Secrets Collide (Bluegrass Brothers)

don’t. But from this distance it doesn’t really matter.” Gemma placed the gun to Pinnelli’s head and flipped the safety off.
    “I’d start talking if I were you. That woman is madder than an old wet hen and is prone to fly off the handle at any moment.” Cy rocked back on his heels and gave Pinnelli a silly little grin.
    He looked at Gemma and decided that maybe Cy was right. “Fine. You’re going to die anyway. Your sister found his . . .” Pinnelli’s head slammed back and a tiny round trickle of blood fell from between his eyes.
    Cy leaped forward and grabbed the gun from Gemma’s still outstretched hand.
    “What?” she stammered as he pulled her away and returned fire in the direction of the gunshot.
    “Looks like Sergei got here early. Get in the truck.” Cy pushed Gemma and laid down cover fire while she ran the short distance to the truck. When she dove into the cab, Cy took off at a run as he dodged the bullets now flying past him.
    “Come on,” Gemma yelled as she scooted over to the passenger seat. He dove behind the wheel and slammed his foot on the gas.
    As Cy tore through the field heading for the tree line, a black SUV came to a stop on the road in front of him. “Well, shit. I never liked this truck that much anyway. Hang on.”
    Cy drove through the tree line and bounced up onto the road as the men with guns jumped out of the way. Cy plowed his driver’s side headlights right above the front wheel of the SUV. The SUV spun as the men had to leap again to avoid being hit. He threw the truck into reverse and ran over one of the men as he drove backward into the field. Slamming on the brakes, he did a controlled spin and then drove off through the field and away from the road.
    “Where are you going?”
    “Home court advantage. I know every farm around here. I cut through this field and go around the cornfield where I can come out onto a road I can take back to Keeneston.”
    “But we know the boss is here. Why aren’t we calling the police and storming our way into that house?”
    “Do you know how many guns they have there? If they pick up anything on the police lines, he’ll be in the wind so fast you’ll never have a chance to find him again. It’s personal now and he knows it. No cops. No CIA. Just him and me, and only one of us will make it.”
     
    Gemma finally stopped shaking by the time Cy drove into Keeneston. As soon as he had bounced his way out of the fields, he had placed his hand over hers and was still holding it. He absently brushed his thumb over the soft skin of her wrist during the short trip into town. The small action had her pulse slowing and the shaking anger fading away.
    “Thank you. That was sweet of you.” Gemma looked out at the sleepy town and wondered when she’d hear sirens or bullets. “It really helped calmed me down.”
    “I know how the adrenaline dump can affect you. I’m glad I could help some.” Cy paused as if searching for the right words to say. “Gemma, you were excellent tonight. With the emotions he was triggering, you kept your cool and really helped get as much information as possible from him.”
    “But, what do we do now? Mr. X is here and he’s coming after us.”
    “Not tonight he won’t. Tonight was our first run-in. He’s going to evaluate us. It takes time to gather that intelligence. But it will be soon.” Cy parked the car and helped her from her seat. She felt total relief when he put his arm around her, and she leaned into him as they made their way up the path.
    “What’s that?” Gemma asked quietly as they both stopped and listened to the night. Whispers were coming from the darkened porch. “They found us already.”
    Then she felt Cy shake with laughter, “I don’t think so.” He laced his fingers with hers and pulled her toward the porch.
    She heard a giggle then and a deep chuckle. She smelled brownies. “Miss Lily,” Gemma gasped at the sight of the sweet woman on the swing with her white hair messed and her lips puffy from kissing.
    “John, how are you tonight?” Cy asked with barely controlled laughter ready to explode.
    “Um, fine. Fine. Just replacing some light bulbs for Lily Rae here.” John stood and Gemma snickered at his shirt pulled from his suspenders and the way a piece of his thinning hair was sticking straight out.
    “Well, that was so sweet of you. We’ll let you get back to it. Good night.” Gemma didn’t have a chance to say anything else as Cy pulled her inside