Free Rush: A MacKenzie Family Novella (The MacKenzie Family) by Robin Covington

most people wear little to no clothing here so I’m not sure where he’d stash it if he had it.”
    “Are these rooms soundproof?” Brant asked.
    “Yes, but for sex and not for gunshots, so let’s try not to fire our weapons if we can help it,” Rush said. “If he starts yelling before we can get the information out of him, we’ll have to gag him or knock his ass out and do this elsewhere.”
    “You seem to think he’ll cave fairly easily,” Jade added, adding a silencer to her weapon with a wink and knowing grin.
    Rush grinned back. He liked her and all the people Brant had assembled. They were trained and didn’t balk at what needed to be done, even the shitty stuff.
    “Paulo Guzzi is a pussy. He lives off his daddy’s money and dabbles in being a criminal. It’s one of the reasons that Figueroa uses him here in DC, easily manipulated and no real power base of his own. He’s got paid security but no organization around him even though he thinks he’s a big deal.”
    “He has extensive property in the area, in the Hamptons, and in Miami, as well as a yacht and a house on Lake Como. Lots of places for him to hide a young girl,” Livvy added from her seat on the couch. She looked sexy in a slouchy, long T-shirt dress that slipped off one shoulder. He wanted to walk over and bite the exposed, tanned skin and then lick his way down her body. This afternoon had been fun, amazing, and now he wanted more. Needed more. He thought he saw more in her expression as they fucked, but then she’d walked away on a joke and since emerging from her shower had been the same easy-going Livvy he knew.
    Warm and accessible but guarded as well. He knew he hadn’t put the wariness in her eyes, that had been her life and childhood, but he’d only seen it fade when they were married, and then it had come back tenfold when things had all fallen apart.
    He’d dreaded seeing her again, expecting fireworks and anger, but it had been okay, almost like the time in their early days when they’d enjoyed each other’s company, fucked every chance they got, but were still strangers with no investment between them. And while he was glad she wasn’t trying to kill him, it didn't feel like it was enough.
    He shook all this shit with Livvy off, getting his head back in the fucking game. He’d fought against actually having her here. If Paulo got violent and things went downhill he didn’t want her in the middle where she could get hurt. Fuck, if that wasn’t his worst nightmare.
    He also didn't want her to see him do his job. His real job. The one where he killed people without regret because he had to and he could. The one where he was anything but the hero they trotted out for photo ops when he’d worn the uniform. If most of the people knew what he’d been ready and willing and able to do when he’d gone into the zone, they’d take away his medals and ship him off to a secure facility.
    But you sure as fuck couldn’t complete the mission if you were dead and he always wanted to complete the mission. No exceptions.
    He looked down at his watch. It was almost time.
    “Jade you take point behind the door. Brant and I will be on the sides. We want him to see Livvy first and come all the way inside and get the door closed before we take him. Understood?”
    They all signaled that they understood the plan and got into position just as a light knock sounded on the door and Paulo stepped inside. He wore a robe, was barefoot, and his grin at the view of Livvy was pervy enough to make Rush itch to shoot him on sight.
    Jade pushed the door closed behind him and slid the lock just as Brant grabbed him and put him in an armlock. Rush moved into position and slid his gun into his mouth just as he was about to yell. The resulting sound was a muffled shout and a very distinctive whimper.
    “Hey, Paulo, remember me? You can just nod since your mouth is full.” He waited while Paulo nodded slowly, still struggling against Brant as he slid