Page 161 of Guarding Grace

The shot was incredibly loud, but it missed my forehead as I fell back against the floor.

The door shuddered under some kind of assault.

Coughing, Marku yanked me up by my hair.

I cried out, my scalp burning from the assault as I tried to elbow and kick him. It was no use.

He jammed the gun against my ear. “Stay still, or I’ll shoot.” He struggled to his feet and yanked me up between him and the door.

With a loud crunch, the door gave way.

Terry stepped in, looking madder than I’d ever seen him. His gun was raised. “Let her go.” His voice boomed in the small space.

Marku pressed the gun barrel harder against me. “Drop it, or I kill her.” I heard the click as Marku cocked the hammer. “You have ten seconds to drop your gun and let me walk out of here, or she dies.”

Terry raised his gun to point at the ceiling. “Settle down.”

“Nine… eight… seven,” Marku counted down.

“Don’t,” I warned Terry. If he put his gun down, I was sure Marku would shoot him. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let Terry sacrifice himself. “Don’t do it.”

“Six… five,” Marku continued.

“I have to. I don’t have a clear shot,” Terry said.

What I had to do was clear—fight with whatever I had, give him space to shoot, and save my man.

Terry’s words made Marku lose count. “Five… four.” He had me by the hair instead of an arm around my throat. “Three, two.”

I raised my right foot and slammed the heel of my boot against his foot just as I lifted the left foot and became a dead weight he couldn’t hold up.

Bang, bang.

Something wet splattered my cheek as Terry’s bullets slammed into Marku. As I fell to the floor, my scalp felt like I’d lost half my hair.

Terry

With wide eyes,Grace looked at me and smiled as I kept my SIG trained on the asshole, in case he needed another round. It was a smile that warmed my soul. My woman was safe.

The asshole moaned, cradling his useless arm. “You shot me,” he whined.

“Don’t move.” Zane came in just behind me and kicked the asshole’s weapon to the side.

Just then, Grace looked down at the bloody mess that used to be his arm.

Dropping my weapon, I rushed forward, grabbing her just before she went limp. And this time kept her from hitting her head.

“I need a doctor,” the asshole whined.

“You need to shut up.” Zane kicked him. “Did she get clipped?”

“She fainted. It’s the blood.” I cradled Grace to me. “I got you, Kitten.”

Cradling her head in my lap, I whipped my jacket off, placing it over Grace. Marci followed Constance into the room. Her hands went to her face. “Oh my God.”

“She’s all right,” Zane assured her. “She fainted.”

Constance pulled her weapon and trained it on the blubbering asshole. “I got him.”