Page 87 of Entangled

Gian’s foot hit the latch on the wing exit door at the same time he aimed his gun and turned toward the voices. The guy with the semi-auto rifle pointed at the cowering woman on the floor didn’t see Gian either.

Not until it was too late.

The trigger pulled back smooth and easy under Gian’s finger. The bullet plugged into the forehead of the guy, sent his eyes flying wide, and then he stumbled back several steps. His head cracked morbidly against the wall on his way to the floor.

Gian considered putting another bullet in the fucker, just for good measure, but the horrified shriek of the woman stopped him. He passed her a look and recognized her instantly. Cara’s boss.

Jenny, he thought her name was.

“You okay?” Gian asked.

Jenny just stared at him, blinking.

“Did someone call the cops?”

She still didn’t talk.

“Where’s Cara?” Gian demanded.

Jenny swallowed hard, her gaze darting to the corpse bleeding out between his eyes on the floor, and Gian standing just a few feet away. “Probably inside the kitchen and dining area, if she’s not locked in her office.”

“She’s not locked in her office.”

“You killed him.”

“He was going to kill you,” Gian offered with a shrug. “Which was the better option? I think we both like this one more. I can have the carpets replaced before the weekend is up. It’ll be like he never even happened, no worries.”

The man might have hurt Cara.

Or Gian’s child.

Rage filtered in through Gian’s numbed senses, but he pushed it down. It was done with, and handled. A problem came up, and he fixed it. It was just what Gian did.

“RCMP, show your hands!”

Gian tossed his Berretta aside the second he heard the police shout their warnings from behind the doors where he had just come. He shot Jenny a smile as he put his hands behind his head, and moved down to his knees on the floor.

This way, he was not a threat.

This way, it would be faster.

He really needed to see Cara.

“Gian!”

Gian turned at the familiar sound of Cara’s shout. Just in time, too. She barreled into him, her arms snaking tight enough to choke him, and then she pulled him closer still. Her kiss landed fast and hard against his mouth, taking his breath away.

Finally, he could feel.

He wanted to hug Cara, to bring her in closer, but all he managed to do was press his cuffed hands along the swell of her stomach. It was enough and the baby’s kick had his heart beating a little faster.

“Hey, it’s all right, mon ange,” Gian soothed in Cara’s ear. “All’s well, now.”

“What is this?” Cara demanded, pulling away to grab the cuffs. “They arrested you?”

The cop keeping watch on Gian near the back of the police cruiser gave a little shrug when Cara glared at him.

“Details,” Gian said, “nothing more. I had a gun on me and no papers for it, not to mention a license for a concealed weapon. It’s just details.”