Remi.”
Her gaze caught on the broken window in her dining room. Greer looked down the hallway and out the front door. There were a lot of fucking men crawling around her apartment now. He didn’t know if any of them were dirty. He wanted her next to him in case they tried to take her. King had friends in high places.
“Come closer.” Her eyes got bigger and her face paler. “Do it,” he ordered, his voice soft but firm. “Lean against me. Take my strength for yours.” His hands were still clamped behind him in the cuffs. He turned slightly at an angle, giving her space to lean in behind him. Letting him shield her slightly. “Put your face against my shirt.”
He drew a long, fortifying breath when he felt her body meld to his. She was so little. Her indomitable spirit made him forget how fragile she was. And cold. She was too fucking cold. He wished he could wrap his arms around her. She pressed her face against his shoulder blade. At least her breath was still warm.
“Everything’s going to be fine. This is the end of it,” he whispered.
She shook her head against his back. “This isn’t the end of it. It’s not even the middle.”
“Yeah, it is. I figured out what’s happening. And you’re coming back with me to Blade’s place.”
“What’s happening?” she asked.