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He jammed an elbow into The Broker’s ribs and rolled him at the same time, forcing the rib to crack beneath his weight. Unable to retain his grip on the knife, he dropped the weapon, and it clattered to the floor.
Not letting up now that he had the upper hand, he balled his fist and punched him in the face twice. Bones shattered and blood spurted.
“You’re…not…hurting…her…or anyone else…ever again!” He pummeled him with a blow to the gut and two knees to the balls. The Broker gave up too easily when his eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out.
Jace stared down at his limp adversary, furious that he couldn’t keep battering him and deliver the justice he deserved.
Panting with the rage still coursing through him, he pushed off the floor and yanked steel cable ties out of his pocket. In seconds, he had the man tied hand and foot and locked to an old cooking stove’s gas pipe running up out of the floor. That should hold him until the police got to him. But secretly, he hoped The Broker gained consciousness and flailed enough to break the line.
With any luck, he’d blow himself up and his stain would leave the Earth forever.
He broke for the exit and rushed out to find Bronte. She was on the ground with Noah working to cut her bound ankles. Jace’s stare landed on hers, and a cry broke from her.
She held up an arm to him, and he hit his knees next to her, clutching her tight to his body and basking in the fact that she was alive, that he hadn’t failed her.
He pressed kisses to her cheeks and forehead. “I got you. I’m so goddamn sorry, sweetness.”
She twisted his shirt in her grip. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about.”
“I do. I let that crazy bitch get at you and I didn’t even get a chance to tell you how I feel about you.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Noah tactfully take himself off, the rope binding Bronte’s feet dangling from his hand.
She pulled back enough to look into Jace’s eyes. “We need to talk about this, but right now, I think we need to save Angelica’s life.”
He flicked his eyes up to the SUV that Ross and Jaren were busy loading the woman into.
Without a beat of hesitation, he lifted Bronte in his arms and ran to the vehicle with her. “You try to stop the bleeding. I’ll drive.”
“No! You’re trained. I only know basic first aid. I’ll drive!” she protested as he set her on her feet.
“I’ll drive. Jace, you get in the back and help the woman. I’ll get her to the hospital. Noah, Jaren,” Ross said into the comms, “stay and watch over The Broker and the criminals you caught out back until the police arrive.”
“Copy,” they said at once.
Bronte leaped into the front seat, and Jace took the back. The scent of blood filled the vehicle, and he quickly assessed what he could even do to help when she’d lost so much blood already.
Ross took off, and Jace checked the site of the wound. It looked to have hit some vitals. Her liver, at least.
Bronte twisted to watch his progress. “We can’t let her die,” she choked.
“I’ll do the best I can. Bronte, tell me what they were asking you to do.”
“Uh…” She floundered. “He told me to sign in and give him my program. But I couldn’t. I hit a firewall.”
He gave her a sideways glance. “I knew my addition would come in handy.”
“How could you know this would all happen?”
“Sweetness, I always expect the worst. Only in this case, I got the best too. I got you.”
She made a noise that made him look up at her. Their eyes caught and held. In that moment, he knew he had a chance at a relationship with her.
He turned his attention to Angelica. About her…he wasn’t so confident.
* * * * *
Bronte paused outside her condo door and turned to Jace. “You open the door. I’ll get ready to catch the cat.”
