Two To Go: Bayou Heat (Pantera Security League Book 2) by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright Page A

glanced toward Elyon who was already spreading her legs as she prepared to fight.
    “I’ll take care of him,” he told her. “You need to get that window open without tripping the alarms.”
    She hesitated, glancing toward the guard before giving a sharp nod of her head. She obviously determined that he could handle one human guard.
    Pivoting, she swiftly moved toward the window. The guard muttered an oath, reaching to his side to awkwardly pull his handgun.
    Max rolled his eyes. The dumbass was going to shoot himself by accident. Not that Max minded. One less idiot in the world. But the shot would attract unwanted notice.
    With one long leap, he was standing directly in front of the guard, knocking the weapon from his hands before the man even realized he’d moved. With a yelp of shock, the man stumbled back, putting up his hands.
    Max studied the guard’s movements, not about to underestimate him as a threat. The only fight he’d ever lost was to a man who was six inches shorter and a hundred pounds lighter. The fighter had pretended to be terrified in the cage and Max had stupidly led with his chin, barely seeing the punch coming before he was knocked flat on his ass.
    Now he gave a quick right jab, watching as the man ducked to the left, his weight on his heels instead of the balls of his feet.
    Max gave another right jab quickly followed by a kick toward the man’s knee. The guard skipped backward, avoiding the kick and throwing a left hook at Max.
    Max easily ducked, using the motion to move in closer. The man wasn’t much taller than Max, but he had an inch or two longer arm. A decided advantage in a boxing match.
    The guard realized his mistake a beat too late. His head jerked back even as Max’s massive fist smashed into his jaw. The man choked out a cry of pain, but he didn’t go down as Max had expected. Instead he lowered his head and abruptly lunged forward.
    Max was forced to dance backward, nearly stumbling over a folding chair that had been left near the cage. It was only a momentary distraction, but it gave the guard the advantage.
    The man smiled, wrapping his arms around Max’s neck and squeezing with his considerable power. On a normal man the press of the guard’s forearm might have crushed his throat. Or at least cut off his air supply.
    But Max wasn’t normal. He returned the man’s smile just before he jerked his head forward, slamming the crown of his skull directly to the center of the guard’s face.
    There were all kinds of snaps and pops as bones broke and cartilage was shattered. The guard gave a pig-like squeal before he was stumbling backward and covering his busted face with his hands.
    Max was still smiling when he picked the man up and bench-pressed his two-hundred-pound body over his head. Then, with one mighty heave, he was tossing the guard through the air to smash against the wall.
    There was a satisfying crack as the man’s head connected with the wall of cement, then he was sliding down to land on the floor with a heavy thud.
    There was the sound of a clicking tongue and Max turned his head to discover Elyon regarding him with raised brows.
    “Showing off?”
    His lips twitched as he moved to kick the man onto his back, ensuring he was unconscious.
    Yep. Out cold.
    “Maybe a little,” he agreed, jogging across the room to join her at the window that was already opened. “Turn you on?”
    Her eyes flashed with heat. “You have no idea.”
    He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Let’s get the fuck out of here, baby.”
    “Agreed,” she murmured, turning to climb onto the rickety fire escape.
    Within seconds they were on top of the building, heading for the edge. The wind was fierce, but the lights of the city sparkled like gems. Like beacons of promise.
    As soon as she had Max stashed in the hotel room she’d booked earlier, she would return and exterminate the pests.
    Quietly and efficiently.
    They weren’t smart enough to flee. Like rats returning to their