Free Sheriff (The Police Trilogy, #3) by Alexis Shore

One
    “L ook what I got,” he called out.
    Everyone stopped and looked their way.
    Eve felt the gun pushing harder against her skin, felt her heart thumping violently in her chest, felt the blood rushing round her ears in a deafening tidal wave, and felt her knees weak beneath her.
    And the weight of the gun dangling from her finger was becoming unbearable.
    The worst thing though was knowing that most of the Strike Team wouldn’t give a flying fuck that she was now a hostage.
    She saw Brandon looking at her, his eyes wide with fear and anger. His hand was hovering at his hip, ready to pull out his gun and fire at the right moment.
    Further down the alley, Conrad shifted the bag on his shoulder, almost as if to hide it behind his back. His goon sidekicks shuffled on their feet, not sure who she was.
    “Let her go,” Brandon said, firm, commanding.
    “Nuh uh, ese.”
    She felt a rough hand fumbling at her ass, pawing into her back pocket and pulling out her badge and warrant card. He held it up over her shoulder and let it flop open. When he saw them react, he turned it and read out loud.
    “Eve Knight. Internal Affairs.”
    Conrad visibly stiffened and pushed the bag further round his back, and Kane and Hemp darted fearful looks at one another.
    “What the fuck is IA doing here?” Brandon barked.
    “Radio said shots fired,” Eve replied, so nervous her voice croaked.
    She could feel her heart thumping like a drum now, even hear it. The breath from the gang member behind her was rasping against her neck as he hid behind her body for cover, his sweat pungent in her nostrils.
    Conrad began stepping to one side, one foot after the other. She guessed he was heading for his own cover, but when he stopped directly in the line of sight of the gang member, she didn’t know what to think.
    It was like he was giving him another target.
    And she felt the goon behind her stiffen with confusion.
    Meanwhile, Brandon was making the same sort of manoeuvre, putting himself in easy shot with slow, deliberate paces.
    A cloud crossed the sun overhead, plunging the alley into a comparative darkness that sent a chill down Eve’s spine. The cuffed members of the gang, kneeling in the dirt on the floor, trash billowing around them as the wind picked up a notch, started to sense they now had the upper hand, and became vocal with it.
    “Let’s us go man,” one said, a confidence in his voice.
    “Come on,” another called.
    “Uncuff them ese,” the voice behind her commanded, and Hemp put up his hands and moved to one of the bound members, pulling a key from his pocket.
    Conrad and Brandon used his movement to disguise their own further steps to one side. Their hands hovered at their hips, ready to pull and fire whenever the moment might come.
    Eve felt the gun move away from her flesh, and felt the goon’s grip on her loosen.
    The moment came.
    She dipped on one knee, and slammed her elbow back, feeling the bone hit bone, smashing hard into his crotch. He screamed in agony, the breath rushing from his lungs, and he staggered back.
    Eve kept low, and in a blur, watched two hands snatch for their guns, and felt two bullets whip over her head. She heard them hit flesh with a dull thud, and the screaming stopped. She craned her neck round to see the goon slumping down in a heap of blood.
    Suddenly, she felt something smack into her, and she was up in the air. It took her a moment to realise that Brandon had lurched for her, and scooped her up, running hard with her over his shoulder, down the alley, carrying her to safety.
    As his feet thumped on the ground, she heard harsh rasps of air escape his lungs, and she felt safe, clutching onto his powerful body, rippling and heaving with exertion.
    When they came out onto the street, he pivoted and carried her half a block, before stopping and dropping her to her feet, her back against the shop front.
    Before she knew it, his arms embraced her, pulling her body tight to his, his muscles so