Authors: Cindy Stark
One
step after another, she continued forward until she reached the top. The hatch
leading to the roof squeaked as she opened it, and she tried not to let panic
consume her. The noise couldn't have been loud enough for anyone else to hear.
Bright
sun blinded her as she climbed out. She squinted as she lowered the hatch back
in place, and then waited a moment for her eyes to adjust. She was safe for
now.
* *
*
Jase's
arm throbbed like a mother as he exited the freeway and headed down the stretch
of highway that would take him to Jenna's. His blood pressure had to be sky
high. Who the hell did Trasatti think he was, making a hit like this? It
screamed desperation. And now Jase would have to claim retribution. It would
get uglier before it was over. As soon as he returned to the apartment, he'd
get Allie the hell out of the city.
Another
two right turns, and Jase let off the gas, letting his black SUV coast to a
stop alongside the road. He clenched his jaw as his blood ran cold. Up ahead,
stood the blazing remains of his property. "Sons of bitches."
His
phone rang. It was Max. "I'm too late," Jase said.
"I
know. I just talked to Jorge. He's got someone in the crowd in front of
Jenna's. The cops are taking license plates and photos of by-standers. You
need to get the hell out of there."
"What
about Jenna?"
There
was a long pause on the other end of the phone. "There's nothing you can
do for her now."
"Shit."
Jase's breath hissed out of him.
"Jase,
you need to get back to the apartment."
"Damn
it, Max." His heart raced as he slammed on the gas, squealing his tires
as he turned around. "I thought you said I needed to be here."
"Word
is, they've figured out where she is. I don't know if they really have—"
Jase
dropped the phone as he shifted through gears, screaming back toward the city.
Outside
on the roof, the midday sun beat down on Allie, but fear ran cold through her
veins. It was hard to believe her life was in danger with everything seeming
so calm and sunny. But she wasn't fooled. Until she was away from Chicago,
she wasn't safe. People wanted her dead. The same people who had broken
through a barrier Jase had said couldn't be breached.
Boo
ran the perimeter of the small area, sniffing scents as Allie headed toward the
secret door Jase had mentioned the previous night.
She
wasn't sure going back into the warehouse was a smart thing to do. The bad
guys might be looking for her there, too. But she wanted to get off the
rooftop and out of sight. She needed somewhere to hide.
She
found the small latch and pulled. This doorway wasn't as well hidden as the
closet door, but apparently Jase didn't feel anyone would find the first door,
so there was no need to hide this one.
She
pushed on the heavy door and felt it give a little. Thank God. Using her good
shoulder, she put her full weight behind a harder push. The door moved
creating an opening a few inches wide.
Boo
growled, low and menacing, as he backed up next to her. A shiver raced across
the back of her neck. She grabbed his collar. Boo had just informed her that
their safe zone had been violated. She turned as the hatch opened. A
dark-haired stranger protruded, gun in hand. Shit. When his gaze locked with
hers, she dropped the flashlight. There was no doubt,
he wanted her dead
.
Adrenaline
forced her into action. She pushed through the opening, dragging Boo with
her. She tried to shut it, but it was too heavy. The only thing she could do
was run.
The
inside of the doorway led to a narrow hall instead of more stairs. A few
widely spaced lights cast a dim glow. She dashed along it with Boo at her
heels, afraid to look back. If she hesitated even a moment, she knew she'd be
dead.
Ahead
was another door. She jerked it open, looking down at stairs that led into a
black unknown. She needed the flashlight. But she'd dropped it. Behind her,
she heard footsteps pounding in her direction. She took a step into the
darkness, her gaze snagging on a deadbolt inside the door. Time. The lock
would buy her more precious time.
With
Boo inside the door, she shut it, bolting them into the stifling dark. Keeping
her hands on both sides of the walls, she descended farther down the stairway.
She could hear Boo next to her, but she couldn't see anything.
Allie
had no idea how far the steps would descend before she reached the bottom.
Someone pounded on the door above her, making her jump and go faster. The
pounding grew louder, and she was certain her assailant was trying to kick open
the door. The sound of splintering wood echoed down the stairwell like a death
sentence.
"There!
There she is."
There
was more than one person after her? She slipped and tumbled down the last four
stairs, landing hard on her injured arm. Boo jumped next to her, seeming to
sense now was not the time to fight.
The
men trampled down the steps, and she kicked with every bit of strength she had
at the panel in front of her. It crashed open, and she found herself in
another closet. She didn't stop to think. She jumped to her feet, pushing
open the door as footsteps clambered down behind her.
Thank
God no one menacing waited for her in what Jase had said would be his office.
She barely caught a glimpse of the wood-paneled walls and a desk as she rushed
through the next door and out into the warehouse. "Boo," she
called. "Come."
Allie
didn't wait to see if he followed, but was grateful when she looked down and
found the black dog running next to her. She weaved in and out of the towering
aisles of cardboard boxes, toward what she hoped was the front of the
warehouse. God help her if she'd lost her sense of direction in all of the
chaos.
She
hadn't seen or heard the men since she'd left Jase's office, so she could only
hope—
Her
lungs deflated as a huge body collided with hers, knocking her to the ground.
Her ankle twisted as she hit the cement with a painful thud. Immediately, Boo
was upon them, growling and biting the oversized man who'd taken her down. The
creep rolled off her, more concerned with his furry attacker than her.
"Get
off me, you son-of-a-bitch." The man tried to pry Jase's dog off his arm
while he looked wildly around on the floor. Allie looked, too, and then she
spied it. His gun.
She
scurried on hands and knees, seeing the fury in the man's face when he realized
she'd get to it before he did. With a wild swing, he knocked the dog off him,
sending Boo skidding across the floor with a yelp.
She
grabbed the gun and pointed it at him. "Don't move." Her voice
shook as much as her hands did.
A
sinister smile crept over the man's face. "Come on, honey. We both know
you ain't gonna use it."
"I
will." She stood, wincing at the pain shooting up her ankle. Boo got to
his feet as well, growling at the man, but keeping a fair distance. "If
you move, I'll kill you." Allie patted her thigh, calling the dog to
her.
"Then
you're going to have to 'cause that's the only way you're going to stop
me." He got to his knees and then stood, never taking his eyes off her.
Every inch of Allie shook with fear as he took a step forward, grinning.
She
pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun echoed through the high-ceilinged
building. The man took another step and then dropped, a surprised look on his
face.
He
hadn't thought she'd do it. She hadn't known she could.
And
now everyone in the building knew where she was. She started running again,
each stride a step of complete agony.
*
* *
Jase
made it back to the city in record time. But it was not fast enough for him.
Each mile, each minute was raw torture. He'd left Allie alone. He'd left her
vulnerable when she'd begged him not to. How stupid could he have been?
He'd
played right into their trap.
Finally,
he turned the corner and sped down the last half a block to his warehouse.
The
bay door stood open. His heart stopped. Not a good sign.
He
barely slowed as he cornered the vehicle, entered the warehouse, and slammed on
his brakes. He exited the SUV, drawing his weapon from beneath his jacket in a
single fluid movement.
Crouched
next to the driver's door, he scanned the area. Shit. Three of his men lay
dead next to the bay door.
Kip
Bennion caught his attention with a wave of his gun. The stocky man who'd been
his first hire jerked his weapon toward the northeast corner of the warehouse.
Jase nodded his acknowledgment.
Taking
care to stay low, Jase crept in the opposite direction of Kip, hoping to take
them from both sides. He hadn't seen or heard Allie. He could only hope that
they hadn't found her yet.
Jase
made it past the first aisle when a gunshot rang out, not far from where he
was. He took a quick peek around the closest corner. His heart clogged his
throat.
Allie
ran toward him with a crazy limp and a gun in her hand. Boo followed next to
her. Jase moved into the aisle so she could see him. Recognition showed on
her face along with a heated mixture of fear and pain. She was still several
hundred yards away from him, and she kept thumbing over her shoulder.
Then
he saw the reason for her fear. A would-be assailant turned a corner after
her, and stopped, raising his weapon. Jase didn't hesitate. He took aim and
fired. Allie screamed, but didn't stop running. One of Trasatti's best men
dropped on the spot.
Jase
ran to Allie. "Hurry. My car's not far." He took her hand and
pulled her along as Boo barked at their heels.
Shots
rang from every direction as they approached his SUV. Bennion and another of
his men kept the shooters at a distance. Jase ran for the driver's side as
Allie climbed into the passenger seat after Boo. He hated leaving his men, but
the best thing he could do for everyone was to get Allie the hell out of
there. If she was gone, there wouldn't be much of a reason for his enemies to
stick around. Not unless they all wanted to die.
The
engine roared to life and Jase peeled backward out of the warehouse. A bright
yellow Volkswagen barely missed slamming into him. The driver laid on his horn
to show his irritation, but Jase ignored him as he headed down the street and
turned the first in a series of corners. When he'd driven several miles and
was sure no one had followed them, he jumped on to the Interstate.
With
the noon sun overhead, Jase slowed his speed, blending in with the other
traffic as he tried to slow his heart rate. He glanced at Allie. Her tears
had stopped, but her face was as pale as the Chicago sky before a winter
storm. She seemed so lost, sitting there in his big T-shirt.
"Are
you okay?" His voice echoed oddly in the quiet vehicle after all of the
previous commotion. Even Boo was silent, lying on the back seat.
"Yeah."
Allie's answer was subdued as she stared out the windshield. She still held
the gun, pointing the barrel down between her knees.
Shit.
She wasn't okay, and he knew it. This whole fiasco had been more than she
could handle. Which was why there was not a remote possibility he could ever
consider a future with her. His way of life was too violent.
"Allie?
You need to give me the gun now."
She
turned her face toward him, her eyes huge and shocked. The look devastated
him. "Give it to me, and I'll take care of it."
She
slowly handed it to him. He clicked on the safety and stuffed it under his
seat. With a ton of guilt on his shoulders, he reached over and took her
hand. She latched on to him as though her life depended on it. What could he
say to her? He had no idea. "I'm sorry."
She
nodded and turned toward the front window.
More
than a half hour passed before she spoke again. "I—" She took a
long pause. "I shot someone."
He
had wondered how she'd ended up with a gun and if she'd had to use it, but he
hadn't wanted to ask. "It's okay. It was self-defense. You didn't have
a choice."
"I
killed him."
"Allie,
listen to me." He would not allow her to accept responsibility for what
had happened. "You did what you had to do. If you hadn't shot him, he
would have killed you."
"And
Boo," she answered in a small voice.
He
wouldn't disagree with that. "And Boo." He squeezed her hand as he
glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping dog. "You did a good job
protecting him."
"The
man kicked him. He would have killed him." She seemed to be grasping for
a reason for the insanity of what had happened.