Amy Garvey - Bad Boys of Summer

Lucius Ryder took aim at the front porch area of the home where Mary Seeders son held her at knifepoint in the six-hour standoff. Lucius didnt want to shoot the dumb-ass punkbut he would if it came to that.

Beneath the IIIA vest, ballistic helmet, and various pads, sweat gathered, making him itch. Material clung to his flesh. The friggin athletic cup started to chafe. Even before daybreak, the August heat rose and humidity sweltered. But on the chance this could resolve peacefully, hed wait another six hours before taking an impatient shot.

Unless the kid started to move that knife.

Until now, the son hadnt been visible. Hed hidden in the house, and only phone calls and reports from neighbors told them how critical the situation might be. Then suddenly, under grayish daybreak and emergency lights trained on the house, Steve Seeder dragged Mary onto the rickety front porch.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lucius detected a low, slinking movement at his right. He didnt take his eyes off Steve; he didnt dare. He trusted his backup to alert him to any additional danger.

Through his radio headset, he heard, Just a dog, Lucius. A mangy mutt, big as a horse, but it doesnt seem threatening.

A stray dog. Just what this day didnt need. If the animal got too close to him, hed probably end up with fleas.

Get the hell off our property or Ill kill her! I swear I will.

Speaking of animalsLucius narrowed his eyes over the sons rabid warning. According to neighbors, Steve Seeder had a temper, yet Mary Seeder always took him back in. This time, however, she accepted him back with conditions, which included no smoking. Shed even gone so far as to throw out his last pack of cigarettes.

To a nicotine addict like Steve, it took only that to push him over the edge. Now, thanks to his rage, Steve had added a new slew of charges to his parole revocation warrant.

Despite the expertise of the SWAT team, standoffs were always iffy. Someone could die. Lucius would do his best to ensure it wasnt Mary.

The dog leaned against Luciuss leg. Easy, bud. Lucius didnt have the heart to nudge it away, but he couldnt divert his attention to it, either.

It circled Lucius, putting itself in his line of vision. With one quick glance, Lucius took in the bone-skinny structure with short, chocolate-brown fur that darkened to black on its face, tail, and feet. Scars, ticks, and burs marred what otherwise would have been truly beautiful coloring.

The animal smelled Lucius from every angle. Because Lucius didnt want his position pinpointed, he said to the dog, Go on now.

That black face turned up to him, and for a split second, Lucius looked into the dogs eyes. So much expression shown there that Lucius felt oddly connected.

With an eerie vigilance, the dog turned its head and made note of Steve and Mary on the porch, then began inching forward. Oh shit.

Come here, dog, Lucius whispered, but to no avail. The dog continued forward.

Lucius waitedtense, alert. The knife Steve held at Marys throat would also be good for throwing. He wanted Mary safe, but not by sacrificing a dog, damn it.

The second the mutt hit the clearing, Steve stared in disbelief. To no one in particular, he shouted, What the hell is that hound doing here?

Lack of fat left lean muscles exposed all along the dogs framemuscles now taut with readiness. Steve yanked on Mary, and the scruff on the dogs neck rose in warning.

You call that a police dog? What a joke. While scoffing, Steve inadvertently eased the knife a scant half inch away from Marys throat.

The dog quivered in anticipation before slowly sinking back on his haunches in a semi-crouch. He could have been coweringor taking a stance.

Lucius put his money on the latter.

Gleeful at the prospect of causing more pain, Steve dragged Mary a few feet toward the porch edge, raised his booted foot, and prepared to give the dog a vicious kick.

He wasnt quick enough.

A sudden, ferocious snarl made Luciuss hair stand on end and in the next second, the dog attacked. He caught Steves pant leg, ripping the material while jerking and growling, forcing Steve off balance.

Mary bolted, throwing herself off the porch in awkward haste. She landed on the weeded lawn, screaming and hysterical. With Mary free of the threatening hold, the SWAT team swarmed in, and Steve Seeder had no choice but to give up. The dog released him and eased away.

In seconds, the standoff ended without bloodshed.

No one touched the dog. No one had to. Black ears perked in interest, he watched the proceedings until everything calmed, then started to saunter off the same way hed come in.

With everything now under control, Lucius gave all his attention to the animal. The poor thing had the look of a greyhoundbut Lucius suspected it was starvation, not breeding, that exposed the dogs rib cage. Patches of abuse showed through the dark, matted fur. Head down in a posture that epitomized sadness, the dog retreated.

Hell, Lucius had never seen such a long face on a mutt. He couldnt bear it.

Soft and low, he whistled. The dog halted, ears perked.

Lucius hunkered down to one knee. Cmere, boy.

Sharp shoulder blades flexed as the dog looked back with heart-wrenching hope in his mournful brown eyes.

And on that sizzling-hot August dawn, Sergeant Lucius J. Ryder became the owner of a very heroic pooch.

The knock on the door startled Bethany Churchill so that she almost fell off the couch. With blurry eyes, she squinted at the kitchen clock on the far wall. Barely seven A.M.! Another glance at her sisters bedroom door showed that Marci slept on.

Wrapping herself in the borrowed sheet, Bethany hauled herself off the couch and went to the door. She put one eye to the peephole, and moaned at the sight before her.

Big, tall, sexy male.

No, no, no. She didnt need this, not today, not right now, not before caffeine.

Without opening the door, she called out, What do you want, Luscious? Her teeth snapped down on her tongue and she mentally cursed. I mean, Lucius .

At the sound of his deep laugh, her head hit the door with a thump. Damn the other women in the building for giving him that ridiculous nickname. So he was SWAT. And brave. And he looked downright luscious. Luscious Rider, they called him, a name that seemed strangely apropos to her sleepy brain.

Not that Lucius, the egomaniac, ever complained over the endearment. Nope, he soaked in female adoration as if it were his due.

Bethany, I take it?

How could he always tell them apart? More than one guy had been confused over time. More than one guy had insisted he didnt have a preference, as if she and her twin were interchangeable, especially if Marci proved unavailable.

But not Lucius.

He behaved very differently with each of them.

Issuing an obvious challenge, Bethany said, Yeah, so?

Open the damn door.

Why?

His head hit the wood this time. I need to see Marci. Now open up.

Of course he wanted to see Marci. The men always wanted to see Marci. Her twin had a charisma that somehow hadnt entered Bethanys gene pool. No. Shes asleep. And Im in my underwear, and I havent yet recouped enough from a bad week and a long night to face you.

Another couple of hours sleep, at least three cups of coffee, then she might be ready to square off with the hunky landlord.