Chapter 20 #2
There was a blur of movement from the corner of her eye, and then Katrina was being knocked to the floor as Darwin took her and her two captors down in a big pile.
Katrina tried to push herself upright, fighting to climb out of the tangle of flailing punches and kicks. But just as she was getting out of the pile, a hand clamped down on one of her legs, getting a handful of dress along with it.
Looking over her shoulder, Katrina saw Upton lifting his gun in her direction. Crap. While she’d accepted he wasn’t the man she used to know, she’d never thought he would actually shoot her.
Then, out of nowhere, the same pot she’d grabbed off the stove a few moments earlier smacked into the side of Upton’s head.
He went down in a heap, his gun flying. Katrina looked over in the direction the pot had come from to see Darwin turning his attention back to Chapman as they went at each other with an intensity more savage than anything she’d ever seen.
She wasn’t sure where Chapman’s gun was, but he snatched up a chef’s knife that had to be at least twelve inches long, obviously intent on stabbing Darwin with it.
Darwin calmly stepped forward and blocked the downward attack with one forearm, the move smoothly turning into a counterattack involving a punch.
But at the last second, Chapman ducked, and Darwin missed.
Then the two were going at each other again, one blow blurring into the next seamlessly, like some choreographed dance.
Not wanting to see who misstepped first, Katrina turned and looked around wildly for the gun Upton dropped. She had to end this before Darwin got hurt.
She couldn’t find it, though.
Where was it?!
Katrina started to panic all over again, but then she caught sight of it half sticking out from under one of the stoves.
It took a few seconds to drag the gun out from under the stove, and by the time she got a firm grip on it and spun around, she was sure it was too late.
But Darwin and Chapman were still fighting.
She aimed the handgun at Chapman, but immediately realized this one was bigger and heavier than the one she’d taken from Upton earlier in the Merlot Room.
She could barely get her hand around the grip, and holding it straight and aimed at Chapman was next to impossible.
It didn’t help that he was moving all over the place as he fought Darwin. But she had to try something.
Katrina aimed in Chapman’s general direction and started to squeeze the trigger when he glanced in her direction.
His eyes widened in alarm, and he hesitated long enough to give Darwin the time he needed.
He punched Chapman in the stomach, then grabbed the back of his head and rammed his knee into Chapman’s face as he fell.
Chapman pitched forward, collapsing to the floor with a thud, and staying there.
It was over.
Katrina rushed toward Darwin, eager to throw her arms around him, only to stop when he gently grasped her shoulders, stopping her. She stared at him in confusion until he reached out and carefully plucked the gun from her hand.
Wow, she’d completely forgotten about that.
The moment Darwin had placed the weapon’s safety on and put it atop the nearest counter, Katrina leaped into his arms. It was possible she was a bit too exuberant, or maybe Darwin was more hurt than she’d thought. Either way, he went right down to the kitchen floor, her on top of him.
Darwin groaned a little, but didn’t complain. Instead, he pulled her up a little higher on his chest and kissed her. That kiss, along with the sudden release of all the tension she’d been holding in for the past hour or so, had tears running down her face.
“Are you okay?” Darwin asked softly after breaking the kiss, looking up at her with concern. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt,” she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks even as she ignored the way her whole body was aching from the night’s events. “I’m just so glad you’re safe. I love you so much, and I don’t ever want to lose you.”
Darwin locked eyes with her, and for a second, Katrina thought she’d said something wrong. But then he was kissing her again, over and over. “I love you, too,” he murmured hoarsely. “More than anything in the world.”
They were still kissing when Katrina heard footsteps on the kitchen’s tile floor. She looked up to see Lennox and Simon, as well as Rhett and her father.
“Are you both okay?” her father asked, genuine concern on his face as he hurried over to them before glancing at Upton and Chapman, who were both still out cold.
Darwin stood, helping Katrina up. “We’re fine,” he said, glancing warmly at her. “We’re just happy that this is all over, and that we’re all alive and together.”
“Three things I believe we have you to thank for,” her father said. “Which means it’s well past time I admit I was wrong about both of you. About a lot of things, actually.”
Katrina had definitely never expected to hear those words coming out of her father’s mouth.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, stepping forward to hug first her father and then her brother, before looking at Darwin. “What happens now? With Genesis and everything else, I mean?”
“NCIS and the FBI will be the ones who ultimately decide,” Darwin said. “When they get here, they’re going to have a lot of questions. I’d recommend laying it all out on the line. Just tell them everything, and trust that it will all work out.”
Katrina was afraid he’d say that. Unfortunately, that was about as far from her father’s approach to doing things as you could get. But after gazing at her fondly for a moment, he simply nodded.
“I just hope they’ll let me stay for the wedding,” he said. “I sent Asher to let your mother and Khloe know what’s happening, but I imagine they’ll be freaking out anyway.”
Katrina’s eyes widened as she realized the ceremony was supposed to be taking place right now. Crap.
“Maybe Khloe and Asher should postpone the wedding until everything gets settled with the Navy?” she suggested.
“Not a chance,” her father said firmly. “We might have to delay the ceremony for an hour or so, but as soon as I talk to NCIS and the FBI, I’m sure I can get everything smoothed over.”
Even after everything that had happened, her father still thought he could manipulate the situation. Katrina hoped that was true, but she wasn’t so sure.
She looked at Darwin. “Since Upton is no longer available to be a groomsman, would you like to take his place? Assuming we can actually pull off this wedding tonight?”
Darwin glanced down at his rumpled pants and obvious tear in the right shoulder of his jacket before looking at her again. “I’m good with that if Asher is. As long as you don’t mind being seen with someone this disheveled?”
Katrina let out a snort of laughter, motioning down at her dress, which had certainly looked better a few hours ago.
Her tussle with Chapman had really done a number on it, and her hair was more down that up.
“I think we match, don’t you? Besides, considering you’re the one who made sure we’re all alive right now, I think everyone will overlook a few wrinkles. ”
Darwin kissed her with a chuckle, then took her hand. “Let’s do this.”
As they walked out of the kitchen hand-in-hand, Katrina found herself looking forward to the wedding way more than she had since she and Darwin had gotten to the resort.