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"Step away from him now!"
I jumped so fast the gun barrel slammed against the roof of Jaz's mouth. Two men in tactical uniforms approached from my left. Two more from my right. All with guns trained on me.
"You have five seconds to step away from him!" one barked.
Terror filled Jaz's eyes, pleading with me to pull the trigger. For a second, the chaos swirling around me was too much and I stood there, dazed. Then I moved my finger.
"One second!"
A dark shape smashed through the two men on my left, knocking them aside like bowling pins. I saw Karl's face. Saw his terror, felt it, as sharp as Jaz's. He tackled me. I crashed down under him. Heard a shot. Heard him grunt in pain.
The tactical team rushed in, stepping over us to get to Jaz. When my head stopped spinning from the chaos, I realized I was still on the ground, Karl stretched over me, not moving.
I remembered the shot. Felt the weight of him, pinning me down. And then, a tiny whimper, bubbling up from my throat.
"Don't move."
His fingers gripped my shoulder, mouth moving to my ear.
"Wait."
I let out the breath I'd been holding, then found myself flat on the pavement, lungs compressed by his weight, gasping--
"Sorry."
He lifted up, giving me breathing room. Then he slid off me, his gaze fixed over my shoulder, watching the tactical team, as if expecting our first sudden move would bring a gun barrel swinging our way. But they had Jaz cuffed now. Cuffed and gagged as he writhed and struggled, eyes blazing. Then he saw me and went still.
Our gazes locked.
He jerked his head so fast the gag slipped. His gaze swung to Karl, catching his attention, making sure he had it, then turning to me.
"I'll come back for you," he mouthed.
With a snarl, Karl was on his feet. Two officers lifted their guns. I pulled him back down beside me.
"He wanted that," I said. "He wanted you to kill him."
I felt the chaos swirl from Karl as they took Jaz away. Not jealousy but fear.
They can't hold him, Karl thought. He'll escape. He will come for her. She'll never be--
He cut the thought short. His arm slid around my back and he pulled me onto his lap and we sat there, watching them take Jaz away.
"Why didn't they let me kill him?" I whispered. "Do they want to put him on trial? Make him stand judgment?" I looked quickly at Karl. "They don't understand. He can become anyone."
"They know."
"That's why--" I swallowed. "They were under orders to bring them in alive."
I shivered and he rubbed my arms, pulling me against him, sitting on the cold pavement, leaning against some stranger's car--
"Paige." The name burbled from my throat and I scrambled up from Karl's lap. "Oh, God. You don't know. They don't know." I looked up into his face. "She's dead, Karl. Jaz had me lure her in and I thought she'd bring backup, but she didn't and he--"
"Hope?"
A soft contralto voice echoed through the parking garage. I turned and my knees gave way. Karl caught me.
"It's okay," he whispered. "She's okay."
