damned safety!
She flipped the switch and looked back at Max urgently. “Where’s Blake? Is he okay?”
“He was the last time I saw him. Now come on, I need to get you the hell out of here!”
She took a few strides, but came to a halt with the sound of bullets being fired. Her breath raced out of her lungs in a puff of white fog when she saw Max crumple to the ground, and a line of smoke rising from Tony’s gun.
She raised her gun as Tony aimed his weapon at her. She pulled the trigger twice, releasing two fast bullets. They penetrated his chest and he collapsed into the snow.
Not even bothering to check to make sure he was dead, she yanked up her dress and ran to Max. She fell beside him. “Max. Oh, Max.” She took off his vest and put her hand over his chest wound. “You’re okay.”
But she knew he wasn’t. The bullet hole was where his left ribs were. She feared it was lodged in his lung. On its way there, it could’ve shattered a rib, sending fragments throughout his chest, but there was no telling the full extent of the damage. She couldn’t do anything to help him, but she couldn’t sit there and do nothing. She couldn’t sit there and watch him die. I’m a doctor damn it! She ripped a strip of silk off the hem of her dress and pressed it to the wound.
“Dani…go.”
She shook her head.
“Dani…” His voice gargled and blood sputtered from his mouth. She wiped it away with another swatch of torn silk. “Between the two of us,” he choked out. “I’m going to be the only one dying here.”
“Max.” She laid a hand on his cheek. “You don’t always have to be a gentleman.”
Max managed to smile. “I do about this.” He inhaled, his body convulsed. She grabbed his hand and held it tight. “Get out of here, Dani. Go!” The boom of a gun made her flinch. “Go.” His voice was a bloody croak, but she nodded.
She kissed him goodbye on the cheek. “I love you, Max. Thank you.” She sprang to her feet and ran, knowing he probably died before she could take five steps.
Deep in the woods, she ducked behind a thick bush. While she waited, her fingers froze around the gun. She pried her fingers free and slipped the heavy gun into the pocket of her jacket. Feeling sick to her stomach, she hugged her knees to her chest.
Her life had gone from working twenty-four hours straight in the E.R. and saving people’s lives to trying desperately to save her own. The Mob aside, her life was finally what she dreamed it could be. All the empty spaces were gone. Her past wasn’t a mystery anymore. She had remembered the night of her accident. She remembered Blake. Thinking about him made her heart swell with love and unbearable fear.
When is this battle going to end?
Gunshots sounded like bubble wrap being twisted viciously.
Red wants to kill as many police officers as he can. Each dead officer is his personal victory. Killing Blake will be out of revenge, and killing me will ensure all of his loose ends are taken care of for good.
A twig snapped and she jumped, her eyes as big as satellites.
“Hello, Dr. Hart.” Red stood in front of her, his gun in her face.
“How’d you find me?”
“I followed your footprints in the snow.”
“I meant,” she growled between clenched teeth, “how did you find me here ?”
“Well, you’re the only Dr. Hart in the area and when we lost you on the streets, I retrieved your cell phone number from your work records. I have many connections and…” He glanced down at his gun. “I can be very persuasive when I want information. I didn’t know you were a woman until you answered your cell phone. And I’m very happy you did, because I was able to track you to this neighborhood. I did research to find out the resident’s names and followed through with background checks. Imagine my surprise when I saw a picture of one of the residents and recognized him as the same fucking asshole who tried to weasel into my family. And he’s a cop to boot. I
She flipped the switch and looked back at Max urgently. “Where’s Blake? Is he okay?”
“He was the last time I saw him. Now come on, I need to get you the hell out of here!”
She took a few strides, but came to a halt with the sound of bullets being fired. Her breath raced out of her lungs in a puff of white fog when she saw Max crumple to the ground, and a line of smoke rising from Tony’s gun.
She raised her gun as Tony aimed his weapon at her. She pulled the trigger twice, releasing two fast bullets. They penetrated his chest and he collapsed into the snow.
Not even bothering to check to make sure he was dead, she yanked up her dress and ran to Max. She fell beside him. “Max. Oh, Max.” She took off his vest and put her hand over his chest wound. “You’re okay.”
But she knew he wasn’t. The bullet hole was where his left ribs were. She feared it was lodged in his lung. On its way there, it could’ve shattered a rib, sending fragments throughout his chest, but there was no telling the full extent of the damage. She couldn’t do anything to help him, but she couldn’t sit there and do nothing. She couldn’t sit there and watch him die. I’m a doctor damn it! She ripped a strip of silk off the hem of her dress and pressed it to the wound.
“Dani…go.”
She shook her head.
“Dani…” His voice gargled and blood sputtered from his mouth. She wiped it away with another swatch of torn silk. “Between the two of us,” he choked out. “I’m going to be the only one dying here.”
“Max.” She laid a hand on his cheek. “You don’t always have to be a gentleman.”
Max managed to smile. “I do about this.” He inhaled, his body convulsed. She grabbed his hand and held it tight. “Get out of here, Dani. Go!” The boom of a gun made her flinch. “Go.” His voice was a bloody croak, but she nodded.
She kissed him goodbye on the cheek. “I love you, Max. Thank you.” She sprang to her feet and ran, knowing he probably died before she could take five steps.
Deep in the woods, she ducked behind a thick bush. While she waited, her fingers froze around the gun. She pried her fingers free and slipped the heavy gun into the pocket of her jacket. Feeling sick to her stomach, she hugged her knees to her chest.
Her life had gone from working twenty-four hours straight in the E.R. and saving people’s lives to trying desperately to save her own. The Mob aside, her life was finally what she dreamed it could be. All the empty spaces were gone. Her past wasn’t a mystery anymore. She had remembered the night of her accident. She remembered Blake. Thinking about him made her heart swell with love and unbearable fear.
When is this battle going to end?
Gunshots sounded like bubble wrap being twisted viciously.
Red wants to kill as many police officers as he can. Each dead officer is his personal victory. Killing Blake will be out of revenge, and killing me will ensure all of his loose ends are taken care of for good.
A twig snapped and she jumped, her eyes as big as satellites.
“Hello, Dr. Hart.” Red stood in front of her, his gun in her face.
“How’d you find me?”
“I followed your footprints in the snow.”
“I meant,” she growled between clenched teeth, “how did you find me here ?”
“Well, you’re the only Dr. Hart in the area and when we lost you on the streets, I retrieved your cell phone number from your work records. I have many connections and…” He glanced down at his gun. “I can be very persuasive when I want information. I didn’t know you were a woman until you answered your cell phone. And I’m very happy you did, because I was able to track you to this neighborhood. I did research to find out the resident’s names and followed through with background checks. Imagine my surprise when I saw a picture of one of the residents and recognized him as the same fucking asshole who tried to weasel into my family. And he’s a cop to boot. I
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