Tied Up in Knots Read Free

moments, I glanced at Sandell and saw his smirk.
    “You’re making career-altering decisions here, gentlemen,” Sandell insisted, and I realized fast there would be no time for us to be screwed over, demoted, or whatever else because he was going to murder us right there in the street and take any evidence off us and no one but his team would be the wiser.
    “On the ground, all of you!” Morgan insisted, not backing down an iota. We were in the right, and it appeared that no matter what the consequence, he would follow through.
    I felt like I should have been scared, but I was more worried about Morgan.
    “They’re dirty cops! Take them down!” Sandell shouted. “I’ve got the evidence right—”
    I tensed for a bullet’s impact, but a foghorn siren blast caught everyone’s attention at the same time. It was not the normal one from a police car, but instead came as a low brrp-brrp from a massive black ARV with a golden eagle emblem on its sides and windows so black they ate the light. After rolling to a shuddering stop, the ARV’s back doors exploded and a SWAT team deployed in a solid stream of enormous, angry-looking men. Even as happy as I was to be rescued, something about the men in full-body armor pointing their automatic weapons in my direction was disquieting.
    “Drop your weapons and get down,” barked a mountain with lieutenant bars on his black vest. “Now.”
    It was funny how fast a SWAT team could make a dirty cop and his crew toss aside their guns and kiss the asphalt. No one on the ground moved or even breathed. I sure as hell wasn’t going to go facedown, and from the looks of it, neither was Morgan. He simply holstered his gun, put his hands on his hips, and sighed with clear disgust.
    The SWAT team moved in to take custody, everyone except for the lieutenant. He approached and the team parted like the sea did for Moses. There was no question of moving. His rank was in every rippling muscle, the swagger of his walk, and simply the sheer size of him. His shoulders alone were enough to get me to back down from a challenge.
    After reaching us, he took off his helmet and aviators, then flashed me an improbable grin before he put his hand on Morgan’s shoulder.
    “So,” the lieutenant said with a snort of warm laughter. “You called for backup.”
    I was reeling. We’d just been saved by the Terminator, who was very obviously giving Morgan shit. What the hell was going on?
    “What the fuck are you doing here?” Morgan groused, gesturing around at all the armor-clad men. “I called for backup, not the Mongol horde.”
    “We were the closest to your twenty, and hell, you nearly gave dispatch a heart attack with you needing help,” the lieutenant said with an eyebrow waggle. “You never call for backup; they thought there was a riot.”
    Morgan shook his head, seemingly annoyed even with what I thought to be a reasonable explanation. I’d have seen it then, even if I’d missed the similar black hair, shorter but the same jet color, and the sinful glint in the deep-blue eyes, and the name Morgan stitched on the TAC vest.
    “You should introduce me. You were raised better than that.”
    Morgan growled in response, the irritation rolling off him as he gestured at me with a tip of his head. “This is Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones, who’s been my new partner for the week. Jones, this asshole is my older brother, Lieutenant Connor Morgan.”
    “SWAT, huh?” I said, holstering my Glock.
    “Con’s always had to be the one with the biggest dick. Or be the biggest dick. I get that all confused,” Morgan replied sarcastically. “Because getting a gun and a badge wasn’t good enough, he wanted a tank and a battering ram too.”
    “I know the type.” I had a Green Beret of my own who was of a similar disposition.
    Connor’s guys were bagging up the guns on the asphalt and zip-tying everyone. People just didn’t fuck around with SWAT. If they were on-site, no questions asked, they could