Tempting Target
Page 25
“That’s rather difficult since you won’t live to see the morning.” Tripp smiled, a cold, oily thing that had Reed retracing his steps. Who was this man?
And then it didn’t matter as a loud scream filled the air and a man perp-walked Lilah into the center of the warehouse, a gun to her head.
* * *
Lilah fought to remain calm and levelheaded, even as one horrific image after another flowed through her mind. A man—a large man—had a very large gun to her head. And now she was here.
With Reed and Jessie and Dave.
Where were Tucker and Max?
Bile rose in her throat as she imagined the gunshot she’d heard earlier. Was Max hit? Was he lying somewhere dead?
The man who had her had taken her gun and she hadn’t even bothered reaching for the one at her ankle. She wouldn’t have been quick enough and it was no use tipping him off. There still might be a chance.
She met Reed’s gaze, a world of longing and hurt reflecting back at her before he turned to his stepfather.
“Why?”
“Surely you can figure that out. I know you’ve never been much for money and power, but you like nice things. Good clothes. A nice car. From me, you’ve come to appreciate the finer things.”
“So you’re killing people for a few rubies? You’re successful. You have a good business. A highly profitable one, too. What you’re doing here is wrong. It’s greed and avarice and it’s evil.”
“Possessing things is in my blood.”
“You possess plenty.”
“It’s never enough. But it will be soon.” Tripp pulled the stone out of his pocket, the rich red of the ruby refracting the fluorescent lights of the warehouse. “When I have all of these, I’ll have everything. These stones have power.”
“They’re jewels. Nothing more.”
“Once I have them they’ll be something more.”
Lilah watched as understanding filled Reed’s gaze. She’d sensed it earlier, but now she knew.
Whatever he believed he knew about Tripp Lange was gone, replaced by a man he’d never really known.
A man he had no desire to ever know.
The goon who had her tightened his grip on her arm, the tip of the gun still pointing into her neck. She knew she couldn’t move—and knew the time was fast approaching when Tripp would exhibit the same ruthless finality he’d shown everyone else.
A loud thud reverberated through the room, shaking the floor and tossing her and the man behind her to their knees. Suddenly free of the gun at her nape, Lilah scrambled as fast as she could, Reed shouting for her to come closer.
The whole moment shattered, the walls shaking even harder as the refrigerated truck they’d driven over slammed a hole in the wall of windows.
Max.
Before she could move, Reed had her down on the ground, his gun extended as he leveled two shots at the man who’d taken her from the truck.
Although he’d aimed at a moving target, Reed managed to slow the man’s movements with a shot that grazed the leg. The goon turned his gun, his aim directed at them, but Reed used the man’s stilted movements to deliver the kill shot.
As the perpetrator fell to his knees, his gun clattering to the ground, another set of shock waves reverberated through the building, knocking out a wall on the far side of the building.
Another round of screams echoed as Jessie struggled against her bonds, and Lilah raced to her, tugging at the duct tape that bound her wrists. Jessie leaped on her husband, her frantic shouts of his name bringing him around.
“Come on. We have to go.”
Lilah took Dave from one side and Jessie had him on the other as they moved to the truck. Max was already out of the cab, clearing a path of debris to get them all into the back of the refrigeration unit.
“Buck! Reed! Come on!”
The man Tucker had wounded bled, his hand crushed against his stomach, while Tripp stood, his face a mask of fury.
“I’m not leaving him.”
“I set the charges,” Max hollered. “Come on! They’ve already started.”
Lilah raced to Reed, dragging him on. “Leave him. Come on. Please, come on.”
Reed gave his stepfather one last glance before he followed her out into the warm Texas night, leaving the men to be buried alive.
* * *
Reed pulled Lilah close, unable to believe she was safe. Unable to believe they were all safe. They finally called for backup, the explosion the cover for what had gone down.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“When I saw you come in.” He clenched the shaking fingers of his free hand, wondering if the tremors would ever stop. “I thought—”
“I know what you thought. It’s what I thought, too.” She tilted her head toward him, her lips brushing against his. “But it’s over. We’re safe.”
Cops rushed here and there, along with what looked like half the Dallas Fire Department. Reed had already instructed them to look for bodies and knew he needed to help—needed to lead—but he wanted one last minute with her.
Just one damn moment that he’d never take for granted again.
“I love you.”
The words—ones he never thought to say—spilled from his lips with a fervent desperation. He’d come so close to losing her. Too close.
Yet they’d been spared. And he was never going to miss the opportunity to tell her how he felt. To share everything that was in his heart. “I love you, Lilah. I want to marry you. Have babies with you. Grow old with you.”
“I want that, too. More than you can ever know.”
Although he hated the chaos that spilled over into their private moment, he refused to wait.
Refused to delay their future.
“Then let’s do it.” He shifted their position so they faced each other, his hands taking hers before linking their fingers, pressing his forehead to hers. “Let’s make it official. As soon as possible.”
“I’m yours, Reed. Always.”
As he took her lips once more with his own, Reed couldn’t think of a better promise to start the rest of his life.
“Yes. Always, Lilah.”
Epilogue
Tripp pushed at the rubble covering his legs, the throbbing pain there only spurring him to work harder and move faster. He’d been bested by his stepson and his friends.
But he still had the stone.
He quickly dropped the ruby still clutched in his fist into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, then used his anger to fling the debris off his body. Sirens filled the night air and Tripp hollered to be heard.
“Alex!”
A stifled moan greeted him before he heard a crisp, professional “Yes, sir.”
Before Tripp could respond, Alex towered over him. Cuts painted his face and arms, but he extended a hand to pull him up. Tripp took the offering and struggled to his feet.
They were okay. Trey was buried in the rubble, already dead from Reed’s shots, but he and Alex were okay.
And they had a lot of planning to do.
“Far wall, near the windows,” Alex shouted over the infernal noise. “It’s the shortest way out.”
It was how his stepson and his friends had left.
The hot night air was oppressive, especially with the combined debris and dust still lingering from the explosion. But it was the line of cops, all in a row waiting to greet them, with Reed standing point on the far end, that caused his skin to crawl.
So Reed had called for backup.
With a glance down the line, Tripp nodded slightly at the man on the opposite end, receiving the same signal in turn. Clearly his stepson didn’t know everyone on his team.
Or where their l
oyalties lay.
He and Alex would be free in no time. And once they were, they’d press on and find Reed and his friends. Each and every one of them.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from
THE TEMPTATION OF DR. COLTON
by Karen Whiddon.
If you love Addison Fox, be sure to pick up her
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SILKEN THREATS
SECRET AGENT BOYFRIEND
THE MANHATTAN ENCOUNTER
THE ROME AFFAIR
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When a beautiful stranger is run down by a car right in front of him, surgeon Eric Colton rushes to help. Miraculously, she isn’t badly hurt—except she has amnesia. Can he keep her safe long enough for her to regain her memory?
Read on for a sneak peek at
THE TEMPTATION OF DR. COLTON
by Karen Whiddon,
the latest in Harlequin® Romantic Suspense’s The Coltons of Oklahoma series
Flipping through the chart, Eric Colton barely noticed when the nurse bustled off. Unbelievably, all Jane Doe appeared to have suffered was a concussion and some bruised ribs. No broken bones or internal injuries. Wow. As far as he could tell, she was the luckiest woman in Tulsa.
He might as well take a look at her while he was here. Chart in hand, he hurried down the hall toward her room.
After tapping briskly twice, Eric pushed open the door and called out a quiet “Good morning.” Apparently, he’d woken her. She blinked groggily up at him, her amazing pale blue eyes slow to focus on him. He couldn’t help but notice her long and thick lashes.
“Doctor?” Pushing herself up on her elbows, she shoved her light brown curls away from her face. “You look so familiar.”
“That’s because I rode with you in the ambulance last night.”
“Ambulance?” She tilted her head, giving him an uncertain smile. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about that.”
Amnesia? He frowned. “How much do you remember?” he asked.
“Nothing.” Her husky voice broke and her full lips quivered, just the slightest bit. “Not even my name or what happened to me.”
He took a seat in the chair next to the bed, suppressing the urge to take her hand. “Give it time. You’ve suffered a traumatic accident. I’m quite confident you’ll start to remember bits and pieces as time goes on.”
“I hope so.” Her sleepy smile transformed her face, lighting her up, changing from pretty to absolutely gorgeous.
Unbelievably, he felt his body stir in response. Shocked, he nearly pushed to his feet.
This kind of thing had never happened to him.
Ever.
Don’t miss THE TEMPTATION OF DR. COLTON by Karen Whiddon,
Available August 2015,
Part of the Coltons of Oklahoma series:
COLTON COWBOY PROTECTOR by Beth Cornelison
COLTON’S COWBOY CODE by Melissa Cutler
PROTECTING THE COLTON BRIDE by Elle James
SECOND CHANCE COLTON by Marie Ferrarella
THE COLTON BODYGUARD by Carla Cassidy
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Copyright ©2015 by Harlequin Books S.A.
ISBN-13: 9781460384749
Tempting Target
Copyright © 2015 by Frances Karkosak
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