“Why not indeed?” She snorted her amazement. “So when you kissed me good night and left—”
“I took the elevator up two floors to the penthouse.”
“If I had known that, I would have—”
“Devereaux!”
Both Gabriel and Karina turned at the sound of the voice booming across the lobby. Gabriel heard Karina’s soft, “Dad?” just before he recognized the silver-haired man as Karina’s father.
“You Devereauxs have sullied my family for the last time!” Armistead thundered, raising his hand.
Gabriel registered the gun in Armistead’s hand, pointed toward him. Toward Karina. With a roar of pure rage and a burst of adrenaline, he pushed her and Daniel into the opened elevator car then spun to charge Armistead. First step, Armistead aimed the gun. Second step, people screamed and ducked as his security team converged. Third step, a firecracker pop of sound, a burning sensation on his right side. Fourth step, right fist connecting with jaw, left fist with ribs before Kilgore crashed into them, taking them both down.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“It’s not your fault.”
Karina barely glanced up as Daniel handed her a tissue. “Of course it’s my fault,” she said through a throat scraped raw with screams and tears. “Gabriel wouldn’t have gotten hurt if he weren’t with me, if I hadn’t called my father.”
Gabriel had been shot because of her. She couldn’t stop thinking that, couldn’t stop replaying that horrible scene in her head. Daniel holding her back as Gabriel raced toward her father, hearing the sound of a gunshot before Gabriel took her father down. Breaking free of Daniel’s hold, rushing toward Gabriel as security separated him from her father. Gabriel crushing her against him had her believing for one heartbeat that he was all right, that the bullet hadn’t struck him. Then his groan of pain—a sound she’d never forget—as he dropped to his knees, his blood literally and figuratively on her hands.
She whimpered, the pain too oppressive, too overwhelming to scream out. Everything in her ached to go to him but she stayed behind at the police’s request. She’d told them everything she knew, then relived it when the FBI arrived. Now she sat in the hotel’s business office, waiting for permission to leave so she could go to Gabriel.
At least Daniel had brought her a change of clothes and she’d been able to wash Gabriel’s blood off. It had felt wrong, as if she were trying to wash him away. Please God. Please let him be all right.
“You gotta stop, Ms. Karina,” Henderson said. “Mr. Devereaux wouldn’t want you making yourself sick over this. He’s gonna be okay.”
Henderson had seen plenty of gunshot victims back when he was a police officer. Karina knew she should accept his reassurance, but she couldn’t stop seeing all that blood, couldn’t stop hearing Gabriel’s groan of pain.
“I just don’t understand why he’d do this,” she muttered for the umpteenth time. “I know he was upset, but this? This is too much!”
“Kari?”
Karina looked up in surprise as her brother entered the room. “Paul. What are you doing here?”
“Giving a statement to the police. Trying to make things right.” He sat beside her, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so sorry, sis. Is Gabriel okay?”
“They tell me he wasn’t seriously wounded, but I need to see him with my own eyes.”
“Are you okay?”
“Besides seeing our father shoot Gabriel because I disowned Dad over the phone?” She leaned into him briefly before straightening. “What do you know about all of this?”
“Dad had a sister. She committed suicide thirty-five years ago, and our dad blames Gabriel’s father.”
Kari blinked at her brother, trying to understand. “What? Why would he blame Gabriel’s dad?”
“Gabriel’s father dated our aunt. Things ended badly between them and she killed herself. Dad found her and her note explaining that she couldn’t live without Gabriel’s dad. The family couldn’t handle their Catholic daughter killing herself so they never talked about her again. That’s festered inside Dad for years, and he wanted to make the Devereaux family pay.”
“You knew this?” Karina whispered, shocked. “You knew and you never mentioned this to me?”
“I didn’t know until a couple of days ago, when Dad flipped out about you seeing Gabriel again. I tried to calm him down, make him see reason, but he wouldn’t listen.” Paul shook his head. “I’ve spent most of the day with the company’s board of directors. They want me to take over, and Dad went ballistic. If I’d known what he’d planned, I would have tried to stop him.”
“It’s my fault,” she answered, weary in mind, body, and heart. “I told him that Gabriel bought the firm, then signed it over to me. I told him to step down or be forced out when I sign the company over to you. That must have pushed him over the edge.”
“Ms. Armistead?” The female detective who had interviewed her earlier stepped into the room. “You’re free to go, but we’d like for you to stay in town for a few more days until we complete our investigation.”
Karina shot to her feet. “What about our father?”
“Mr. Armistead sustained some injuries while being relieved of his firearm, including a concussion, a broken jaw, and cracked ribs. Once he’s released from the hospital, he’ll be formally charged with attempted murder. As Mr. Devereaux and Mr. Kilgore were acting to defend themselves and the other hotel guests, we don’t anticipate filing charges against them.”
Relief flooded her. “What hospital was Gabriel taken to?”
“Tulane Medical Center.” The detective gave her a faint smile. “If that’s where you’re planning to go, it might be easier if you come with us, considering the crowd outside. We need official statements from Mr. Devereaux and Mr. Kilgore before we’re done for the day.”
“Thank you, Detective.” She had to get to Gabriel. He needed to know why he had gotten shot.
And why Karina couldn’t see him again.
* * *
The private waiting room bulged with Gabriel’s friends and security. Unsure of her welcome, Karina hesitated in the doorway, but Macy saw her. “Karina!”
Silence fell, thick and absolute. Karina stood in the awkward quiet, guilt choking her. “I, ah, I just wanted to say that I’m truly very sorry for everything that’s happened. All of you made me feel welcome here, and I really appreciate that. You’re a great group of people, and Gabriel’s very lucky to have you.”
Macy frowned at her. “Why does it sound like you’re saying good-bye?”
“Because I am.” She gave Macy a watery smile. “The police want me to stay in town for a few more days until they finish their investigation. They’re going to charge my father with—with attempted murder.”
It was horrible to say the words aloud. Her father had tried to kill the man she loved. These people, all Gabriel’s closest friends, would likely never forgive her for that.
Her resolve fled. She couldn’t face them, she couldn’t face Gabriel. The only reason he’d been shot was because her father hated his father. She’d only exacerbated things by choosing Gabriel over her family.
A chill curled icy fingers around her heart. She wrapped her arms about her in an effort to ward off the tremors that shook her body. No matter what anyone said, no matter how they tried to convince her otherwise, she would go to her grave believing she was responsible for Gabriel being hurt. She hadn’t pulled the trigger, but she might as well have held the gun.
Stricken, she took a shaky step backward, then another. “I-I think I should leave now.”
“Kari.”
Her eyes slid closed at the sound of Gabriel’s voice. It took a pain-filled moment before she could make her body turn around, before she could look at him.
Gabriel stood in the center of the corridor, a clean shirt pulled free of his pants, his tie and jacket missing. Tears fractured her vision but she smiled through them. “You’re going to be okay.”
“The bullet just grazed me
,” he told her, his gaze assessing her, missing nothing. “I’ve been hurt worse.”
“He blamed your father for my aunt’s suicide,” she confessed, quickly telling him the whole story. “I made everything worse when I called him and he—and he took it out on you.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said, his voice careful, “but I’m going to be okay. Now come here. I need to hold you.”
“Gabriel, I …” She stopped, tried again. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Come here, Kari.”
She shook her head. “It’s my fault you got shot!”
He took a slow step forward, his gaze burning her. “Did you pull the trigger?”
“No.”
“Did you ask your father to shoot me?”
“God, no.”
“Then this isn’t your fault.”
“How can you say that?” she cried. “My father—” Her voice broke on a sob. “My father tried to kill you!”
“Tried. Didn’t succeed. And he won’t get the chance again. He won’t hurt you again either.”
“It’s got to stop, Gabriel. I can’t take any more of this.”
“It has stopped. The only thing that would hurt me now is for you to walk away.” He stopped in front of her, determination igniting the depths of his eyes. “I can’t let you do that, Karina. If you walk, your father wins. We lose. I’m a fighter and I’m going to fight for us, for you. You and I have come through too much, lost too much time, for us to back away now. We belong together and we’re going to be together. A little thing like getting shot is not going to stop me.”
“How can you still want to be with me?” she wondered, everything inside her threatening to break. “After everything that’s happened, how can you still want me?”
“I thought that was obvious.” He slowly reached up, cupped her cheek. “I love you, Karina. I always have. You know that. You’re the sunshine that lights all my dark places. We can be without each other, but we have the chance now to be together, to do it right. Why shouldn’t we take it? Why shouldn’t we be happy?”
She couldn’t come up with a reason. “Are you happy?” she wondered. “Even now, with a hole in your side?”
“Absolutely, because I no longer have a hole in my heart.”
Someone groaned behind them. “Good God, woman, put the man out of his misery and agree to stay with him before he spouts more bad poetry!” Raphael called.
“It should tell you something that I’m doing this in front of those jerkwads and their ladies,” he said with a smile, then sobered. “We are not our fathers, Kari. We’re going to make this work. And I’m putting our third date back on the table.”
She choked out a laugh, relief, love, and grief churning inside her. “Are you serious?”
“I have the perfect venue in mind. You talked about a new name. What do you think of Devereaux?”
Hope fluttered in her chest, pushing out the last of the grief. “Are you asking me for a wedding date?”
“I am. Not immediately though—Raphael’s ego couldn’t handle it if we got married before he drags Macy down the aisle.”
“I heard that,” Raphael called.
Gabriel gathered her hands. “So, are you gonna take pity on a wounded man and say yes to the third date and every date after that?”
“Hell, yes.” She turned to Gabriel’s friends—their friends. “Is the pool house still available? I don’t think either one of us wants to go back to Hotel du Mont anytime soon.”
Renata gave her a teary smile as she leaned against her husband. “Of course. You’re both welcome, Karina.”
“Thank you.” She turned back to Gabriel and very carefully stepped into his embrace, conscious of the wound on his right side. “I think you’re in need of some TKC.”
“TKC?”
“Tender Karina Care.”
“That’s exactly what I want,” Gabriel said, his eyes bright. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
There were so many things still up in the air, but Karina wasn’t worried. She and Gabriel were finally together and she’d take on anyone who tried to come between them. After all, this man and his love were worth the fight.
Read all three parts of the Billionaire’s Club: New Orleans sensational e-series!
From St. Martin’s Press
Visit http://www.mallerymalone.com/ for more romance!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mallery Malone is a multi-published author of contemporary and historical romance of all heat levels. An avid reader, she loves to create worlds and characters that strike a deep emotional connection.
Mallery lives on the outskirts of Atlanta with her guitar hero husband, several cannibal fish, and two standard poodles who think they’re lapdogs. When not working the day job, she spends her time hanging out with friends, people watching, and working on her next writing project.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
“Take Down” copyright © 2014 by Mallery Malone.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover digital illustration © by shutterstock.com
eISBN 978-1-4668-5484-0
First eBook Edition: September 2014
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