“Stubborn,” she said with a laugh.
Brice slung his rifle over his shoulder. “We recently learned how hard Jace’s head really is. Stubborn doesn’t even begin to define him.”
Jace got to his feet and looked at his friends. “What are y’all doing? Get out of here. There’s still time.”
“No,” Cash said. “We’re going to ride this out. Whatever happens.”
Jace couldn’t believe them. Then again, if he were in their shoes, he’d likely be saying the same thing. He knew how lucky he was to have such people in his life, but he couldn’t let them sacrifice their lives like this. “Brice, you have a wife and a son. Go home to them. Caleb, Cooper, your wives are waiting for your return.”
“Don’t try that bullshit with me,” Myles said.
Cash shot Jace a dry look. “I’m not going anywhere, so don’t waste your breath.”
“Please,” Taryn said as she looked at the faces of the men who had helped her. “Jace is right. Go home to your families. And take Jace with you.”
“What?” he asked as his head snapped to her.
She smiled up at him, then put her fingers over his lips to silence him. “I love you more than anything. You’ve gotten me out of a tough situation. Let me do the same for you.”
“No.” Jace couldn’t believe she was even saying this.
Cash set his rifle on the floor beside him and jerked his chin to the approaching lights coming through the broken windows. “Looks like it’s too late anyway. We’re about to be surrounded.”
“Keep pressure on her wound,” Myles said as he quickly tossed aside his M4 and got to his feet to face the door.
Jace followed everyone else and set down his weapons. He had just put his hands on Taryn’s wound when men busted through the door with guns drawn and lights shining in Jace’s and the other’s eyes.
“We’re unarmed,” Cooper said.
Jace held Taryn’s gaze as he hollered, “And we have someone who needs medical attention.”
“Hands in the air!” someone shouted.
With guns aimed at them, Jace had no choice but to do as commanded. His hands were covered with Taryn’s blood. With the dark room and the lights blinding them, Jace could only make out the forms of the men swarming into the room. He heard more moving about the building. Suddenly, he was hauled to his feet and pulled away from Taryn.
He immediately elbowed the man who had grabbed him and tried to get back to Taryn. She reached out her hand and yelled something he couldn’t make out. The next thing Jace knew, he was being hauled back while his team yelled at the authorities.
“Take it easy,” Cash whispered in his ear.
Jace relaxed when he realized it was Cash who had him. Once that happened, the tension in the room eased. They lowered their arms, and the men with guns took their fingers off the triggers.
“Damn. Y’all are intense.”
Their heads turned at the sound of the new voice. With the flick of a switch, the room was suddenly bathed in light. Jace blinked as his eyes adjusted. He saw a tall, solidly built man walking toward them with a black windbreaker on. He had short, dark hair graying at his temples. The man’s light brown gaze moved over each of them until he saw Taryn.
The man then shouted for a medic. Jace breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived. But that quickly dissolved when Taryn was helped to her feet and led from the room. Her gaze sought his, and when Jace tried to go to her again, the man stepped in front of him.
“You’re Jace Wilder.”
Jace clenched his hands and glanced at the door through which Taryn had just disappeared. “I am.”
The man grinned. He said each of their names, his gaze landing on them one at a time.
Cooper crossed his arms over his chest. “And you are?”
“Bobby Flannigan. I’m part of the FBI office of Fort Worth. Seems you boys have a lot of friends in high places.”
Caleb released a long breath. “Comes with the territory, as I’m sure you know.”
Bobby nodded his head. “That I do.” He glanced at his men. “Lower your weapons. Finish checking the buildings for more of Walters’s men.”
No one said anything until the armed men were gone, leaving only their group and Bobby. Jace wanted to ask so much, but he didn’t want to step wrong in this situation. He didn’t know who had called in the FBI. The fact that Flannigan had mentioned those in high places made Jace think a couple of people might have put calls in on their behalf.
Bobby sighed loudly and rocked back on his heels. He wore a grin that made him appear happy-go-lucky, but no one in the room was fooled by it. They all recognized that Bobby Flannigan wasn’t a man they should cross.
“Well, we’ve certainly got ourselves quite the pickle,” Bobby said into the silence.
Jace took a step forward. “This is my fault. No one else’s. They came to help after everything was all over.”
Bobby’s gaze swung to him. “Is that right?”
“He’s lying,” Cooper said. “I was here.”
Caleb nodded. “Me, too.”
“And me,” Cash said.
Brice flashed a grin. “Yep. I was here.”
Bobby looked at Myles. “What about you?”
“Of course, I was here,” Myles replied with a smile.
Jace wanted to kick all of them. He was trying to get them back to their families, but they were being stubborn. Just as he would be in their places.
The FBI agent scratched his eyebrow. “Do any of you know how long we’ve had Boyd Walters under surveillance?”
“This couldn’t wait,” Jace said.
“So I’ve been told.” Bobby glanced at the ceiling. “Things could’ve gotten out of control here. I don’t need to tell any of you that. Based on your military records, you all know exactly how bad things can get. Which is why I can’t believe you took matters into your own hands.”
Cash shrugged. “When the facts showed that Boyd had connections to branches of the government, the judicial system, and law enforcement, we were left with very few options. Taryn’s life was at stake. We believed her sister was being kept under duress, as well.”
“Taryn and her family were kidnapped in the middle of the night years ago,” Jace said. “She watched her father and brother be murdered right before her eyes. You’re damn right we were going to help.”
“I appreciate the candor. Let me give you some in return.” The agent stepped over a rifle on the floor and leaned against a crate. “If it were up to me, I’d have all of you in cuffs. Anyone thinking they can take the law into their own hands causes more problems than it solves. But I don’t get a say in this. I’ve been ordered to let you go.”
Myles frowned, confusion evident on his face. “What?”
“You heard me,” Bobby stated. “Get your weapons and go home.”
One by one, they gathered their guns and knives and walked out of the room until only Jace and Bobby remained. Jace bent to retrieve his rifle and slung the strap over his shoulder as he looked at the Fed. “Where is Taryn?”
“We’re going to need a statement from her after she’s been tended to by a medical professional.”