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“I know.” Lucas sounded pleasingly despondent. “But I hope you can see my point as well? The man you’re entangled with is trouble, Miss Noble. I’d be willing to wager my pension that you’re not the first woman he’s stalked and attacked. Somewhere out there are other victims and they deserve justice.”
Gripping the wall for support, I crept closer until I was only around the corner from the entrance to the room.
“As a lawyer, I’m sure you agree with me.”
“If there was any proof of other victims, then I would.”
Peering around the corner, I watched the moment Tiffany lied for me. She knew better than anyone what I was guilty of, but true to her word, she didn’t give me away. I’d never loved her more than at that moment.
“I am, as you say, a lawyer, Detective. I need evidence for any case to exist.”
“So, it’s a stalemate then?” Lucas’s head fell at the realization.
Watching her, my gaze flitted to my gun, left on the edge of the counter.
“Yes.” Tiffany nodded, her back to me. “We both have good points, and I see no obvious compromise.”
“What next then?” Lucas sighed, finishing whatever she was drinking from my father’s finest china.
Tiffany gestured to the teapot. “How about another cup?”
“How about not?” I hadn’t planned to speak, but in typical Kade tradition, I acted on impulse, advancing into the room with my eyes set on the prize of my loaded weapon.
“Master!” Spinning in her seat, Tiffany beamed at me. “You’re okay!”
“Little girl.” I flashed a grin at her, headed for my gun. “You can tell me later how you got away, but first—”
“But first, nothing.” Lurching for the weapon, Lucas grabbed it, fumbling with the trigger as I reached her.
“No!” Tiffany’s shrill scream pierced the air as I grabbed the barrel, directing it away from us both. “Get off him!”
“Tiffany,” I urged through gritted teeth as I wrestled the detective for the gun. My little girl had already left her stool and was loitering dangerously close to the action. “Stay out of the way.”
It wasn’t that I couldn’t handle the intruder, but I was wary of the loaded gun, knowing it wouldn’t take much pressure for her finger to unload bullets around my kitchen. Pushing Lucas to the ground, I climbed over her, trying to neutralize the threat.
“It’s time this was over,” Lucas screeched as I held her wrist down and tried to push the gun away.
“Oh, I agree completely.” With one final effort, I held her wrist down, sending the gun whizzing past her feet. “It’s time you were put to bed.”
“You bastard!” Lucas yelled, fighting me every inch of the way.
Attempting to manage her flailing limbs, I realized how hard she must have hit me. It wasn’t usually this difficult to pin down my prey. As though she could read my pounding head, she lurched, sending one knee straight to my groin. Pain erupted at the attack, sending me falling to one side in a futile effort to protect my poor testicles.
“Fuck!” I hissed, eyes closing as the hurt engulfed me, but the sound of Lucas’ snarl soon drew my attention again.
“If I can’t shoot you, then let’s try this.”
Eyes widening, I saw her lunge at me with one of the kitchen knives. I never saw her grab it, but long and menacing looking, the blade approached faster than I’d have liked. It gave me little time to think, let alone get away. Braced for the new injury, I held my breath, but my heart stopped beating altogether as the deafening noise of a gunshot rang out around me.
The bullet flew over my head, hitting Lucas in the chest and sending her flying back toward the glass doors. Stunned at what had just happened, I pulled myself upright, hardly believing my eyes. Standing over me was the woman I’d captured, the woman who’d tamed me—the one who’d changed everything—a steely look in her eyes and my gun in her hand.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tiffany
All I saw at that moment was the end. The end of everything I knew, everything I’d fought for. Something snapped in my mind as I watched Lucas diving at Kade with the knife. Something that resolved I would act.
I’d never been a violent woman, nor especially interested in self-defense, although God knew after Kade I had thought about it, but this was different. This was a woman who had no right to even be there, lunging at my lover with an eight-inch blade. Lurching for the gun, I operated out of instinct. Neither of them was looking my way. A deranged gleam danced in Lucas’ eyes and understandably, my master was preoccupied with her looming attack. Neither of them witnessed me collect the weapon nor take aim. Neither of them noticed my finger as it hugged the trigger.
