Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
He glanced out to see another car stop in front and three men climb out with weapons in hand. “Three in the front. Two in the rear. Approach with caution.” He paused and licked his lips. “Also, Will is here. He’s currently digging the slug out of our new friend’s gut. We need to keep him safe and buy him time to work.”
“Oh fuck,” Kairo groaned. Yeah, that was pretty much how Charlie was feeling, but he couldn’t think about it.
“Wait! When you say Will, you don’t mean your Will, right?” Ed demanded.
Charlie cringed. “He’s not my Will, but yes, Dr. Will Monroe is fucking here and up to his elbows in some guy’s guts.”
He pulled the Smith & Wesson from the holster at the small of his back and popped the clip out of habit to check it before slapping it in place and chambering a round. Keeping low so his shadow didn’t move across the windows as he crossed to the far wall, Charlie edged up to the wall and pressed his shoulder into it while gazing out across the parking lot. He had just slipped into position when bullets flew through the windows into the lobby. Glass sprayed in every direction, and Charlie swore under his breath. These assholes weren’t even going to make any demands first. Didn’t care if there were innocent people inside the building.
The only good thing was that they didn’t seem to be expert marksmen since they weren’t hitting shit and were blowing through their ammo like it was water. The second at least two of them clicked empty, Charlie leaned out from his hiding spot and fired through the broken glass. One man dropped with a head shot, but the other guy moved at the last second, taking the bullet in the shoulder.
The uninjured gunman ducked behind their car and shouted at him. He couldn’t make it all out, but it was mostly cursing. Apparently they weren’t expecting poor Doc Monroe to return fire.
“One down, two left in the front,” Charlie reported.
“One down, one left,” West added. “No. My mistake. Two down. Rear is clear for now.”
“Parked. Entering on foot,” Edison stated. “Five hundred yards and closing.”
A whisper of footsteps along the hall warned him that West was moving to the front to help him. Thanks to the positioning of the building, no one could approach by car without passing the front first.
“Two hiding behind the sedan. Ed is nearly here,” Charlie murmured.
“Got it. I can provide a distraction when Ed is in position. You go check on Doc Will.”
Charlie grunted and shoved away from the wall. He wasn’t exactly in a huge hurry to see his ex when he was in this mood, but he needed to know Will was okay.
When he reached the door, he dragged in a deep breath and released it. He could do this. Will wasn’t the type to start throwing scalpels and syringes like lawn darts even if he appeared to be incredibly pissed to see Charlie.
He pushed the door slowly open and stuck his head in. Will was fiercely concentrating on the man on his table. A pale-blue mask covered the lower half of his face while a cap covered his hair, but there was enough of his face showing to see the significant bruising around one eye and peeking out of the mask. Had that been there when he’d seen him two days ago? Even in the dark, he would have noticed that Will was hurt. What had happened?
The surgeon glanced up for a second and then returned his attention to his work. “The damage wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. Just a few stitches. I’m closing now. He will need to go to an actual hospital for blood and a shit-ton of antibiotics.”
“We’ll handle it.”
“Put on a mask if you’re staying in here!” Will snapped.
Charlie nearly growled at the angry man, but he restrained himself. He spotted a box of surgical masks near the entrance and quickly pulled one on before stepping fully into the room. “How much longer?”
“Five minutes.”
“Cops have finally been called,” Kairo chimed in. Almost at the same time, he heard more gunfire at the front of the building.
“All the targets are down. I’ll let Ed in,” West informed them.
“No! Tell him to bring his car around the back. We need to get his guy to the hospital and the doctor somewhere safe,” Charlie countered.
“What? I’m not going anywhere with you!” Will shouted, but it was merely white noise and Charlie ignored him.
“Kairo, do what you can to slow the cops.” Charlie turned his attention to Will. “You’ve got two minutes, and then we’re out of here even if I have to knock your ass out.”
Charlie marched out of the room to find West. They needed to make more plans to cover for Will and to buy them some time even after the police arrived. Luckily, this was a normal part of their job.