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“Catherine and I are leaving together,” he told Luke. “You’re going to pretend you didn’t see us tonight. You call the police, and she’ll be the one to suffer.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Luke came out of the doorway and with an explosive force, punched Dave in the face. He slammed him back into the desk, but Dave struck out with his knife and tore at Luke’s left biceps.
Blood sprayed across Catherine’s face, and she screamed as she scrambled out of her chair. The men were fighting for control of the knife, shouldering each other with brutal strength, and she was forced back against the window to avoid being hit as well.
Luke had hold of Dave’s wrist, but Dave shoved him off-balance, broke free of his grip, and slammed the knife into his shoulder. Desperate to help Luke, Catherine kicked Dave in the knee, causing him an instant of inattention that allowed Luke to recover. Then Dave turned and slugged her.
Catherine careened into the file cabinet, and the philodendron bounced precariously toward the edge. It tottered in a blurry dance before her vision cleared. The flowerpot was the only weapon at hand, but as she reached up to grab it, the jostling men had turned so that Luke was now closest to her. She dared not risk hitting him and so hugged the plant close to her chest.
Luke’s shirt was stained with blood, but he was still slamming his right fist into Dave as they wrestled for the knife. They fought with the fury of bare-knuckled champs. Blood streamed from Dave’s nose, but he seemed as unaware of the injury as Luke was of his.
It made Catherine sick to watch them, but she couldn’t turn away. When Dave caught Luke in the chest with the tip of his blade, the pair swung around again, putting Dave within striking distance. Awaiting a clear shot, Catherine swung the potted plant up against Dave’s head.
The pot shattered, showering her with dirt, and for the briefest of instants, Dave froze, apparently uninjured. Then he swayed, and when Luke caught him on the chin with a fierce right, he went down.
Luke wrenched the bloody knife from Dave’s hand and then collapsed beside him. “Call 911. Tell them we need an ambulance, and police, quick.”
Catherine shook off the dirt covering her clothes and then had to step over both men to reach the telephone lying on the floor behind the desk. She immediately called for help, then bent to check Dave for a pulse.
“Have I killed him?” she asked fearfully.
“No, you just stunned him, but he damn near killed me, and I appreciate your help.”
Still shaking, Catherine went into the outer office for the twine stored in the supply closet. She grabbed the scissors from the desk she often used, and swiftly tied Dave’s hands behind his back before he had a chance to awaken and attack them again. Then she lashed his ankles together.
“I don’t want you sitting next to him. Can you move into the outer office?” she asked.
“I could crawl, but that wouldn’t be very manly.”
“How can you joke at a time like this?” She knelt beside him and began to unbutton his bloody shirt. “I’m going to rip this up to cover the cuts. I’m afraid you’ll bleed to death before the paramedics arrive.”
Luke rested his head against his desk. “Sorry, but it wasn’t a fair fight.”
When he closed his eyes, Catherine shook him. “Don’t you dare die on me! Stay with me, Luke.”
He glanced toward her, but his eyes were dulled by pain. “I’m a long way from dead, but did you really think I was the Lady in Red?”
She was too ashamed to admit the idea had even crossed her mind. “I was so frightened, I didn’t know what to think, but I definitely wanted to hear your side. It’s a good thing I didn’t leave the first time you asked me, or you’d have been on your own.”
“I doubt Dave would have let you go even then.” He watched her quickly bind the cut in his arm, but all she could do was apply pressure to the deeper cuts in his left shoulder and chest.
“I’ve been a complete idiot,” he murmured.
“There was no way you could have known Dave was the killer.” She pressed down hard, but blood was still oozing from his chest, and she feared the wound was even deeper than it appeared. She tried to smile as though she had everything under control, but her lips trembled and gave her away.
“No, I meant about you.”
“Don’t talk,” she urged. She turned to make certain Dave was still out cold, and he hadn’t moved.
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Luke felt dizzy, and the sight of his own blood splattered across her cheek and shirt made him sick. “Fool that I am, I actually believed it would be better if we went our separate ways. Then I found you here with Dave, and all that mattered was protecting you. I would never have let him take you. You know that, don’t you?”
The ambulance and squad car pulled into the parking lot before Catherine could respond. She shoved herself to her feet and ran to the door to meet the paramedics, a man and a woman, and two powerfully built male police officers. While the paramedics tended to Luke and Dave, she attempted to string together what had happened for the officers.
When Toby came running through the door, she was overjoyed to see him. “Dave tried to kill Luke,” she rushed to explain.
“I heard the ambulance and was afraid someone else had been shot. My God, is that your blood all over you?”
