“Come out, you illiterate hick,” Joey bellowed. “You’ve got a decision to make.”
Don’t move,she thought as loud as she could.Don’t fall for it.
She shouldn’t have worried. When Simon got pissed, he got super rational, super cold. And at that moment, she was extremely grateful that he could shut off his emotions like a faucet. Meanwhile, she saw Vic step into the shadows on the opposite side of the minivan. His face was monstered up, but he seemed to be in complete control of himself. Good. Though it was bad that they were way too far away to save her.
And then Joey kept talking, his voice chilling in that he sounded bored and impatient. Like a kid in a Starbucks line rather than a guy threatening murder. “You know I just want you. You’re not fit to lead the Griz. So step out from that car and I’ll take care of it. Otherwise, she dies. And you still die a moment later.”
Where the hell were the police? And fire department? She’d heard the sirens. But in Detroit, they might just as easily be responding to a freeway pileup. And this wasn’t exactly an area of town anyone rushed to. But still…
“Last chance.”
It was those words that made up her mind. There was no rescue coming for her. Joey had his weapon pressed to her temple. And the other bastard had his gun out, pointed at Simon. She was dead for sure. At least she could try to save the man she loved.
Especially since Simon was moving. He was coming out into the light, but damn it, no way was she going to let him do that.
She took a moment to mouth the truth. She didn’t even have breath to put sound to it. Her lips shaped the words, “I love you,” and she prayed Simon saw it. Either way, there was no more time.
She went completely limp.
She’d once babysat a child who did that to her. Whenever she went to pick up the kid to force him do to what she wanted, the boy went completely boneless. Dead weight. Spaghettilike limbs. He would slide right out of her grasp.
She did that now and though she didn’t think it would save her from the bullet, it would at least distract the maniacal asshole for the moment it would take for Simon to do whatever Simon was going to do. Especially if the bastard thought she’d passed out from lack of oxygen.
It worked.
Joey cursed and tightened his grip, but she was spaghetti. She kept repeating that in her brain. A limp noodle. See how good he was at holding up dead pasta with one arm.
He wasn’t. But he also wasn’t bothering with her. Suddenly, he dropped her on the ground and started shooting. The other guy, too, and she had a split second of complete shock that she was free. But then she began fighting. She kicked. She punched. If it was near her, it was a bad guy and she was going to give it pain.
She fouled their footing and got kicked in the chest for her trouble. She landed a solid blow on the henchman’s knee and he went down with a curse. And still the deafening explosions above her until there was a wet splat. And silence.
Hell, the booming was still echoing in her head, so the silence seemed to pound on her. And she was still hitting Joey the bastard even as he crumpled before her. Didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to hurt Simon. He…He…
He didn’t have a face. Or at least not a recognizable one. And there was blood everywhere.
Oh shit.
She didn’t have enough time to process anything but that sight when suddenly she was scooped up again, this time from behind. Strong arms wrapped around her and she began to struggle, but a voice she recognized was murmuring her name.
“AlyssaAlyssaAlyssaAlyssa.”
Over and over as if it were one word.
Simon. Whole and strong as he carried her away.
She held on to him. She gripped his shoulders and buried her face in his neck. She shuddered against him even as she felt the steady tempo of his feet as he carried her far away. He was here. He was holding her. And they were both miraculously alive.
They were nearly two blocks away before she lifted her head. His breath was heaving like a freight train but his pace hadn’t slackened. And she knew it was time for him to stop.
“Simon,” she said against his ear. “Simon, you have to stop.”
He didn’t. But he did tighten his hold on her. She squeezed back, but she kept talking to him.
“I’m fine. I’m fine, but you have to set me down. You’re going to kill us both running like this. Simon, I’m fine.” And she had to see if he was fine, too. “Let me touch you. Let me know that you’re okay.”
“Alyssa. Alyssa. Alyssa.” Except instead of coming out as one word, her name came out as heaving exhales. Gasped as he tried to run.
“Simon,” she said. Then she pressed her mouth to his.
