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And he appeared to enjoy the thought of adding those bruises.
He had every intention of killing them. Piper could see it in the pure anticipation in his gaze. Cruelty was inherent in the man’s face, and in her memory of his heavy blows landing against her undefended body.
“Go on, Ms. Mackay,” he ordered her softly, waving the gun toward the door between Jed’s room and her own. “Collect all the jewels now. Miss any and he’ll die.”
“How would I know?” Licking her dry lips, she didn’t have to pretend pure terror; it was there, slapping her in the face. “They’re mixed in with the rest of the stones.”
Evil hazel eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Mixed in with the other stones?”
“The stones I bought at the craft store.” Forcing the words past her lips, she tried to hold back the quaver in her voice. “I thought they were the fake stones I’d bought.”
For the briefest second surprised disbelief filled the man’s gaze before a cackle of laughter left his lips.
“Son of a bitch.” The laughter was almost a wheeze. “Why am I even surprised? You look about that stupid, bitch.”
Stupid?
The gun still aimed at Jed’s knee was all that kept her mouth shut as she stared back at him.
He might think she was stupid, but she knew he was fucking ugly. She could fake smart if that were true, but there was no way in hell he could fake pretty, she thought mockingly, fighting to hold back her fear.
She wasn’t stupid, though. What she was, was doing everything she could to buy enough time for Jed to figure their way out of this one.
“Well, I suggest you learn how to identify the real stuff and separate it from the fakes really fast,” he suggested, his voice lowering and echoing with cruelty. “You have about four minutes to get that cute little ass back in here before I start putting holes in your man.” He waved the gun at Jed’s knee before lifting it to Jed’s heart and smiling back at her.
Everything inside her was shaking, trembling in fear now, while Jed’s complete stillness had wariness growing inside her.
He was up to something; she could feel it.
She knew Jed. He wasn’t moving; nor was he taunting.
“I’ll just get them all.”
“Make sure you turn the lights out,” Jed suddenly advised her.
Piper paused.
“What fucking lights?” Fury echoed in the gunman’s voice. The lights went out and the darkness exploded around her.
Piper found herself thrown to the floor a breath before the explosive report of a weapon echoed through the room.
Riding close on the sound of the gun’s discharge, shattering glass from the mirror above the dresser began raining down on her, biting sharply against the bare flesh of her arms.
She covered her head until the stinging storm ceased, then scrambled across the room on her hands and knees, glass pricking into her palms and knees as the sound of an enraged fight could be heard ahead of her.
She had to find Jed.
“Stay in place, Piper,” Jed yelled out a second before a hard grunt was heard. “Stay where you are, dammit.”
She pushed herself against the wall as she glared into the darkness, her hand pressing against a large shard of the glass on the floor. Curling her fingers around it, she lifted it, holding it against her just in case she might need it.
A second later a shadow hurled itself toward her as thoug
h propelled by some unseen force.
Or Jed’s fist.
The wide body of her assailant—or her would-be killer—slammed into the wall beside her.
