Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
I slowly turned my head to look at him, my eyes wide. “What are you doing? Gun beats arrow.”
“Dang it.” He scrambled for the weapon. The Cupid let his arrow fly, and it embedded in Lenny’s neck. He flew back against his battered truck, coughing wildly, his hand scrabbling to grab the shaft. Blood spurted in every direction, coating his chest and dropping onto the snow as he fell. I ran to him, crouching to try to cover the hole.
His eyes widened. “Framed,” he sputtered, blood spitting from his mouth. “I…”
Tears filled my eyes. “You were framed? By the Cupids?”
His eyes closed, and his body went limp. Panic engulfed me, and I stood, turning. I scrambled in my purse for my gun, but the Cupid already had another arrow nocked. Shrieking, I turned to run. A projectile whizzed by my head. I pivoted and tried to move around the truck toward the alley, my knee protesting.
I grabbed my gun just as pain ripped through my entire right side from the shoulder down. I flew forward and landed on my torso, sliding across the ice and bumping my head on the icy wheel of a snow-covered blue truck. Pain lanced through me, and I whimpered, trying to lever up onto my knees.
Headlights pierced the alley.
“Fuck,” the Cupid yelled.
I turned, my hand on my gun, and barely saw him run in the other direction. The headlights came closer. Darkness swirled around my vision, and I tried to concentrate.
“Anna?” Aiden asked urgently, the sound of his boots hitting the icy ground echoing through my head.
Relief filled me just long enough to relax before the darkness took me.
Chapter 23
I came to in a hospital room with a quiet beeping above my head.
“Anna?” Aiden asked.
I blinked open my eyes, careful not to move my head. So far, I felt okay. I looked down at my shoulder. “What happened?” My throat felt dry.
“You were shot with an arrow,” he said grimly. “You also have a lump on your head.”
I belatedly realized that he was holding my other hand. “How bad?”
“Not bad. The doctor removed the arrow. You needed ten stitches. It went in clean and didn’t damage any tissue other than at the surface. You were lucky, there. The bump on the head isn’t bad and is already going down.”
I shifted. “I want to sit up.”
He hit a button, and the head of the bed slowly rose.
“I’m okay?”
“You were shot with an arrow,” he said.
Something in his tone caught me, and I turned to see his glittering blue eyes darken in fury. Oh. All right. I couldn’t remember much. I had to shake my head. “What happened?”
“Just take a deep breath,” he said. “You’re okay. You’re safe now.”
A rustling sounded, and Detective Grant Pierce walked in. “You’re awake.” He studied me. “You okay?”
“I think so.” I noted his tousled dark-blond hair and whiskered jaw. “Have you even been home, Grant?” He looked like he’d been working days on end.
“I don’t remember,” he said curtly. “I already have a statement from Aiden, but I need yours.”
“I think I’m still groggy.”
Aiden handed me a glass of water. “Drink this.”
I took several deep gulps, soothing my parched throat. “Thank you. I had cookies and was going to see Cousin Wanda.” Then, the entire disaster rushed back to me. “Lenny. Is he okay?”
Aiden just stared at me.
Pierce shook his head. “No. He was shot in the neck and bled out before we could get to him.”
My stomach roiled. “It was the lead Cupid guy. He showed up, dressed in all black like usual, and shot us both. Lenny had a gun and dropped it before thinking. He was terrified of the lead guy and said he was framed.”
“Lenny was part of it, not framed, no matter what his last words were. Now, we have the main Cupid on murder,” Pierce said grimly. “He’s going to be even more dangerous.”
“Why did he shoot me?” So far, I wasn’t feeling any pain. My entire arm remained numb.
“He probably thought Lenny identified him,” Pierce said. “Tell me everything you remember.”
I raised my good hand to my eyes and pushed, trying to clear my brain. And then slowly, methodically, I went through each minute until I passed out. Awareness trickled down my spine, and I looked at Aiden, dropping my hand. “I think he would’ve killed me if you hadn’t shown up.”
“I think so, too.” Aiden’s brogue went dark and low, fast.
I pushed hair out of my face. “The good news is that he was obviously worried Lenny had identified him to me, and now I’m with the police. So there’s no need for him to come after me again.” Nice try, jerkwad. “Do you think he’ll run?”
“Not sure,” Pierce said. “I wish Lenny had identified the main Cupid for you.”
“So do I,” Aiden said, his voice hoarse like he’d been swallowing fire.