Page 33 of Gemini

They had twenty seconds maybe. He wouldn’t leave her to die in the arms of a madman. If she was going down, he was going down. He crept closer. With Vargas’ crazed eyes shooting back and forth, he didn’t notice Maddox advancing.

“What’s happening? What did you do, you bitch?” He punctuated his question with a hand tightening on her throat.

The shrill warning beep telling them they only had ten seconds pierced the smoke-filled air. Vargas’ eyes snapped to the panel just as Maddox lunged forward, and Brynn brought her heel down on Vargas’ foot.

He howled in pain.

She shot her elbow into his stomach and his grip slipped.

Maddox grabbed her hand just as he started to hear the hiss of the gases releasing into the air. Dragging her along with him they ran for the door, the screen smacking against the side of the house with a violent thud.

They ran down the steps, his foot only hitting every other one. She struggled to keep up and stumbled at the bottom.

He clasped her waist and hoisted her to her feet, dragging her to the water’s edge. Their lungs heaving, Brynn bent over and grabbed her thighs, struggling to catch her breath while Maddox watched the house.

The door slammed open and Vargas stumbled out. Gunshots rang out as he shot three rounds into the air. He weaved on his feet, then fell face-first onto the porch.

Dead.

epilogue

Maddox wantednothing more than to crash in a hotel room, scrub the grit of the night out of his skin, and sleep for a week, but he’d do none of those until he knew for sure that they’d stopped interrogating Brynn and she was on her way home.

He slapped his hand on the steel door of one of many interview rooms the FBI and Omega Team had taken over at the Columbus Police Department, and headed into the lobby. Spotting Brynn leaning against the scuffed gray wall with a smile on her face had him skidding to a halt.

She’d been treated by EMTs for the scrapes she had gotten when he dragged her out of the house. Marks had formed on her neck where Vargas had grabbed her. She stood there in her dirt-stained clothes, her hair thrown into a messy ponytail, and smudge of dirt along her cheek bone.

He’d take the warrior she had become over a supermodel any day of the week.

He stopped a few feet before her and leaned against the same wall, mirroring her stance with his shoulder propping him up. “I thought you would have been well on your way back to Tampa,” Maddox said, sliding his hands into his pockets. “You took out nine of Vargas’s guys…and Vargas. Impressive.”

She brushed imaginary lint from her shoulder. “Well, I was coached by the best.” She smiled, her clear blue eyes shining. “I feel a little responsible for you being homeless and all, so I thought I would see if you want to have a sleepover at my place. I have a spare room and everything.”

Maddox reached out and hooked his hand in the collar of her shirt, a shirt she had casually removed just hours earlier before baring herself to him, and pulled her to him. “I know you don’t think I’m going to sleep in the guest room.” He leaned in, but stopped just an inch from that sweet mouth of hers. “It’s next to you or no deal,” he whispered over her soft mouth.

“Make it skin to skin and you’ve got a deal,” she said, sliding her lips over his.

“Done. Now, come on…you have a story to break.” He crushed his lips to hers and found a new home.

In her.