Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Keira
My pulse hammered in my ears, so loud I could barely hear anything else. Every muscle in my body locked up, braced for the impact.
“Stephie, it’s okay,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. “It’s going to be okay.”
But I wasn’t sure it would be.
“What do you want from me, Garrett?” I asked. “You said you wanted to talk, right?”
He took a small step back, the gun dropping, and my lungs worked again.
“I have contacts inside Crosshairs Security. Other people who don’t like the way Harris Medina runs things and who want a bigger piece for themselves, like Woodson did. I know you met with Harris Medina. I want to know what he said to you.”
I scanned the room without moving my head, cataloging positions. One man stood behind Stephie on the couch, his hand still resting on her shoulder. Another was behind me near the door. And Garrett was right in front of me. All of them were armed.
Were there others elsewhere in the house? Outside?
My first priority was getting Stephie away from Garrett and his two friends in this room. I had to distract them somehow.
But I was also thinking about whether Dean was still out there and what he might be planning. I had to believe he was alive.
“You don’t even work for Crosshairs,” I said.
“Exactly why Woodson brought me in. Now that he’s dead, our timeline has to move up. I’m taking Crosshairs for myself, and Medina’s on his way out. You’re going to tell me how much Medina knows. Did he mention me at your meeting yesterday?”
I wondered which answer would satisfy Garrett more. Hearing that Medina knew about his involvement? Or should I lie and say Medina didn’t know his name at all? Garrett’s ego probably wouldn’t appreciate that. I didn’t want to make him angry again. Not yet.
“Let my sister go, and I’ll tell you everything Medina said. Stephie has nothing to do with any of it. She’s a kid.”
“How about this? You tell me everything, and I’ll kill you first. So you don’t have to watch your sister die.”
“Bastard,” I said through gritted teeth.
There was a noise at the back door. Breaking glass. Hope lifted my heart.
Garrett’s head snapped toward the sound. “Go check that out,” he ordered the man behind Stephie.
The thug moved immediately, heading toward the kitchen. Garrett pressed his gun against my head, the cold metal digging into my temple. “Don’t even think about it.”
There was a thump from the kitchen. A wet, gurgling sound. “Fuck,” Garrett muttered, while the other man tensed, and Stephie’s eyes darted around as if trying to decide what to do.
I had no idea what was happening, but I realized this was the best chance I had to strike against Garrett. Maybe my only chance.
Just moments ago, I’d been terrified to have that gun barrel against my head. This man had tried to kill me before and almost succeeded. But now was the moment to be brave.
For my sister.
I exploded upward from my knees, driving my shoulder into Garrett’s gut. He stumbled backward, the gun jerking away from my head. I grabbed his wrist with both hands and twisted hard, using my body weight to torque his arm. He grunted in pain and his grip loosened.
I wrenched the gun free from Garrett’s hand and rolled away from him, going to one knee.
The thug behind me was already moving, raising his shotgun. He would’ve fired at me before if Garrett hadn’t been blocking the shot. I aimed and pulled the trigger of Garrett’s handgun. The thug jerked, red blooming from his chest as he fell and dropped the shotgun.
“Stephie, run!” I screamed. “Hide!”
Stephie scrambled off the couch, sobbing. Garrett lunged after her. He grabbed Stephie before she could reach the door. She screamed and kicked at him, but he was too strong. He yanked her against his chest, one arm locked around her throat.
“I’ll snap her neck,” Garrett snarled. “Drop the gun.”
My hands shook. The gun felt impossibly heavy. Stephie’s eyes were wide with terror, tears streaming down her face.
Then Dean stepped into the room, moving like a shadow. His SIG Sauer, complete with its suppressor, aimed squarely at Garrett. “Let her go.”
Garrett’s eyes were wild, darting between Dean and me. His arm tightened around Stephie’s throat. She made a choking sound. “Back off or she dies.”
I couldn’t get a clear shot at him with my sister so close. Garrett started to squeeze her neck harder, his face twisting with rage.
Dean fired.
The shot hit Garrett in the shoulder. He screamed, and his grip on Stephie loosened. She crouched and covered her head.
Dean fired again, this time hitting Garrett’s leg. The man screamed again and collapsed.
I ran forward and grabbed my sister, dragging her away from Garrett. She was crying hysterically, clutching at me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.
Stephie pulled back from me, her face pale and streaked with tears. “Colby. Where’s Colby? They took him too. Please, is he okay?”
A young man dashed into the room from the back of the house. “Stephie!” She launched herself at him and they collided.
So that was the boyfriend.
Garrett was still shouting, writhing on the floor. Dean flipped him onto his stomach, yanking his arms behind his back. He produced a set of zip ties from his pocket and secured Garrett’s wrists, pulling them tight enough to make the man scream louder.
“Your wounds are superficial,” Dean said, his voice perfectly calm. “I could’ve killed you. Put a bullet right through your skull. But I knew Harris Medina would want a word with you first. And I promise you, what he’ll do to you is a lot worse than dying.”
Garrett cursed and spat, but Dean ignored him.
He stood. His face was streaked with dirt and blood, which didn’t seem to be his own. His eyes were fierce and focused, but when they met mine, they softened.
Gesturing for me to follow, Dean went to a nearby doorway. A dingy bathroom. There, he washed his face and hands.
I waited for him by the bathroom door. Thankfully, Garrett’s obnoxious music had cut out.
“Everyone else is dead,” Dean said as he stepped out. “Do you want to make the call to Medina?”
There was no question about what would happen next. When it came to Ryan Garrett’s fate, Dean and I were on exactly the same page.
I pulled out the business card Harris Medina had given me and dialed the number. He answered on the second ring.
“Deputy Marsh?”
Was I surprised he already knew my number? Not really. “Ryan Garrett just tried to kill me and my sister. You claimed you’d take care of it, but clearly you failed to move fast enough.”
Medina didn’t waste time on apologies or emotion. Not that I’d expected any. “Is Garrett alive?”
“Barely. There are other Crosshairs people here, all dead. He was talking about the plot to oust you and take over your company. We left Garrett alive for you, as a favor. In exchange, I want this all to go away. And I want your guarantee this time that nobody will touch my family ever again.”
“Done. Would you like to witness Garrett’s suffering? Because I promise you, he will suffer for what he’s done.”
I shivered. “No. I never want to see him again. I don’t want anything more to do with him.”
“Send me your location. I’ll have someone there within the hour.”
“I don’t want any evidence left that my sister and I were ever here. Same with her boyfriend and Dean.”
“I assure you,” Medina said smoothly, “I will take care of everything. Your help is greatly appreciated.”
I hung up and looked at Dean. He pulled me into his arms. I buried my face against his chest. He didn’t smell too pleasant, but he was solid and warm and alive.
“I was afraid they’d got you,” I whispered. “That gunshot outside. I didn’t want to believe it, but…”
“They tried.” His arms tightened around me. “But I told you I wouldn’t leave you again. I’m going to keep that promise.”
I laughed, the sound coming out shaky and half-broken. “You better.”
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his hand coming up to cup my face. His thumb brushed across my cheekbone, gentle despite the violence still clinging to him.
“You did great in there,” he said.
“So did you.”
Dean kissed me then, soft and fierce at once. When we broke apart, he kept his forehead pressed against mine, and my hands stayed fisted in his shirt. Refusing to let go.