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“It’s her,” he hissed to Junior. “Quick. We need to see where she is.” They followed the sounds of her screams until they suddenly stopped, muffled.
Cole ran as fast as he could. Everything was a jumble. Nothing was going right. Where was she? Where was Pearson? And where was Preach? It would all work out. It had to. He hadn’t come this far for everything to go to hell. The narrow staircases and dusty hallways were like a hideous maze designed to keep him away from her.
A loudbangechoed in the hallway. His heart stopped. Good God, had Aida been shot? He had to find her. He had to protect her. One last scream sounded, and this time it was right nearby, behind a door at the end of the staircase. He leapt off the last two stairs and kicked the door open.
In front of him stood Monty, his gun pointed straight at Cole’s chest, holding onto Aida in one arm, in front of the senator. The second politician already lay slumped over in his chair, bound. God, what had Monty done?
“Well, look who’s arrived,” Monty said. “If it isn’t my accomplice. The man who kidnapped the girl and meant for her to be ransom, eh? This isn’t how we planned things, Cole,” Monty said, as he drew a slow, wicked smile. “Not at all. You think you were one step ahead. Your hostage, you said. And look how you come running for her when she’smyprisoner.” His smile vanished. “Who runs after a hostage?”
“Let my daughter go!” screamed the senator. His gag had been removed now but he was still bound. Without batting an eyelash, Monty pulled the trigger, and the senator howled in pain, blood spurting from the top of his boot. Beside Cole, Junior jumped.
“Make one move and I’ll kill you,” Monty said to the senator. Cole knew that he would. He’d slipped out of the hands of the authorities so many times, and he’d do it again. It was why Cole had agreed to his job to begin with. Pearson and Monty were unstoppable. The senator was panting now, his eyes closed shut, but it was Aida who spoke next.
“I’d rather be killed than go back to you,” Aida hissed, hatred in her eyes.
“I could make that happen, sweetheart,” Monty said, pointing his revolver at Aida’s temple.
“Hush, Aida,” Cole ordered. Damn it all, if there was ever a time she had to obey him, it was now.
“You! You were the one who stole her from me!” the senator screamed at Cole.
Monty looked from Aida to Cole and his grin was wicked. “And you fell for her,” Monty said. “Tried to make it look like you didn’t. Pearson fell for it. I never did. And now you’ll give her to me, and your share of the spoils today, or I’ll give you up. I know who you really are.” He paused as he cocked his gun. “And you should really be careful what you tell your brother.”
The door burst open and Pearson stood, brandishing his gun. Monty sobered as Pearson took it all in.
“All of you go to hell,” Pearson growled.
Something had to be done, and it had to be done now. Cole met Junior’s eyes across the room. Cole gave a barely perceptible nod. Junior’s foot shot out, kicking over a chair that stood next to him, and with the distraction, Junior tackled Pearson.
Pearson’s gun went off with a deafening bang, but Cole was already on the floor, rolling, dodging the shots that Monty aimed at him as he cocked his own pistol and shot. Down went Monty, Aida falling with him. Cole howled as piercing pain jabbed him in the foot. Pearson had somehow managed to escape Junior’s tackle and now was at him with a dagger. Cole smacked his gun at the back of Pearson’s head at the same time Junior shot.
Monty rose on his elbow just as Cole grabbed Aida, threw her to the floor, and threw his body over her. One aim, three men he wanted dead, but it was clear Junior was not going down without a fight. Another shot rang, and Pearson slumped to the floor in a heap. Monty lunged at Cole, knocking the senator’s chair to the floor as he tried to tear Cole off Aida, but it was no use. Someone would shoot him dead before he’d allow her to be harmed. Monty shot at Cole and missed, as Junior came to Cole’s side, his aim sure and steady. A second shot hit Monty square between the eyes and Aida shrieked beneath him as Monty slumped on top of the two of them.
“Cole!” shouted Junior. “The senator!”
Cole snapped his eyes to the senator, who had somehow managed to free his hands with his fall and now held a gun to them both. Without a second thought, Cole pulled the trigger. It seemed to happen in slow motion. The gun dropped from the senator’s hand. His head rolled to the side. The clatter of the gun on the floor echoed in the narrow room as crimson blood stained the senator’s shirt. Junior stood staring at Cole, panting, and it took a minute for Cole to feel comfortable allowing Aida up from beneath him.
“You’re safe now, darlin’,” he whispered to her as she shuddered, and he glanced over at the now dead forms of Pearson, Monty, and the senator. “Now you’re safe with me.”
Chapter Eighteen
This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine. ? William Shakespeare
She couldn’t stop trembling. How was she supposed to stop it? Her hands shook as if someone was violently shaking her about the shoulders. Her father lay dead on the floor, the other filthy men piled in with them. Cole was shouting orders to the other men she was now familiar with, but she only noticed Doc and Preach. Immediately after he’d shouted instructions, Doc and Preach were hauling bodies out of the room, Junior standing guard lest anyone come running. But however they managed it, they knew what they were doing. Where was Justice? Where had they all gone to? It was all too much, too confusing, and she couldn’t understand how it was all happening, or why.
And who was Cole?
“He’s dead,” she whispered. “Cole, he’s dead,” but he didn’t reply, merely kept her tucked under his arm as he moved with decision and purpose.
“Justice and Monty’s men have moved the safe to Litchfield already,” Cole said to Junior. “They left before anything happened and won’t be the wiser for it. You go now, take the fastest horse we have, and you don’t stop until you meet—” he paused and glanced at Aida before continuing, “—our connection in Litchfield. She’ll know what to do.”
She?
Aida tried to speak but couldn’t. She opened her mouth. No words would come. As Junior raced ahead of Cole, he pulled her into the doorway of a room, and it took her a few minutes to realize it was the room they’d spent the night in. He closed the door shut tight behind them, sat on the bed, and drew her onto his lap.
“C’mere, darlin’,” he said softly. She sat on his knee, buried her head on his chest, but no tears would come. He stilled her trembling hands with his work-worn hands.
“You had to think I was one of them.”
