Cowboy Behind the Badge Read Online Free PDF

real lawman,” Tucker snapped.
    That only deepened the man’s sneer.
    The rain started to come down harder. The thunder rumbled, too. Maybe that ambulance would get there before one of them got hit by lightning.
    â€œYou don’t need this guy alive, do you?” Rayanne called out. She was standing over Hacker, her gun aimed right at him, while he wriggled belly-down on the ground.
    â€œWhy’d you ask that?” Tucker wanted to know.
    â€œBecause he’s got that look, that’s why. The one that morons get right before they do something really stupid, like try and go for my gun. If he does, I want to make sure it’s okay for me to put some bullets in his head.”
    The moron quit moving.
    â€œWe don’t need him alive,” Tucker assured her.
    And that wasn’t exactly a bluff. Of course, he would prefer both men breathing so he could try to pit them against each other during the interrogations, but since Hacker’s shots could have hurt those newborns, Tucker wasn’t feeling very charitable toward the man.
    Or toward Hines.
    Hines was on his back on the ground. Tucker put his boot against the man’s throat. “Talk. Tell me why you came here for Laine.”
    â€œLaine,” he repeated. “Sounds as if you two have mended some fences.”
    Not exactly. But being caught in a gunfight together had a way of pushing those old issues to the side.
    For a little while anyway.
    â€œMending fences won’t save her,” Hines said. His top lip lifted. It was more sneer than smile, but the warning put a knot in Tucker’s gut.
    So did the sound.
    Behind them, in the house, Tucker heard something he sure didn’t want to hear.
    Laine’s shout.
    â€œTucker! There’s another gunman.”
    Â 

Chapter Four
    Laine saw the third man. But it was seconds too late to try to get the babies out of the house. Too late to do anything other than call out to Tucker and hope that would be enough to save them.
    The hulking goon must have come in from the front of the house, away from the fight that’d been going on in the side yard with Tucker, his sister and the other two killers.
    â€œDon’t do anything stupid,” the man warned her. He stepped into the doorway of the pantry, blocking her exit, and pointed a gun right at her.
    Just the sight of him caused the skin to crawl on the back of her neck, but Laine forced herself not to panic. She had the babies gripped in her arms, but she put them back on the floor so she could position herself in front of them. Trying to protect them while she prayed that Tucker would get there fast enough to put a stop to this.
    If Tucker was able to do it, that is.
    She’d heard those shots outside, and one of them could have hit Tucker before he even made it out to stop the gunmen. It sickened her to think of that. She hadn’t wanted to involve him or his sister in this, but she’d had no choice.
    Laine didn’t recognize the guy in front of her, but he was huge. At least six foot four and with a hulking body and wide shoulders. Even if he hadn’t had the gun, he would have been formidable.
    â€œThe three of you are coming with me,” the man snarled, and he used the barrel of his gun to motion for her to get moving. “Now!” he added when she didn’t budge.
    Laine couldn’t risk him firing, because even if he didn’t intend to hurt the babies, it could easily happen in such a confined space.
    â€œPlease don’t hurt them.” Not that she thought pleading would help, but it might be able to buy her some time.
    Or not.
    â€œI said move!” he shouted.
    The man came right at her, caught onto her arm and flung her against the pantry shelves. Her shoulder hit the shelves hard, and the pain jolted through that entire side of her body. In the back of her mind, Laine realized she’d have bruises. Too bad worse things could happen in the next couple of