Chapter 41
CHAPTER 41
J asmine gasped as Pat shoved her off him and launched out of bed, moving with military precision. He opened the bedside drawer and pulled out a gun.
“What—?” she sputtered, her body still boneless from the intensity of her orgasm, the lingering heat between her thighs a stark contrast to the sudden chill in the air.
Pat put a finger to his lips.
She stilled.
A floorboard creaked.
Her stomach dropped.
Someone was coming up the stairs.
A shadow passed over the landing, barely visible through the sliver of space in the ajar door.
Jasmine’s breath locked in her throat. She clutched the duvet to her chest, her pulse hammering. Oh God. She was naked. Exposed.
Pat stood beside the door, gun in hand, his stance rock-solid.
Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. Not now. Not after everything. Not when she’d finally found Patrick.
She hadn’t been joking when she’d called him her hero. He had saved her, saved Ryan. And in doing so, he had shown her something she’d never truly known—love.
Not just desire. Trust. Loyalty. Fierce, unwavering devotion.
She wanted more time. She wanted forever.
Another creak.
A gun appeared first, slipping through the gap in the doorframe. Jasmine saw it a second before Pat did, but he caught the flicker of her eyes and reacted. Fast.
He slammed the door on the intruder’s wrist.
There was a guttural growl of pain, then a crash as the door was kicked open.
“Get on the floor!” Pat barked.
Jasmine, unsure whether he meant her or the intruder, rolled off the bed and hit the hardwood floor, tucking herself into the shadows.
Just in time, too. A gunshot cracked through the air. The bullet buried itself in the wall above the headboard. She muffled her scream.
Pat moved like a predator, shifting into close-quarters combat before the shooter could fire again. His gun came down hard on the intruder’s arm, sending a second shot wild.
The attacker spun, face contorted in fury. That’s when Jasmine recognized him.
So did Pat.
“Riad.” His voice was ice.
Al-Jabiri’s cousin snarled, switching his gun to his left hand. “This is your fault!”
His aim went wild, but it was still too close for Jasmine’s liking.
“Drop it!” Pat ordered.
Riad ignored him, finger tightening on the trigger.
Pat fired first.
The shot ripped through the air.
Riad staggered, slamming against the doorframe. His gun clattered to the floor.
Jasmine exhaled, relief flooding her?—
Until he grinned.
Her stomach turned to ice.
He moved his arm, fingers curling around his fallen gun. His sights locked onto her.
She couldn’t breathe. Closing her eyes, she braced for the shot?—
Another deafening crack rang out.
Silence.
Trembling, she forced herself to look. Riad lay sprawled on the floor. A dark, seeping hole in his chest.
Pat lowered his weapon. His eyes swept over her, checking to make sure she was all right. “You okay?”
Jasmine scrambled to her knees, shoving the duvet away as if it carried the nightmare with it. She looked down at the body, then at Pat. “You killed him.”
His gaze was steady. “Would you rather he killed you?”
She swallowed hard. “No. God, no.”
Then she was in his arms, relishing the feel of him as he held her. Grounded her. She buried her face in his chest. “How did he know to come here? Patrick, we could have been?—”
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’ll never let anything happen to you.” His voice was a vow. A promise that went beyond tonight, beyond this moment.
She lifted her face, searching his eyes and she knew he meant it.
She had never trusted anyone like this before. Never loved anyone like this before.
Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him, hard. He deepened it, pouring everything into her—the fear, the relief, the desperate, unbreakable connection between them.
When they finally broke for air, she whispered, “I love you.”
His eyes softened. “I love you too, Jasmine.”
Then he sighed and glanced at the body on the floor. “But right now, I need to call this in, because there’s a dead terrorist in my damn bedroom.”
She giggled, the tension breaking. “I’d better get dressed, then.”
Pat shot her a heated look. “I promise it won’t be for long.”