Determined: To Win (Determined Trilogy Book 3) by Elizabeth Brown Page A

dead?”
    Elliot’s eyes shot back at me in the rearview mirror.
    Eve started sobbing into the phone. “Just that. He’s dead. I went in to the gallery early this morning because there’s just so much to get done for the show, and I found him in the back—laying on the floor.”
    I started blinking. This had to be a joke. Curtis couldn’t be dead. “What do you mean? What happened? I don’t understand.”
    “I don’t know Sam, there was blood everywhere. I called 911, and an ambulance came, and now there are a bunch of cops, and I’m not sure what to do.” She was desperate and scared.
    “Stay right there, Eve. I’m almost there. Don’t talk to anyone. I am going to call David.”
    “Okay. Please hurry, Sam.”
    “I will.” I pressed end on my phone, and pulled out the burner to call David. I shook my head. I still hated that we needed to have these pieces of junk.
    “Uh, Sam?” I looked up. Elliot was still looking at me in the rearview. “What’s going on?”
    “I don’t know. Eve just called and said Curtis is dead. She’s at the gallery. Can you hurry? She’s alone and scared out of her mind.”
    Elliot just nodded, and I felt the car pick up speed. I pressed send on the phone.
    David answered after the first ring.
    “This morning not enough, baby?” he said leisurely as he answered the phone.
    “David, I need you to come to the gallery. Something happened to Curtis.”
    He recognized the urgency in my voice and quickly matched it. I pictured him standing up from his desk chair. “What happened, Samantha? Are you okay?”
    “Yes, I’m fine. But I need you.”
    “Samantha, I will be right there. But tell me what happened.”
    “I’m not sure. All Eve said is that Curtis is dead.” My voice quivered.
    “I’m on my way. Do not talk to anyone until I get there, Samantha, understand? Keep Elliot with you.”
    “Okay. Please hurry.” I hung up the phone and started to shake. What was going on? My ears started to buzz and everything felt unreal I stared out the window of the car—it seemed like forever until we turned onto the street of the gallery. Once there, I immediately spied three police cars and an ambulance crowded at the curb outside the gallery. Elliot double parked as close as he could, and we both jumped out of the car. I spotted Eve standing alone near the curb, and ran up to her.
    “Eve.”
    “Oh, Sam,” she exclaimed, and we quickly embraced each other. Her eyes were red, and she kept wiping her nose with a tissue. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”
    “Of course.” I glanced over at the gallery. A bunch of officers were milling about, and the entire sidewalk in front of the gallery had been taped off with yellow ‘Do Not Cross’ tape. “Are you okay? What happened?”
    Eve sniffled and took a deep breath. “Like I said, I came in early to work on the show, and I thought it was kind of strange that the gallery was already unlocked. So I walked in back, and Curtis was there on the ground…” she clasped her hands in front of her face and started to shake, unable to continue. The look of horror in her eyes gave me chills. I reached out and put my arms around her.
    “It’s okay Eve. It’s going to be okay,” I said, wanting to believe the words I was saying. But I knew it wasn’t going to be okay. The sheer number of officers told me that. Curtis wasn’t popping out of the gallery to tell us everything was okay and that we should go home. I felt my eyes burn and an ache grow in my stomach. This can’t be happening , I thought, in full denial of the situation. I glanced over at Elliot. The solemn look on his face told me otherwise.
    There was commotion around the entrance of the gallery, and we looked over and saw two EMTs wheeling a body bag toward the waiting ambulance. That was it. The confirmation I didn’t know I needed. Seeing that bag did it.
    “Oh my God,” I managed to gasp before I lost it. Eve and I held each other and cried as they loaded