Free Tennessee Takedown by Lena Diaz Page A

step. When he was satisfied she wasn’t going to fall on her face, he hurried off to give her the promised privacy, and to answer nature’s call himself.
    A few minutes later, he found Ashley sitting back on the boulder, her face still flushed a delightful shade of pink.
    “Ready?” he asked.
    She nodded, and he scooped her up in his arms again.
    When they reached the boat, Chris gave them a curious glance but didn’t say anything. Dillon set Ashley in the forward seat on the port side, a few feet from Chris’s position at the wheel, while he and Randy took up positions on the benches that ran along the port and starboard sides. Max untied the mooring line from the back of the boat and Chris eased it out into the river.
    Noting Ashley’s curious glance at the fishing poles lying in the middle bottom of the boat, Dillon explained, “Destiny’s residents don’t figure their tiny police force needs a fancy speedboat like some of the bigger cities have. This old fishing boat might not be fast or fancy, but it’s sturdy, and generally suits our needs.”
    “Understandable, but why the fishing poles?”
    Chris half turned and grinned. “Those are mine. I like to be prepared for emergencies.”
    “Is there such thing as a fishing emergency?”
    “Of course. You never know when the fish will be biting.” He turned the boat upriver, the glassy, smooth surface nothing like the roiling, raging death trap from last night.
    “I can see that accountant’s mind whirling now,” Dillon teased. “You’re wondering if Chris compensates the department for use of the boat, and the fuel.”
    “I was doing nothing of the sort.”
    “Sure you were.”
    She narrowed her eyes and turned to face the front as Chris steered the boat around a curve in the river.
    Damage from the storm was far worse than Dillon had expected. White birch and oak trees had given up their fight and lay on their sides in several areas along the bank, broken branches trailing in the water, causing little eddies as the current swirled around them.
    The guttural sound of a powerful engine roaring to life had Dillon whirling around.
    “Look out,” Ashley shouted. She lunged toward Chris and knocked him to the floor of the boat just as a shot rang out. The windshield in front of the pilot’s chair exploded into a spiderweb, right where Chris’s head had been seconds ago.
    He blinked in shock at Ashley.
    “Keep her down,” Dillon ordered. Chris immediately covered Ashley with his body.
    Dillon fired three quick shots at the gunman aiming at them from the speedboat on the other side of the river. It was coming up fast, directly toward them. Baldy was at the wheel. Iceman was beside him, taking potshots at the police boat.
    “Grab the wheel, Randy,” Dillon ordered as he and Max fired several more shots at the speedboat.
    Randy ducked down and made his way around Chris and Ashley to steer the boat.
    The speedboat accelerated.
    Dillon cursed. “Make this thing move! Max, lay down cover fire. I’m going to try to pick off Baldy.”
    Max pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty. He tossed it to the floor. “Chris, gun!”
    Chris tossed his pistol to Max, who caught it and whirled back around, shooting round after round.
    Iceman dove to the floor of the speedboat, leaving the driver vulnerable.
    “Who’s Baldy?” Max yelled.
    Dillon steadied his gun and took one very careful shot. Boom!
    “He’s history,” Dillon gritted out.
    Baldy slumped over the wheel and the speedboat turned hard to the port side, spinning out of control without someone to steer it. His body slid off the seat and the engine choked, then stopped. The boat bounced on its own wake and started drifting on the current.
    “Cease fire,” Dillon ordered. “Randy, bring the boat around. Max, stay alert.”
    Max stayed on his knees, aiming his gun toward the side of the speedboat, waiting for the other shooter to emerge again.
    Dillon glanced at Chris, still covering Ashley. “Both