lasered. Whoever was in there knew what the hell they were doing.
She slid into the kitchen as Mo-Jo moved to position himself at the entrance of the short hallway that led to the staircase. When he moved, she moved, until they were beneath the stairs, silent and waiting.
"The bitch was here. Water is still hot. She went out the window."
She crouched close to Mo-Jo.
"All I smell is that stinking dog," another voice growled. "People should learn to bathe their f**king animals."
They were at the top of the stairs. Megan narrowed her eyes, her fingers clenching Mo-Jo's ruff as she waited.
Yeah, so getting the mutt smell off him wasn't always easy, but he was about to show these bastards exactly why she put up with it.
They were coming down. Her fingers tightened. Wait. All she had to do was wait. Mo-Jo would surprise them and she would take them out. Simple. Easy.
"Outside." The animalistic growl had the hairs at the nape of her neck rising in alarm. "She's on foot. We'll catch her."
They ran down the stairs, nearly silent in their pursuit of her. She released Mo-Jo's ruff and waited on him to make the first move.
When he did, he went out snarling as they made the landing, while Megan rolled across the floor, lying flat and firing. She took out the first intruder with a deadly blow to the chest while Mo-Jo took the other man down. Rushing to her feet, she raced to the confrontation to kick the assailant's gun across the floor.
"Jo. Move!" she yelled as she watched the flash of a knife heading for the dog's exposed belly. She couldn't get a clear shot, but she didn't have to. She turned her head as wicked, sharp canines tore into the Coyote's throat no more than a breath before the knife touched vulnerable flesh.
Mo-Jo wasn't a neat animal. Blood splattered around her as he shook the neck of the assailant viciously before letting it go and jumping protectively to her.
She went down in a surprised heap, rolling to her stomach and coming up with her gun aimed at the door. The dog set off a round of snarling. furious barks as Lance and Braden skidded to a shocked stop at the doorway.
"Fuck!" Lance stared at the scene, his expression blank as he blinked at
the sight.
"Where did you come from?' she snapped, blinking back at him in surprise.
"We drove up as the shots were being fired." Lance shook his head as Mo-Jo snarled in warning.
"Down, Mo-Jo." Megan pulled herself to her feet, all most groaning in pain as her body suddenly began to protest the additional abuse. "Down."
The two men stared at the dead bodies at the foot of the stairs. Lance shook his head in amazement as Braden turned back to stare at her, his brows lifting in question.
"Hope you have a good cleaning service." Braden drawled as he leaned against the doorframe. "Blood stains old hardwood like that fast, Megan. Might want to go ahead and call them."
A sharp burst of laughter escaped her lips, not hysterical but not exactly calm either as she stared at the mess.
Blood pooled around the bodies, the stench of death nearly overwhelming in the closed area of the house.
"Now this just sucks." She felt her knees buckling as she stood up and moved quickly to the steps.
"They're Breeds."
She sat down.
"Coyotes. God darnrnit Megan. We warned you. Didn't we warn you?"
Lance's fury slammed through the air around her, but this time, it didn't touch her, didn't assault her mind. Instead, that aura of calm stability reached out from Braden and wrapped around her.
She looked at Braden. He moved slowly from the doorframe, careful to avoid the blood as he stooped next to the man she had shot and lifted a lip cautiously.
"Coyote," he agreed.
Braden did likewise to the other before jerking his cell phone from his belt and pressing a button quickly.
"We have two more. Area Four B, Megan Field's residence. Get your ass out here."
Megan turned to Lance in numb confusion.
"Are you going to call this in?"
He stared back at her, his expression livid.
"Hell no!" he snapped. "They can have this one too. We don't need news of this hitting the streets in town." He wiped his hands over his face before staring at her worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she sighed before lifting her eyes to stare at the dog. He was whimpering at the doorway, having lain down, watching her with miserable brown eyes. He didn't move.
"Mo-Jo, come here."
He didn't attempt to move, only whined miserably.
"Oh no." She struggled to rise to her feet as Braden turned to the animal. "Don't touch him, he'll take your face off," she warned the Breed as he moved to check the animal. "Lance, call Dad. The Coyote had a knife."
Evidently the assailant had managed to land a blow after all.
"Are you crazy?'Lance stiffened in rejection. "We'll take care of him. If Uncle David sees this, Megan, he'll jerk you off the force so fast it will make both our heads spin."
"You're just afraid he'll hit you," she sniped.
"You keep thinking that." He grunted in frustration.
She shot him a furious look as she jerked the phone from the wall and knelt beside Mo-Jo. She punched speed dial.
"Meg. Dad and Granddad are on their way. Are you okay?' Her mother's voice was frantic as Megan inspected the deep slice along Mo-Jo's underbelly.