Page 85 of Deserving Lara
“I wouldn’t,” Ricky warned as he gripped Lara tighter when Owl took a step, ready to leap at the man who held the woman he loved. Lara’s face had leeched of all color and she was trying desperately to struggle out of Ricky’s grip.
“Stop moving unless you want to get stuck with this,” he growled.
Owl swiveled slightly, keeping everyone in sight. His attention wavered between Lara and Ricky, Stone—now lying motionless on the floor—and the man with the mallet.
“I suppose you’re wondering what the hell’s going on,” Ricky said almost conversationally.
“Let her go,” Owl seethed between clenched teeth.
“Sorry, can’t do that. I’m getting a lot of money for her. She’ll be taken reeeeeal good care of though.”
Lara whimpered, and the sound nearly broke Owl’s heart. They’d all been so careful! And now it was clear the very person they’d trusted with the sale of the chopper had been working with a serial killer.
Owl had no doubt that’s what was happening here. Carter Grant had found someone to do his dirty work for him. And if he didn’t figure something out in the next few seconds, it was highly likely she’d be thrust right back into her worst nightmare. And he knew she wouldn’t rebound so well a second time.
“They’re all yours,” Ricky said to the man who’d knocked out Stone.
“Boss only wants one.”
“What? That’s not the plan!” Ricky bitched, the irritation clear in his voice.
“Plans change,” Muscle Man said, not sounding like he cared about Ricky’s anger.
Owl had to take out Ricky. It was dangerous, especially with that needle so close to Lara’s skin, and he didn’t know what was in it. If it was something like fentanyl, it could kill her in minutes. If it was a sedative, her being knocked out would make escaping from this clusterfuck a challenge.
Who was he kidding? Escaping was already highly unlikely. Because there was no way Owl was leaving Stone in these assholes’ clutches. If he was conscious, Stone would order Owl to get the hell out of there with Lara. But he couldn’t leave him. Not after the hell they’d been through together in the past.
If he could at least get Lara away from Ricky, she could run. Get help. He’d hold out as best he could against the two men…and hopefully that would be long enough for someone to come and help.
Even as his muscles coiled to leap at Ricky, he heard another subtle sound—and just as suddenly, the man in the suit had a gun pointed at his chest.
Before Owl could blink, the man pulled the trigger.
He expected to feel the pain of a bullet tearing into his body, but instead, when he looked down, Owl saw a dart sticking out of his chest.
Howling in anger, he yanked it out, but already he could feel whatever sedative the dart contained moving through his veins. He tried to force himself to remain standing. It was no use. He fell to his knees, but didn’t feel any pain as he hit the concrete.
Looking up, he saw horror in Lara’s expression and it reverberated in his soul.
He’d failed her. And Stone. Then he knew nothing more as he fell face first onto the concrete floor.
* * *
Lara screamed as the man in the fancy suit shot Owl. She expected to see blood, but the dart lying on the floor at Owl’s feet told her all she needed to know. He’d been drugged. When he crumpled to the concrete, she fought even harder against Ricky’s hold.
“No!” she yelled as Owl lay motionless at the other man’s feet.
“Sorry, but yes,” Ricky said gleefully in her ear.
“I’ll give you a million dollars if you let us go!” Lara said desperately.
“Sorry, honey, but I’m already getting that much to deliver you. Besides, I don’t need Carter Grant on my bad side.”
Lara shivered at hearing confirmation that Carter was behind this. She’d been terrified this might happen, and she’d been right.
The man in the suit tucked the gun back into a holster at the small of his back, then bent over Stone. He grabbed him under his armpits and began hauling him toward the dark end of the hangar.
“It was good working with you,” he said, as he dragged Stone away.
