Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
The elevator began to descend. “MaeBe’s on the ground.”
Hutch had switched to the camera on the elevator. MaeBe stepped out but turned and looked up at the monitors that showed what floor each of the two elevators were on. She hesitated, likely to give them time.
Or she was worried about the noise. He winced because he hadn’t thought about what he was doing. They’d taken the elevator that tended to slam shut, and that sound could echo through the parking garage.
She was frowning at the camera, pure judgment in her eyes.
He knew exactly what she was thinking. She was mentally calling him a dumbass for not taking the elevator they knew damn well wouldn’t alert the bad guys another one had arrived.
“Tag is already pinging me,” Hutch announced. “He’s on his way in. Drake and Taylor made it to their elevator. Boomer and Deke are already on the ground floor. They’ll have to sneak around to the front of the garage and take out the guard.”
“Don’t kill him. He was trying to save his kid, and I know all too well how Julia can convince a person to do something terrible.” His gut was in a knot. He couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t be the reason Hutch lost his wife. If either one of the women got hurt because he was a dumbass who didn’t think…
The elevator doors opened quietly, and MaeBe rolled her eyes his way.
That was when the solution became clear. He reached out and pushed the button to hold the damn doors open.
Panic was not his friend. He had to stop. He had to trust that he had a team around him. Hutch wasn’t Julia.
MaeBe wasn’t Julia.
He didn’t have to watch his back. He did have to watch hers.
MaeBe would never be happy spending the rest of her life behind a computer. She would want to be out in the field. There would be nothing safe about life with this woman. Except she would never turn on him, never betray him.
She sighed and turned and started walking away. “Noelle? Noelle, are you here?”
Of course if they had a D/s contract, at least he could spank that sweet ass when she got reckless. That would make him feel better. He could have one place where he was in control because otherwise, he would simply be at her side.
He let her get past the first row of parking slots, almost around the corner where they would be able to see her. He nodded to Hutch, and they silently moved across the concrete. Hutch had shoved his cell in his pocket and had a doublehanded hold on the gun in his hand.
Kyle could feel his heart thudding in his chest as MaeBe held up her hands and disappeared behind the wall.
“MaeBe?” Noelle’s voice floated through the parking garage. “Get down!”
The last two words were shouted, and then there was a sound that damn near stopped Kyle in his tracks. Three pings.
A suppressor.
Kyle took off, all thoughts of stealth long gone as he ran around the corner, Hutch hard on his heels.
In his mind’s eye he could see Mae on the ground, blood starting to surround her body. He would lie down beside her. He would be true to his promise to her.
“Put down the gun!” Drake was shouting in the distance.
MaeBe was standing in the middle of the parking garage, her hands on her hips and three bodies in an arc in front of her.
“I will put down the gun.” John Smith had one hand up, the other around Noelle’s waist. “But someone needs to help Mrs. Hutchins. She rolled her ankle when these idiots scared her, and she doesn’t have her cane. Ma’am, would you mind asking your husband not to kill me?”
MaeBe turned to Kyle, gesturing to the bodies around her. “He shot these guys. And I think he was protecting Noelle.”
“I don’t care. I need a better reason than that not to kill that fucker.” Kyle stepped in front of MaeBe because Smith was still holding a gun in one hand.
This could be Julia’s plan. Something worse was about to happen.
Hutch rushed in and picked up his wife, carrying her away as quickly as he could.
Drake and Taylor moved into position, and from the side, he heard Deke and Boomer running in to surround the man.
John Smith placed his gun on the ground. “Then let me give you one, Mr. Hawthorne. I’m Canadian Intelligence.”
MaeBe’s hand found his, squeezing.
Murder was going to have to wait.
Forty minutes later his uncle sat behind his desk and doubled over laughing. “I just…can you say it again? I need to hear it again…it’s the best…”
His uncle was a massive ass sometimes. “He says he’s Canadian Intelligence.”
Ian slapped the desk, and his laughter boomed through the office. “Charlie, baby. Can you record that? I want to play it back any time I get sad. He said Canadian and intelligence like they went together.”