Page 47 of Claimed Gem

When she heard Ries’ voice, she felt both relief and fear in a combination that was almost paralyzing.

The fact that he’d shown up, prepared to sacrifice himself for her, was amazing. Maybe he really was the man she’d thought he was. Maybe her love story was real, after all.

It was also stupid and dangerous on Ries’ part, but Stephanie could hardly lecture him about that today.

She wanted to yell for him to get back and tell him how she truly cared for him, but she didn’t want to anger the men with the guns. When Angelo stepped forward and pressed his gun to her temple, Stephanie was prepared to die with Ries. She didn’t really want to live without Ries in the world. She didn’t want to watch him die because of her.

She tensed, preparing to spring. Praying that she could rip her hands free when the time was right. Praying that she could distract at least one of the gunmen long enough. Long enough for Ries to shoot the other.

But now, Angelo had her by the throat and had a gun to her head. Any resistance would mean instant death – and instant loss of her ability to protect Ries.

Her opportunity to attack was slipping away and she only hoped that Ries would be able to escape before she died from the bullet she was sure to take.

When she saw Ries take a step forward, intending to lay his gun down on the ground, she knew her time was up. As Ries bent down, Stephanie exploded into action. She kicked her legshardagainst the mattress, sending her own body – and Angelo with her – flying backwards onto the warehouse floor.

The assassin was so startled that the gun was jarred from its place before he pulled the trigger, going off several inches from Stephanie’s face.

She then head-butted himhard, slamming the back of her head into his nose, and heard his gun clatter to the floor.

She also heard Carlos yell, and heard more gunshots.

She focused with single-minded purpose on the one thing she could do: keep Angelo busy. He snarled and rolled to face her, pinning her body underneath his.

That was when Stephanie ripped her hands free and fastened them around Angelo’s throat.

The look of surprise in his eyes said it all as she held his throat as tightly as she could.

He fumbled for the gun he’d dropped, but Stephanie turned the tables on him, pinning him to the ground by his throat.

But then she realized she couldn’t pin his hands and throat at once. Even as she put all of her weight on his windpipe, she couldn’t see his hand – or how close it was to the gun that could end her life.

21

Everything happened so fastthat Ries reacted without even thinking. He saw Stephanie attack Angelo and dived for his own gun just as Angelo’s guards revealed themselves from behind the tall stacks of crates and started firing. Ries didn’t have time to worry about their bullets – he was worried about Stephanie.

Ries grabbed his gun and rolled to his back, immediately taking aim and firing at the guards who were shooting toward Stephanie. He hit the first man in the chest, dropping him to the ground, and then hit the other man in the back. As the man turned to return fire, Ries fired a third time, and the third man went down as well.

All those summers at the shooting range were paying off.

Ries got to his feet and raced toward where Stephanie and Angelo were still struggling. Stephanie’s body blocked Angelo’s almost completely as she pinned him, making it impossible for Ries to hit Angelo without going through her. But Angelo’s hand groped dangerously near to his discarded pistol, his fingers only inches away from its trigger.

Ries raced toward them, crouching to make himself a smaller target. He could now see that the corner of Stephanie’s mouth was bleeding, but she wasn’t shrinking away from the man who’d caused such damage. In fact, Angelo’s flails were growing weaker – Stephanie almost had him unconscious.

But as Ries watched, Angelo’s fingers closed on the handle of the gun.

Ries surged forward and brought the butt of his gun down, hard, on Angelo’s wrist.

The man dropped the gun one last time, and lay still.

Ries quickly picked up the assassin’s gun, turned the safety on and crouched low as he looked for other sources of danger. Stephanie had rolled off of Angelo and was trying to get to her feet, but she looked dizzy and weak. Ries reached down with one arm and pulled her close, shoving her behind him as he wasn’t convinced the danger was past.

“Where is Carlos?” he asked.

Stephanie struggled to get control of her breathing. “I don’t know. He went that way when Angelo grabbed me.” She pointed down a darkened aisle.

Ries helped Stephanie to sit on the mattress and then quickly scanned her for injuries, all the while keeping his gun at the ready. “Are you hit?”

Stephanie was shaking badly but shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She glanced fearfully atAngelo on the floor. “Is he dead?”