Chapter Ten
P iper’s heart plunged to her toes as a scream raced up her throat.
“Don’t even think about it, sweetheart,” the man muttered, digging the gun into her back. “Or they’ll be wiping your heart off the sidewalk for days. Now walk.”
No, they wouldn’t , the hysterical thought flickered through her head. Because she’d left her heart in the ER with Ty.
“Walk,” the man growled.
Piper gazed around frantically, looking for someone—anyone—to help. But it was after visiting hours. The muted tones of the building softened by the night, offered an aura of calm authority. She needed authority of a different kind. The soft cascade of artificial light of the entrance cast a welcoming glow upon the surrounding landscape, but darkness awaited beyond.
For Piper, darkness literally awaited.
Her pulse thundered in her ears as she did as instructed. But she needed to know. “Why are you doing this?”
“You just had to go and buy that damn building, didn’t you,” he muttered. “And you couldn’t leave the walls where they were. We can’t have you exposing secrets, now, can we?”
This was about the gallery?
Her chest tightened. What secrets?
“We?”
He muttered a curse. “My stupid brother got caught, so now I have to do what he failed to do—twice.”
He and Meyers were brothers?
“You were the guy in the other car…”
“Beautiful and smart. Pity I have to kill you. Enough talk. Keep walking.” He jabbed the gun into her back and slid his hand down to her elbow and squeezed.
Pain shot out in all directions, stealing Piper’s breath and her strength, causing her steps to falter.
“Are you deaf, bitch? I’m not playing around. Move.”
“I can’t.” She panted, agony surging through her arm. “You’re hurting me.”
If the guy was going to shoot her, then he was just going to have to shoot her, because she couldn’t take any more of the pain.
Besides, as soon as she moved away from the light of the hospital entrance, she was as good as dead. He’d just admitted it. Piper wasn’t stupid. She could read between the lines. With her dead, renovations wouldn’t move forward, and his secrets, whatever they were, wouldn’t be revealed.
Unless her building was sold again.
A shadow inside the outer shadows caught her attention. Hunter . Hope flickered inside her. She could just make him out. He was holding a finger to his mouth. She blinked an acknowledgement that the gunman couldn’t see.
“Are you going to shoot everyone who buys the building?” she asked, her pulse pounding harder and harder as she stalled.
“Yes, if they touch the walls.”
“Piper?” Ty’s voice sounded from behind. “What are you doing out here?”
Oh, God…Ty!
What was he doing out here?
He still had the hospital gown on over his jeans.
“She’s about to get killed, but it looks like you’re going to be first,” the man said.
When she felt the gun move from her back, and the man twisting around to face Ty, her heart literally stopped. She had less than a split second to decide whether to trust that Hunter could stop the guy before he shot Ty, or she could do something herself and risk getting shot.
Keeping Ty alive was her goal. She wouldn’t gamble her options.
In one singular motion, Piper wrenched her aching arm from the gunman’s grasp and kicked at the back of his now-turned knee. Hunter stepped into the light, but he didn’t move, because somehow Ty was already there, expertly knocking the gun from the man before punching him several times in quick succession. She had no idea how he was able to move like that with a broken clavicle and ribs.
She’d heard adrenaline could mask pain, but this was crazy.
“That’s for hurting, Piper,” he said, landing another punch. “This is for trying to kill her.” He hit the man again.
“I think he gets the picture,” Hunter said, finally stepping forward to pick up the guy’s gun. “I’ll take it from here.” He already had his knee into the prone man’s back.
Her head was spinning, her arm was aching, and her mouth was no doubt wide open. She’d never felt better in her life because Ty was still alive.
“Piper!” Ty stumbled to her and pulled her close. “Jesus. Don’t leave me like that again. Don’t ever leave me.”
Inhaling at the raw emotion in his tone and embrace, she wrapped her arms around him, mindful of his injuries because he was really going to start to feel them again as soon as his rush subsided. “I won’t. And don’t you leave me either.”
“Not a chance.”
“God, I almost lost you twice today, Ty.” Suddenly, it all became too much, and she finally let go of her emotions and cried against his chest.
After nearly losing him the first time, she’d been unable to deal with the pain. Flashbacks of all she’d gone through with Zane had paralyzed her.
But this second time?
It had knocked something loose inside her, something primal, and she discovered she was willing to fight tooth and nail to keep him alive. Keep him with her.
After her tears subsided, she drew back and kissed his cheek. “I’m never letting you go.”
“Thank God.” He kissed her forehead then glance at Hunter, who already had the guy’s hands zip tied and was leading him toward Dex, who stood next to an open vehicle.
She had no idea when he’d shown up and didn’t care. All that matter was Ty.
But there were a few things the sheriff needed to know.
“Did you hear what he said?” she asked Hunter as he was loading the bloodied man into the SUV.
“Yep. Every word. I’ll relay it to Gabe,” Hunter replied, then nodded to Ty. “You might want to get your hand looked at, Rocky . And you look like you’re about to fall over.”
Piper glanced down at the bloodied hand he’d placed on her hip, which was starting to swell.
“Oh, wow. He’s right. Let’s get you back inside.”
“No. I realized being in the hospital is tough for you. I’ll be fine. I’ll ice it.”
The fact he was going to forego treatment to prevent her pain brought more tears to her eyes and a swelling to her chest. “You need to get it checked out, Ty. And probably your ribs and shoulder again, too. It’s okay. I’ll go with you. Besides, you need to exchange the hospital gown for your shirt and coat.”
“I don’t want you to suffer, Piper,” he said and made to touch her and frowned. “Damn, I don’t have an uninjured hand to cup your sweet face.”
He had one in a sling and the other was well on its way to becoming a balloon.
She touched his instead. “I love that you don’t want me to suffer. There you go, being amazingly sweet again.”
“It’s your fault.” He smiled. “You bring it out in me.”
She apparently brought the Rocky out in him too.
“I couldn’t bear it if you left me, Piper.”
“I feel the same.” She brushed his uninjured cheek with her thumb. “I’ll never leave you, Ty. I’m your wingman, remember?”