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Samantha.
“Gun,” Callum barked from beside one of the loungers, pulling Harvard’s attention from the body. “It’s the one I gave Rachel.” Using the edge of his shirt, he picked it up and sniffed. “It’s just been fired.”
“Several times.” Lake pointed to the holes in the wall and ceiling.
“I told her to practice,” Callum said as he put the gun back where he’d found it. “But she never bloody listens.”
Harvard turned from the pool. “Downstairs,” he ordered, but the men were already moving.
“Stairs are wet,” Harvard said as he led them down to the lower floor. “She came this way.”
They moved steadily, sweeping the area with their weapons, barely making a sound. He signaled toward the master bedroom. With Lake and Callum at his back, he assumed breach position and entered the room. They came in behind him seamlessly, spreading out to cover the space and each other. Every room had to be cleared. They didn’t know if Samantha had acted alone.
Only once they were sure the room and master bath were clear, did Harvard look up at the pool. Samantha floated above them, her eyes wide and unseeing, her hair spread out around her. She had a gash on her head and a bruise on her cheek. So beautiful, yet so incredibly evil.
Lake grunted and pointed at Samantha’s dress. Tangled in the folds of her skirt was the ugly concrete gnome that usually sat beside the pool. It acted as an anchor, keeping her pinned to the bottom.
For a second, they just stared at the gnome and the woman who looked more like an ethereal mermaid than a rapist and would-be killer.
What a waste.
With a shake of his head, Harvard turned to his team. “Move out,” he ordered, and they moved, quickly clearing both guest rooms.
There was no sign of Rachel.
“Is there a panic room in this apartment?” Harvard asked Callum.
It was Lake who answered. “No.”
There damn well would be one in the house he’d share with Rachel, that was for sure.
Lake crouched and pressed his hand to the hall carpet. “Wet,” he said. “What’s behind that door?”
&
nbsp; “An emergency exit, but I don’t have the code to access it.”
“Fortunately, we run the security in this building.” Lake touched his throat mic. “Joe, emergency override on Rachel’s lower floor exit.”
“On it,” came the reply.
A minute later, a buzz and a click signaled that the door was unlocked. Callum took backup position as Harvard held up his gun. As soon as Lake opened the door, Harvard was through it.
And he almost tripped over the woman he loved.
“Rachel!” Harvard tossed his gun into the corner and fell to his knees beside her. Pressing his fingers to her throat, he felt for a pulse. “She’s alive. Callum, we need an ambulance.”
“Already calling,” Callum said gruffly.
Harvard gently checked her body for breaks and wounds. His main concern was a gash to her forehead, but at least it had stopped bleeding. He only hoped the blow that caused it hadn’t given her a concussion. Apart from that, all he could see were bruises and scrapes. Gathering her into his arms, he sat with his back to the wall and waited for the ambulance.
“Drugged?” Lake asked.
“That seems to be Samantha’s MO,” Harvard said. “So, I’m guessing yeah.”
“Ryan,” Callum said into his mic, “collect all glasses from the pool room. We’ll need to take them to the hospital with us for drug testing.”
“You got it.”
