Page 31

31

RED ZONE

Jack

“ F uck!” The word rings through my car.

Shocker, I do not do what Asa says. I pull up next to the black Defender with personalized plates that insinuate the driver is a number one quarterback.

I’m at the Founders headquarters and stadium enough to know that car.

Number one, my ass. If I have anything to do with it, he’ll be the number one bitch in a federal penitentiary.

I grab my cell and put it to my ear as I kill my engine and race to the house. “Did you hear those gunshots?”

“Two males entered the cabin and exited out the back door. They’re following Emma and whoever she’s with,” Ozzy continues to commentate. “Emma is up and running again. They missed.”

“We’re close,” Asa bites. “Can you trace them through the forest, Oz?”

“For the most part. Emma and her partner are headed straight north but won’t be for long. They have no idea where they are because they’re headed for an overlook. They’re going to run out of land.”

I don’t bother with the cabin and move around the side of the house.

“I see you, Jack. Slow down and be quiet. They’re armed, and you’re not. Stay behind them,” Ozzy orders.

“He’s not shooting at Emma again,” I growl.

The moment I round the back corner of the house, I barely catch sight of Emma’s dark hair trailing behind her before she disappears into a dip in the earth since we’re going downhill.

Mark raises his arm that he usually uses to throw a pigskin. Instead, he’s gripping a handgun.

Another bullet ricochets off a tree.

I come to a stop next to a cluster of trees that are so big, they look like they’re decades old. “Morse!”

“Shit,” Ozzy mutters.

“Dammit, Jack,” Asa yells into my ear. “What did I tell you?”

Mark Morse stops in his tracks with another man I do not recognize.

I keep talking to keep his attention. “You could’ve been traded and ended your career throwing for a mediocre team. Instead, you were salty and chose felonies. Not a good choice.”

The moment our gazes meet, he freezes for a split second before he starts to raise the weapon toward me. No more than twenty yards separate us.

The red zone.

Even though I’m holding my phone, I hold my hands up to reveal the fact I’m unarmed and very fucking vulnerable.

But he’s not focused on Emma, and that’s my only goal in life at the moment.

My voice carries through the woods before he can train his sights on me. “I wouldn’t do that. We’ve got cameras on us. You shoot, and it’ll be breaking news before you can figure out what your next move is.”

Mark glances at the guy next to him before glaring back at me. But he does lower his arm. “This is my property. There aren’t any cameras out here. And the way I see it, you’re trespassing, Hale. I have the right to protect my land.”

I don’t move, but I do keep my cell connected to the call. Ozzy might be able to watch from space, but I have no clue if he can hear. “What you don’t have a right to do is kidnap people and keep them hostage. Guess what? We have that on video too. You’re racking up the charges as we speak. Toss your gun and cut your losses while you can.”

The guy with Morse mutters something I can’t hear and starts for me.

When he does, he reaches behind his back and produces his own weapon.

That’s when I hear her. Emma screams from somewhere in the woods. “No! Jack!”

I barely have a chance to shift behind the trees when I hear two quick, concurrent shots.

A moment passes when another sound comes from the opposite direction.

It does not echo through the forest.

It’s so faint, I have to do a double take to make sure I actually heard it.

Pop .

A silenced gunshot.

Then, a thud.

“What the fuck?” Morse yells. “Who’s out there?”

Feet hit the forest floor. Twigs and dead leaves crunch quickly under heavy feet.

My heart races, but I take a chance and peek from behind the tree I’m using as cover.

The guy that was running for me lays on the ground bleeding from his head.

I put my cell to my ear and whisper. “Please tell me Asa and Crew are here.”

“Fuck you, Hale!” Morse bellows. “I will take you down if it’s the last thing I do. Your fucking client and little girlfriend won’t be far behind!”

Emma

“Jack!” I scream for the second time.

Rylan pulls me back to the ground to hide behind a berm. “Shut up.”

Tears run down my cheeks. “He’s shooting at Jack.”

“There’s someone else here. The guy with Morse is the one who hired me to do that job. He’s dead. Who the fuck has a silencer?”

I’m not about to tell Rylan I know who that is.

But I know.

Jack and my dad are working together.

I peek over the ridge and see Mark Morse’s back is to us. His body language is easy to read.

He’s agitated and restless. Those dispositions do not mix well.

Beyond him, Jack appears slowly from behind a group of trees so wide, they make up a wall. My heart catches when I see him face the man who shot at us running through the forest.

“Drop the gun, Morse. You’re in a lose-lose situation.”

Morse shakes his head. “I wasn’t a loser at anything until you got the GM to bench me so your golden boy could have his day. Don’t tell me you didn’t.”

When Jack shrugs, it hits me in a deep place. It’s confident and casual and so, so him . How many times have I seen him do that with those beautiful blue eyes focused only on me. “I’m flattered you think I have that much power. It just so happens I represent the more talented player.”

“Why is he baiting him?” I whisper.

“To save your ass,” Rylan mutters. “Which means, I’m sticking with you.”

“You fucker,” Morse growls.

Jack has the nerve to hold out his arms like he’s throwing a dare at Mark’s feet. “What are you going to do? Look at your buddy over there on the ground. The moment you raise that gun, you’re done. You might not see anyone else, but you’re surrounded. You’re one bad move away from going down.”

Mark shakes his head like he doesn’t believe it and scans the area. His gaze finally settles back on Jack.

That’s when a hand wraps around my mouth.

I let out a muffled scream until a familiar, whispered voice pulls me back to his chest.

“It’s me, baby.”

I flip my head around and gasp. “Dad!”

Rylan jerks in surprise and falls to his ass.

I start to throw my arms around his neck when I hear Mark Morse.

“Who was that? Is that you, little Hollingsworth? The woman who ruined my entire fucking plan?”

Dad puts a finger to his lips and spears Rylan with his best shut up look before he pushes me behind him.

He pulls a gun from his jacket and peers over the edge of the hill before he puts his cell to ear. “I’m with Emma. Put an end to this shit, Crew.”

Jack

“Look at me, Morse,” I demand.

Mark turned away from me when Emma screamed. He ignores me and stalks toward the spot I saw Emma disappear. “Shut the fuck up, Hale. If I never see you again, it’ll be too soon.”

There’s no way he’ll touch her. Ever.

I’m at an all-out run. “Morse!”

Morse pauses, turns, and raises his gun at the same time. “I said shut the?—”

Two shots.

One loud.

One silenced.

“Fuck.” I fall to my knees.

Morse hits the ground.

And Emma screams.

Emma

“No!”

Jack falls to the ground.

“Emma, stop!” Dad yells.

“Shit,” Crew bites.

I pull out of Dad’s arms and stumble over wet, cold ground to get to Jack. I trip on a pile of icy snow and fall to my knees beside him. I lay my hand on him where blood starts to seep through his clothes.

“You were hit. Holy shit, you were hit.” Tears stream down my face as his blood covers my hands. “Dad! Call someone!”

He’s already on the phone. “I don’t have an address, but I’ll send my coordinates. We have a gunshot wound to the thigh.” Dad comes down to one knee on the other side of Jack and presses two fingers to his neck. “The victim is conscious. His pulse is a little low. We also have two fatalities. You’ll need more units.”

Jack pushes my dad’s hand away and tries to sit up. “I’m fine. It’s just my leg.”

I put my hand to his shoulder, push him back to the ground, and repeat for the third time like anyone here needs me to declare the obvious. “You were shot, and you’re bleeding. Don’t move a muscle, Jack Hale.”

Crew and Rylan join us.

Crew is holding a rifle and wearing an expression that bleeds guilt. “Fuck, Jack. I was a split second too late. I had to wait for him to raise the gun on you before I could shoot. As high profile as this is, this’ll be all over the news. We have everything on video to prove it was self-defense.”

Jack winces and finally gives in. His head falls to the ground, and he squeezes his eyes shut. “Hey, better late than never. If the drive-by didn’t get me, something was bound to, right?”

Dad moves my hand to study Jack’s leg. “You’re going to need surgery. But it looks like it just caught your flesh.”

I push my dad away and press lightly on his injured leg with one hand and frame his face with my other. “You’re going to be okay. You have to be.” I turn to Dad. “Call Levi. Make sure he has the best surgeons on his case when we get to the hospital.”

Dad gives me a chin lift.

“I need to call Carson. We’re going to need some creative report writing to cover this,” Crew adds.

Jack grabs my hand and pulls me to him.

I go willingly.

I don’t want to be anywhere but with him.

He tags the back of my head and holds me to him when our lips meet. It’s a kiss brewing with equal parts desperation and relief.

We’re alive and together.

Our kiss lingers for another moment, but I don’t pull away. My forehead rests on his. I’ll never take for granted his beautiful blue eyes staring at me so intently, I swear, he can see my soul.

“You’re moving in with me,” he grits through the pain.

I nod, barely able to control my tears. “Yes, I am.”

“You did well, Jack.”

I press my lips to his once more before sitting up to look at my dad.

Dad keeps talking. “You got to her, and you did what you needed to do. I’m grateful.”

Jack doesn’t look away from me. “I’d do it again.”

“Let’s hope that won’t be necessary,” Crew says as he puts a hand to his ear. I realize he’s wearing an earpiece and is on a call. He nods. “Good news. Keep me updated.” He looks down at the rest of us. “Bella did what she does best and controlled the situation at your old agency until they got the warrants. Carson said both Acosta and Pike are being read their rights as we speak. The guys who carjacked you have been detained. They can all hang out in jail tonight.”

“Thank you, but when will the ambulance be here?” I’m glad Dad and his friends are handling the bad guys, but all I care about is getting Jack to the hospital.

“Shouldn’t be long, baby,” Dad assures me.

“It shouldn’t be long at all,” Crew adds. “Ozzy contracted for a private life flight.”

Jack pulls in a deep breath. “If I didn’t care about bleeding on my leather, I’d say throw me in my car and drive me there. I hardly need a helicopter.”

“That’s on me,” Crew says. “Like I said, I had to wait until the last second. I feel like shit that you caught a bullet.”

Dad shrugs. “It’s nothing the rest of us haven’t done.”

“Who are you people?” Rylan has been standing back and taking this in as an outsider. “Creative reports, private helicopters, and talking to nine-one-one like you ball with them every weekend.”

I shake my head. “They’re connected.”

Crew does some clickity-clack thing with his gun before resting it on his shoulder and pointing it to the sky. “By the way, your mom and sister are just fine.”

Rylan crosses his arms and rocks back on his heels, not looking the least bit cold standing there in his T-shirt and jeans, but he does breathe a sigh of relief. “Any other day, I’d question how you know that. But after what I saw play out here, I’ll take your word for it.”

We all look to the sky when we hear it … the whirling of helicopter blades.

When I look down at Jack, he’s not focused on anything or anyone but me. “I can’t wait for this shit to be over. I’m ready to live our big, fat, fabulous lives. We’re going to live large, baby. All we need to do that is each other.”

With that, my tears form again.

After what we’ve been through, most people would want a normal, quiet life.

But not Jack.

My larger-than-life Jack. He’ll demand nothing short of fabulous.

With me.

“I love you, Jack Hale.”

“I love you, too, baby.” He yanks me down to him once more when the helicopter starts to whip the cold air into a frenzy around us. “I love you too.”