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The man was the ultimate wild card, out of control and raging. He started yelling about his life and all he’d lost. When he spied Shane, his intensity seemed to find a focus.
Perfect. That was exactly what Shane wanted. He made himself a target on purpose and planned to keep his body there for as long as possible. Let Connor and Cam get into position. Let Tyler make a mistake. Anything to take the attention away from Makena and give them all a chance at survival.
But Shane couldn’t look at her for long. Her eyes were wild with fear as her mouth dropped open. The combined look of pain and fear killed him. So did the way she glanced around and silently begged Cam to do something when Shane didn’t.
But he could. Rather than wait on the defensive, he grabbed a hold of the offensive. Shane held his hands up. “That’s right. You want me.”
Tyler scrambled to his knees. “You ruined everything.”
Shane took a step back, luring Tyler away from the protection of the barricade of the tipped table and pile of fallen chairs. “I did. I went after her when I knew she was yours.”
Makena gasped. “Shane, no.”
For a second he worried she believed him, but the concern on her face suggested something else. She was smart and strong. She’d know this amounted to a plot meant to ensnare Tyler and drag him down.
When Tyler’s gaze slipped back to her, Shane rushed to get it moving again. “I did it on purpose. I didn’t want her, but I really didn’t want you to have her.” He shook his head and pretended to believe the foul words he spit out. “She was a game. I wanted to beat you.”
Tyler lifted up a little higher. An inch more and his head would pop up in firing range. “She wanted me first.”
Shane didn’t even steal a look at her this time. To get through this, he needed to match Tyler’s evil with some of his own. The anxiety pinging around inside him threatened to drop him to his knees, but he kept his attention steady. On Tyler and his gun, waiting for the perfect moment to take him out.
“She did want you. She was all in and talking about you. Thinking you were this hero doing all this amazing work.” Shane forced the words out. “But I made her want me. Convincing her was tough, but I did it.”
Tyler straightened then and Shane did not hesitate. He lowered his hand with exacting speed and fired. Gunshots rang out from three parts of the room and he knew Connor and Cam had taken the advantage, too.
But Shane didn’t care about Tyler. Connor could handle him. Shane’s mind went to the woman who held his heart. Ignoring the aches and pain and the way his bones creaked after all the abuse they’d endured, he slid across the floor and skidded to a stop beside her. He was vaguely aware of Connor dropping down to check Tyler’s pulse and Cam rushing over to lift Jeff.
Shane only saw her.
He grabbed at the ropes binding her to the chair, trying to rip them apart with his bare hands. His strength alone might have done it, but Cam handed over a knife and Shane got busy cutting.
He had her loose in a few seconds and she flew into his arms. Her warmth seeped into him as he fell back against the floor on his butt. He had her cradled on his lap and he rocked back and forth. “I love you. God, I love you.”
He could hear her crying and felt the wet tears against his neck. Sirens whirred to life around them, and car doors slammed shut just outside. Guns came up and people talked over each other. Jeff didn’t move while Cam clamped a kitchen towel against his side and tried to talk with him.
Police burst through the door and Connor stopped them. He held up his hands and the yelling match started. All the noise faded into the background for Shane. He couldn’t help them and didn’t want to let go of her. In this moment he needed her. To hold her, to beg her forgiveness. Everything.
“I’m so sorry.” He whispered the words over and over, into her hair, then against her forehead. He kissed the patches of skin he could see and brushed her hair out of the way to get to her mouth. He was about to ask her something when her mouth touched his.
She kissed him, deep and desperate. Her fingers clawed at his back and she drew him in closer. “I thought you were dead.”
He had to lean down to hear her. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head but didn’t answer. For some reason he needed to hear her voice. “Baby, talk to me.”
She looked up at him with tearstained cheeks. “It’s Jeff’s blood.”
The reminder had Shane glancing over his shoulder. The man’s eyes were open but glazed over.
“He saved me.” A tremble made her voice vibrate.
“I saw.” Shane had watched in shock as Jeff played the hero. He’d spent so much of his life lying about being one. In this instance, he’d acted like one, and Shane was humbled by the sacrifice.
