Chapter 37
If Hailey thought her nerves were bad earlier, she’d had no idea how high they could skyrocket. She’d been unable to connect to the conference room monitor, so now she was sitting next to Mr. Luque as they finished going over Eukaria’s records on her laptop.
She knew it was unreasonable, but having the large conference room table between them had given her a tiny sense of security. This arrangement left no barrier. She was inches away from a man who obviously had no regard for life and wouldn’t think twice about eliminating her.
But she’d done it. She had to keep up the charade a little longer to keep him from getting suspicious, but the FBI should have irrefutable proof that this man was fully aware of everything going on at Eukaria. Soon, this would all be over. They might even pick him up on his way out the front doors.
Just as they finished, Mr. Luque’s phone rang. He checked the screen and stood. “Excuse me.”
“Of course.” Hailey closed out the program and began shutting down her laptop. She was so glad to be done with this.
“What have you done?”
Hailey startled at the fury behind Mr. Luque’s words. She glanced up. He still had his phone to his ear, but his gaze was fixed on her. Bone-chilling fear washed over her. “What’s wrong?”
He muttered something into his phone, then shoved it in his pocket. He held out his hand. “Give me your phone.”
“Sure.” She pulled it out and offered it to him.
“Unlock it.”
She did. What was he looking for? What had that phone call been about?
He gave it a quick scan before tossing it across the room. Before she had time to pull her thoughts together, he yanked her toward him and started searching her.
“What are you doing? Why are you upset?” She didn’t even try to keep the fear from her voice as she said the code word. She didn’t know how, but she’d been made.
He ignored her, searching her pockets, her hair. Then he zeroed in on her necklace. “What is that?”
Her hand flew to the pendant. “What?”
He ripped it from her hand. The chain snapped. He stared at the piece for only a second before crushing it under his heel. With a force that made her gasp, he grabbed her arms and shook her. “You will pay dearly for this,” he growled.
“Pay for what? What’s going on?” The only defense she could think of was to play dumb.
He didn’t answer, which made her even more afraid. Instead, he released one of her arms and drew a handgun. Still holding tightly to her other arm, he dragged her out the conference room door. His bodyguards saw him coming and straightened.
“She sold us out. Paul spotted feds prowling around.”
The men drew their guns and sprang into action.
One rushed ahead of them into the hall, the other held the door until Mr. Luque and Hailey had passed through, then he brought up the rear.
She thought she heard him relaying a message to the driver, but her blood was pulsing so loudly, she couldn’t make out the exact words.
They bypassed the elevator and headed for the nearest stairwell. Again, one of the guards held the door open while the other took the lead. The four of them flew down the stairs.
Hailey’s arm was going numb from the tight hold Mr. Luque had on her, and her panic climbed even higher as they neared the first floor.
This stairwell opened up near the lobby doors.
There were places to take cover and only a little distance between them and the waiting car.
Peter could try to hold them off, but they outnumbered him three to one, and he wouldn’t have the advantage of them having to cross a wide-open space.
They broke into the lobby. She didn’t see Peter, but she could see Mr. Luque’s vehicle through the glass entrance.
The car doors were open, ready to receive them and whisk them away to who knew where.
She couldn’t let the men get her inside.
Once they did, her fate would be sealed.
Even being shot trying to escape would be preferable to what she knew would await her at their destination.
She dug in her heels and tried to extract herself from Mr. Luque’s grasp, but he only held her tighter and increased his pace. She twisted and pulled. Tried to stomp on his foot as he forced her forward. “Let me go!”
He cursed and swung his gun, catching her in the forehead.
Pain exploded through her head. She wasn’t sure if she cried out or not, but she definitely saw stars. She sagged in Mr. Luque’s grip.
He yanked her upright and continued to drag her along.
“Stop right there.”
She blinked. Peter. That was Peter. But where was he? And where were the FBI?
Mr. Luque spun, yanking her around and in front of him. She yelped as his muscular arm tightened across her chest. And then she saw Peter facing them with his own gun drawn. Somehow, he’d gotten behind them. But Mr. Luque was using her body as a shield.
“Let her go.”
The man behind her growled. “I don’t think so.” He backstepped toward the door, pulling her with him.
One of the guards fired. Peter dove behind the rock fountain and came up shooting. A cry of pain erupted from the guard. The second man raised his gun, and Peter ducked back behind the fountain.
While the second guard kept Peter pinned down, Mr. Luque turned and hustled her outside. Her chance to escape was quickly slipping away. The car engine was running, the driver waiting. But her captor was still holding her in front of him. He’d have to shift his grip to get her inside.
And she wasn’t going in without a fight. She gathered her strength, ready to fight or run or whatever she had to do, even if it got her killed.
More shots sounded from inside. From the direction of the street, sirens wailed. Help was close. Would it arrive in time? Where were the agents who’d been stationed in the wooded area?
They were only feet from the car now. Footsteps pounded the ground behind them. Mr. Luque glanced over his shoulder.
But not in time to avoid the impact of Peter’s tackle. A gun went off. She wasn’t sure whose it was, but the report set her ears ringing. She, Mr. Luque, and Peter went down in a heap. She gasped as her body skidded on the pavement beneath the weight of both men.
Then they were rolling off her. She rolled the opposite direction and sat up, trying to get a grasp on the situation. The men wrestled for possession of one of their guns. Peter seemed to have a better hold on the weapon, but Mr. Luque was on top.
She heard a door pop open. She jerked her head in that direction.
Saw the driver getting out. If he was armed, and she couldn’t imagine he wasn’t, this was about to turn even uglier.
Glancing around for something she could use to help, she spotted the other gun a few feet away.
Without stopping to think, she lunged for it.
Her fingers closed around it just as the first of the FBI vehicles turned into the lot.
The driver hesitated, then jumped back inside and screeched away.
Hailey couldn’t worry about him. She turned back toward the men on the ground. Saw Mr. Luque had managed to turn the gun. Peter still fought, but Mr. Luque’s finger was on the trigger, and the trajectory of the barrel was inching toward Peter’s face.
She lifted the gun she’d retrieved. Took aim. Fired.
Mr. Luque grabbed his shoulder and screamed. Peter didn’t hesitate. He gained control of the weapon and pushed the man off him in one fluid movement. A second later, he’d flipped Mr. Luque to his stomach and placed a knee in his back.
Hailey lowered the gun.
FBI agents and local law enforcement surrounded them. She relinquished the weapon to an agent, but she stayed where she was.
As they took custody of Eukaria’s CFO, Peter crouched in front of her. He ran his eyes over her, checking for injuries or bullet holes.
“I’m okay,” she said.
He gently touched her forehead. When he retracted his hand, red smeared his fingertips. “You’re bleeding.”
She started to touch the spot but thought better of it. Instead, she shrugged. “My bruises were starting to fade. Figured I needed some fresh color.”
He shook his head, but she saw the admiration in his eyes. “I’ve never met a woman like you, Hailey Nieland.”
“That’s probably a good thing.” She wasn’t sure why she was resorting to sarcasm as a coping mechanism. Maybe that was the only thing keeping her from falling apart right now.
Peter chuckled but quickly sobered. “You saved my life. Thank you.”
“And you saved mine. I’d say call it even, but I think I still owe you a few.”
“I’m so glad you’re okay.”
The next moment, she was in his arms. For the first time in a very long time, her world felt right again.