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“Fucking old man,” muttered Crash as I watched the red dot on the screen increasing in size.
“Stop,” I shouted, hitting the button for the seventh floor. I held Crash back before he raced out, easing myself far enough that I could see four men standing guard in the hallway. When I saw the stairwell door open behind them, I fired, hitting one before ducking back into the elevator.
“We’re clear,” I heard Vex shout after hearing three more shots fired. I was almost to the door where the four men lay when I heard a single shot go off from inside. I hurled my body against the door and raced inside.
“Hold your fire,” I heard Stella’s sweet voice say as I watched her blow away the smoke from the barrel of her Smith and Wesson Shield. “I always wanted to do that.” She lowered her gun and set it down.
“Kerr?” I asked, pointing to the body slumped over the desk.
“None other.”
I kicked Kerr’s gun that lay on the floor farther away and checked for a pulse. “He’s dead.”
Stella smiled. “I could’ve told you that.”
“But we aren’t,” said Ink, rushing in the room followed by Rock.
“Thank God,” Stella said, rushing over to them at the same time two more men came through the door. “Jinx? What are you doing here?”
38
Stella
I expected the adrenaline crash, just not as hard or as fast as it happened. Fatigue set in so quickly, I felt like I might pass out. Along with it, came nausea.
“Let’s get you out of here,” said Buck, putting his arm behind my knees, lifting, and carrying me out of the room. There were police everywhere in what I now realized was the hallway of a hotel.
“In here,” said Jinx, holding a door open for us. Buck carried me over to a sofa in the suite and sat down with me still in his arms.
“Give us a minute,” he said to Jinx, who walked out, closing the door behind him.
“I have so many questions,” I said.
“Me too,” said Buck. “But first, I need to kiss you.”
He brought his lips to mine, soft at first, but within moments, the kiss turned frenzied. “I was so fucking scared,” he whispered, resting his forehead against mine.
“Buck! Oh my God. What are you doing here?”
“Do you really think I’d just fly back to Colorado when you were in danger? Or that Crash would?”
“But…the ranch!”
“I don’t give a shit about the ranch, Stella.”
“But…Flynn and your brothers!”
“I made one phone call on the way from the plane here. It was to Hammer. I told him you’d been kidnapped and that I wasn’t leaving New York until you were safe and in my arms.”
“Did he tell you you were crazy?”
Buck shook his head. “He told me he’d take care of it.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, and what’s more, I don’t care.” He kissed me again. “I love you, Stella.”
“I love you, Buck.” Something occurred to me. “Hey, how much did Decker say the Roaring Fork would sell for?”
