She wanted to tell him that they wouldn’t let Donovan, but that would lose all the trust she had gained. “Your last name is different,” she said instead.
“Money can buy a lot, including a new identity.” He hefted the gun in his hand, looking between it and her face. “I soon realized what I had to do was get justice for my family. I set all the money they gave me aside for that purpose and came up with the plan to frame him for murder.
“It took years to set up and lots of money to be assigned as his partner. Stone never did like Donovan, and hated him more once he dumped Suzie. The Chief didn't even ask why I was willing to pay so much to be his partner.” He leaned forward and set the gun on the table, and Madeline breathed a sigh of relief. “Donovan made it so easy to frame him. He really is an asshole.”
She nodded and slipped her hand over his arm, patting it in sympathy. “I understand why you hate him.” Surprisingly, she really did. That was a big burden for Eric to carry his whole life, and all his grief and pain had fixated on Donovan. It made sense; he was the most obvious target for Eric's pain. “It’s horrible he did that. I do want to help you, Eric. Donovan should pay.”
The sound of a key entering the lock and the deadbolt sliding open broke the silence. Eric’s head whipped toward the front door. “He’s got two more locks to get through, Madeline. What’s the plan? Do you really want to help or are you lying to get me to trust you? It’ll be pretty bad for Donovan if I kill you in front of him, and I’ll kill him too, if you force me down that path.”
“I’m not lying.” She threw her arms around his neck and planted a soft kiss on his mouth. “I told you, I agree with you. I’ll stay with you forever, start a real life together, but we have to get away from Donovan first and keep your freedom.” Even though bile rose from the depths of her stomach, she nuzzled her face into his neck. “When he walks in, we should look like lovers. It’ll hurt him more if he catches us, rather than me just telling him.”
It would also keep Eric’s hands off his gun, though she did fear Donovan might believe she really cheated on him. She’d have to take that chance. The more Donovan believed in the beginning, the greater chance she had of getting them out of this alive.
His hand ran under her shirt and caressed her stomach. “That’s a good plan.” He used his free hand to lift her face to his and stuck his tongue in her mouth roughly.
Madeline forced herself to kiss him back. If she didn’t seem eager, he might decide she wasn’t being honest with him. She broke off the kiss and pulled her shirt over her head.
Eric smiled as he caressed the fabric of her bra. “Nice to see you’re committed to this.”
She twisted her face into a passable smile. “Of course I am.”
The front door creaked when it opened. A grin lit Eric’s face as he closed in on her, laying hot kisses against her neck. “Show time,” he whispered.
“Oh, Eric, yes” she said softly, running her hands through his hair. “That’s just what I like. Right there.”
He pushed her back against the couch and laid on top of her, taking her lips with his once more and groaning into her mouth.
“Maddie? What the hell are you doing?”
Madeline looked past Eric’s shoulder to see Donovan standing on the other side of the coffee table, legs spread, gun drawn. The confusion and hurt on his face struck her like a knife shredding through her heart. And she had to hurt him more if she wanted to save their lives.
***
All the fight flowed from Donovan as he slowly lowered his gun and took a step back from the coffee table. Maddie making out with Eric? What the hell was going on?
She sat up, pushing Eric’s shoulder and shooting him a flirty smile before glancing at Donovan. “I didn’t know you were coming home already.” She ran her hand along Eric’s side and kissed his mouth. “You told me we had more time before he got back.”
Eric turned his head to smile at Donovan and shrugged. He looked back at Maddie, caressing her face. “Oops, my bad.”
She grinned at him, not even glancing at Donovan. “Guess you’ll pay for that later, bad boy.” She pushed him off her and stood from the couch.
Donovan couldn’t believe this. It couldn’t be real, could it? Then again, he was having a hard time thinking of anything past the shock of seeing his fiancée partially undressed and making out with Eric.
Madeline grabbed her shirt from the ground and pulled it on. Biting her lip, she walked around the coffee table and approached Donovan. “I know you’re probably upset, and I am sorry.”
This whole scene made no sense. Madeline told him she loved him last night—agreed to marry him. They shared all their secrets. They tried to make a baby.
Eric must be Suzie’s accomplice. Somehow he found a way to force Madeline to do this. That had to be what was happening...didn’t it? Donovan hated the sliver of doubt tightening his stomach and making him want to vomit.
He looked past Madeline at Eric. A smirk lifted the corners of the younger man’s mouth.
“I’m sorry too, partner,” he drawled slowly, the smirk spreading to a full-blown smile. “I feel bad for you, but Madeline wants a real man. She wants me.”
Donovan glared at him. “In your dreams.”
“Please don’t fight,” Madeline said softly. “Don’t make this uglier than it has to be.”
Movement drew Donovan’s eyes back to her. Madeline twisted the engagement ring on her finger, tugging until it came off. She took a step toward him and held it out. “Take this. I wouldn’t feel right keeping it.”
Donovan studied her face. Her eyes were full of such sorrow, it snuffed out his hope that Eric forced her to do this. If she was pretending, wouldn’t she try to signal him somehow?
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered again. “I never meant to hurt you, but I can’t help what I want. You understand, don’t you? The same thing happened when you planned to marry Lindsey.”
He cleared his throat. “Don’t do this, Maddie. Whatever he promised you, you’re confused. I know you love me.”
She closed her eyes briefly and took another step forward, still extending the ring. “I’ve been thinking about that all day. You’re wrong. I don’t love you. I made a mistake.” Madeline looked at his hands, meeting his gaze again briefly before dipping her attention back to his hands.
Pain ripped through him, feeling as though it would break him into pieces. She sounded serious. This wasn’t some sort of twisted prank they had decided to pull or something she’d been forced into. “Is it that hard to look at me while you break my heart, Maddie?”
“Maddie?” She snorted. “You know how I feel about that.” Her brown eyes met his again and she raised her eyebrows, looking back at his hands yet again. “I do feel bad, Donovan, but I’m choosing Eric.”
Eric shifted forward on the couch, and Donovan noticed the man’s gun sitting on the coffee table for the first time.
“You heard the lady. It’s time for you to leave,” Eric said.
She didn’t care about being called Maddie anymore, hadn’t for a long time. He’d been looking for a signal and she gave him one. Only problem was, he didn’t know if the threat was only from Eric. If Suzie had planted something in the apartment that was a bigger threat than Eric’s gun, Donovan had to find it. He needed to keep Madeline talking, give himself time to figure things out.
Donovan closed his hand over hers, grabbing the ring. His best bet was to play along. “Why would you leave me for him? We’re in love.”
She stroked the inside of his palm when he pulled his hand away to put the ring in his pocket. Donovan wanted to sag with relief at that further signal she didn’t mean what she said.
She stepped back a pace. “There are lots of reasons I’d rather have Eric.” She turned her head over her shoulder and made a kissing noise at Eric. “He’s a terrific lover, for starters.”
It felt like she socked him in the stomach, but Donovan tried to keep his head on straight. She was acting. No
w was not the time to fly into a jealous rage.
“Madeline, please.” He made his voice high, pleading. “I need you.”
By the smug look on Eric’s face, Donovan’s reaction pleased him.
She turned back to look at Donovan, her eyes falling to his right hip now, where he held his gun loosely. It finally hit him—she wasn’t looking at his hands. She looked at his gun. Donovan tried not to react, uncertain what she wanted him to understand.
“We always fight anyway,” she said. “Like that trip you want me to go on. Eric promised if I stay with him, I won’t have to see my twin sister. And I don’t want to go. I wish you’d stop trying to force me into it.”
What the hell is she talking about? “Your twin? You don’t...” He trailed off. It would be stupid to tell Eric she didn’t have a twin.
“Don’t say I don’t have to go now,” she said, covering up his silence. “You’re only saying that to get me back. Sometimes I wonder if she’s really the person you want to be with. You’re always asking if she makes better bacon. I don’t want to see her and I’m tired of having that discussion with you every day.”
Bacon...her twin. She meant Madison. Donovan’s eyebrows rose in surprise before he could stop himself. Her actions made sense now. Eric wouldn’t make her take a trip to see Madison if she broke up with Donovan.
“No one’s sending you to Madison,” he said.
Madeline’s eyes closed and she gave a tiny nod. “Eric is the only person I trust to keep his word about that.”
She must mean Suzie hadn’t done anything here. Eric was the only threat.
“I don’t know how to argue against that.” Donovan gripped his gun tighter. First step, he had to get Madeline out of the room and to safety. “This is my house now too, though, so I guess you’re the one who will be leaving. Go pack a bag, while I chat with your boyfriend.”
“You’re giving up just like that?” Eric leapt from the couch, grabbing his gun in a fluid motion and pointing it at Madeline’s back. “He knows somehow. You bitch! You double-crossed me!”
Donovan shoved Madeline onto the ground as Eric fired. The bullet tore into Donovan’s stomach, hot lava ripping through his abdomen.
As he fell to the ground, Donovan raised his weapon, though he hesitated to open fire on Eric. The last time he fired his weapon at a person, he’d killed Benny Stark.
Eric turned toward Madeline where she lay on the ground, his finger on the trigger of his weapon. “You’re dead, Madeline.”
“No!” The cry ripped from Donovan’s throat as he fired two bullets in rapid succession.
The force of the bullets knocked Eric onto the couch. Knowing he probably hit the vest and didn’t actually hurt Eric, Donovan propped himself up on his left elbow. The pain from the wound in his stomach grayed out his vision, but he raised his gun in his right hand. Once his vision cleared, he aimed and fired again. His bullet tore through the couch right next to Eric’s head.
The man rolled to the ground. He flipped the coffee table on its side, concealing most of his body behind it. “You deserve to rot in hell,” Eric screamed. He sat up behind the table, pointing his gun at Donovan. “And I’m going to send you there.”
Donovan took a deep breath and let his instincts take over. He fired off five shots, aiming for Eric’s upper chest and right shoulder.
Some bullets hit their mark, ripping through Eric’s shoulder. His gun fell from his grasp, thudding against the carpet on Donovan’s side of the coffee table.
A scream tore from Eric’s throat and he made a grab for his gun with his left hand.
“Freeze!” Donovan yelled, training his gun on the man’s head. “You move one muscle and my next bullet goes between your eyes. You know what a good shot I am.”
Eric glared at Donovan, but didn’t move.
Donovan sat up, clasping his left hand over the hole in his stomach. He tried to ignore the immense pain tearing through his body as sticky blood coated his hand. He couldn’t afford to lose the upper hand now.
Next to him, Madeline sat up too. “I don’t have my phone to call 9-1-1,” she said. “I think Eric did something to it.”
Donovan shook his head. “First things first, get his gun and bring it over here.”
“I can’t. I’m afraid of guns.”
“Maddie, we don’t have time—”
“Oh, alright.” She got on her hands and knees and crawled across the floor.
Donovan held his breath as she neared Eric, praying he didn’t do anything stupid and force Donovan to fire with Madeline in the area.
She snatched the gun and backed up quickly, placing it on the floor by Donovan’s thigh as she visibly shuddered.
“Good job. Now, get his handcuffs off his belt and put them on him.”
Madeline nodded her understanding and walked toward the couch slowly. She stooped down, hidden behind the coffee table. “I found them.”
Relief flooded through Donovan and he steadied his aim. Pain caused his hand to tremble as his breath came out in short gasps. Only a few more seconds and it would be over. “Put your hands behind your back, Eric.”
Eric moaned as Madeline cuffed him. “You’re the murdering bastard,” he said through gritted teeth, “yet I’m the bad guy.”
Donovan didn’t know what he meant and didn’t care. “Maddie, make sure you get those cuffs tight.”
“That hurts, you bitch,” Eric roared.
“Good.” Madeline stepped back. “Must be tight enough.”
Donovan set his gun next to him, collapsing against the floor. Biting back a moan of pain, he placed both hands over his stomach, alarmed by the amount of blood soaking his shirt.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Madeline stared at Eric. Blood gushed from the wounds in his shoulder and he leaned against the couch awkwardly with his hands bound behind him. Madeline needed to call 911, but she’d have to find a phone first. She was always calling 911 these days, it seemed.
“Maddie.” Donovan groaned. “I could use some help over here.”
She whirled around to see Donovan clutching his side, red oozing from between his fingers. “You’re hit?”
“He did shoot me.” His voice had a bite of anger overlying the pain. “What did you think happened?”
“I thought you had a vest on and it just knocked you down!” She rushed to his side, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll call 9-1-1.”
His face twisted with pain and he groaned, rocking side to side. “Put the phone on speaker. I’ll talk to them. You go grab something to hold over the wound.”
Madeline did as he asked, dialing 911 and setting the phone on the ground next to his head. She raced to the bedroom door just as she heard dispatch answer the line.
Passing into the bathroom, Madeline hurried to the sink and grabbed a handful of towels from beneath it. By the time she made it back to Donovan, he must have finished explaining the situation because he’d stopped talking and the screen on his phone was dark. Eric sat moaning, but Madeline didn’t spare a glance for him. Donovan was all that mattered.
She dropped to her knees beside him. “What should I do?”
“Get my shirt and vest off and get more pressure on the wound.” He sucked in shallow breaths. “Hurts like hell.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he actually hit you.” Madeline went to work undoing the buttons on his shirt, though tears blurred her vision. She opened his shirt to reveal his vest beneath it. Blood soaked the tan material. “How did he shoot you through this?”
“Only covers vital organs.” Sweat broke out on Donovan’s forehead and his face turned chalky white. “He hit below the plate.” His voice seemed to be weakening.
Madeline choked back a sob and wiped his brow with a clean towel. It didn’t matter how he was hit—he was hit. “You’re going to be okay, sweetheart. Let’s get this off you.”
With shaking hands, she struggled to unfasten the Velcro straps at the top of his vest. She forced hersel
f to stay detached, concentrate on that task itself, not his wound. If she let herself think Donovan might be seriously injured, she’d fall apart and be no help to him.
His pupils constricted and he hissed in pain when she peeled the bloody shirt away from his stomach and yanked the body armor out of the way. Red leaked from a tiny hole, though Madeline feared the small wound didn’t reflect the damage he suffered on the inside.
She grabbed a towel and placed it over his side, pressing down as hard as she could.
Donovan grimaced and moaned. His entire body trembled beneath her fingers and his skin turned even pastier. “God, Maddie! That hurts!”
“Everything’ll be fine.” She tried to keep her voice soothing, though terror threatened to overwhelm her. “You’re going to be okay, sweetheart.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” she yelled. “I need help!”
The door creaked open and men filled the living room, hauling a stretcher with them.
Eric turned toward them. “I’m bleeding. Get your assess over here.”
Oh, no you don’t!
“No!” She caught the eye of the medic who had turned toward Eric. “Help Donovan, not him!”
At her words, Donovan’s eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his body shook uncontrollably.
Two men pushed her out of the way and kneeled by Donovan’s side.
“Damn, a gut wound,” the one who took over her position at the towel said. “He might be turning septic. Get the gurney over here, stat.”
Activity swirled around the room as they loaded Donovan and raised the gurney.
One of the medics spared a glance for her. “We’ll do our best.”
His words penetrated the shocked fog in her brain, destroying the fragile calm she’d maintained. She shoved her way past the men surrounding Donovan and pressed a kiss to his feverish lips.
“I love you, Donovan Andrews. Don’t you dare leave me!”
***
Voices penetrated the darkness. Donovan tried to open his eyes, but they felt glued shut. A dull ache throbbed in his side. Though his tongue stuck to the top of his mouth, Donovan made the effort. “Maddie.” His voice came out hoarse, hardly sounding like his own.
Crime & Passion Page 34
