Page 134 of Disarming Caine

“You should have killed me,” moaned Jimmy. “I won’t last in prison.”

My hands flew up, shaking uncontrollably. “He’s been shot!”

The flashlights—and likely guns—trained on Antonio. “Get the fuck off him! Now!”

He slumped further down, nodding his head. Slower and slower. Until he slipped onto the floor.

“No!” I screamed and fell to my knees next to him, but one of the officers hauled me back—into the waiting grip of another who cuffed me—and took my place at Antonio’s side. “I think it’s his arm. Put pressure on it.”

New voices entered the house. Someone asked for the ambulance ETA. Someone else talked about getting me out of there.

“They tried to fucking kill me.” Jimmy rolled to his side, rubbing at his chest, likely thanking his vest for saving his life.

“Don’t you say another word, Slater.” Janelle’s voice rang clear through the room. She stalked past two officers setting up lights for the scene, stepped over the piano, and jabbed a finger at the one who’d cuffed me. “Take those off her and put them on Slater.”

“What?” asked the officer holding me.

“Do it,” said Elliot, flashing his credentials as he walked behind her.

“Did you hear it all?” While I was behind Antonio, I’d also finally answered her repeated calls. And had her muted on speaker phone for the last of it.

“We heard enough.” Elliot stopped in front of me while Janelle checked on Antonio. His eyebrow cocked. “Heard about the Ferraro family, too.”

“You know it’s not true, Elliot.” I shook my head, unable to stop. “We’re not married and I’m not pregnant. His family isn’t behind this. It was all to convince him not to—” I choked back the sob. “David and Olivia are behind the couch over there. He just… Jimmy shot them to cover up what he was doing.”

Janelle stood and came over to me, wrapping me up in her arms. “You should have answered my first text. When I found out Jimmy hadn’t called in backup, everything started making sense. All the way back to the Scott fire case closing too fast.”

“No more silent treatment. I promise.” I leaned into her, the tremors becoming stronger, watching the two officers now tending to Antonio.

She stroked the back of my head. “He’s going to be fine, Sam. Ambulance will be here soon.”

Chapter 49

Antonio

Thebedwascomfortable.Everything was comfortable. I was warm and cozy. But the scent was all wrong. It was clean, but no hint of vanilla anywhere.

Voices floated through the room, soft. One of them was Samantha. Why was she so far away? Was she sitting in the chaise? By the fireplace? Why were there multiple voices in my bedroom?

I cracked an eye open to find her. Pale yellow walls. A blue curtain hanging from the ceiling. This was not my bedroom. My head rolled toward the voices.

So many people over there. Samantha. Miller with his arm around her shoulders—which didn’t actually bother me. Janelle in uniform. A man in a long white coat with his back to me. Heads nodded, Samantha brought a tissue to her eyes. They all looked tired.

“Samantha?” My throat was sore.

“Oh my god!” came her voice and she dashed across the room, twining her fingers in my left hand. She was so fast, this one. “How do you feel?”

I blinked at her, eyes fluttering closed for a moment. “Very tired.”

The man in the white coat came to the other side. “Good morning, Tony.”

“Steve?” I chuckled, the room coming into greater focus. The doctor had been one of my best friends in college, a friendship we’d rekindled once I moved back to town.

It was a hospital room. The curtains behind Steve were drawn, a sliver of light peeking around their edges.

“What time is it?”

Steve smiled and pushed back his sandy-blond hair. “It’s morning. You came through surgery just fine.”