Page 106 of A Shot at Love
Gemma was hauled to her feet when she opened her eyes. Ky was saying something but her ears had gone silent, except for the high-pitched whistle screaming inside her brain. She shook her head at him. “I can’t hear you.”
He dragged her into his arms, his hold so safe, so familiar, she leaned into it. She could feel the reverberations of him saying something with her head against his chest and in the next instant her hands were freed from the cuffs. Immediately, she wound them around his waist and held on, while he smoothed her hair and kissed her temple.
The feel of his arms securely woven around her and the pounding of his heart against her cheek was nirvana.
Little by little the whistling eased and she was able to distinguish the sounds of the agents talking around her.
Ky’s voice was the only one she wanted to hear.
He pulled back and stared down at her.
“Can you hear me yet?” He cupped her cheeks in his hands, settled his worried gaze on hers.
She nodded.
“Gemma.” There was so much emotion infused in her name her knees almost went out on her again. He shook his head and placed his forehead against hers.
Around them the agents were inspecting Ritandi’s lifeless body, removing his weapon, walking around the perimeter of the cabin. Jon Winters said something to one of the men and then came up to Gemma and Ky.
“That went well,” he said with a grin. “Almost according to plan.”
Gemma pulled from Ky’s arms to give the agent a hug, mindful of the supportive sling that encased his arm to his chest. She dropped a kiss on his cheek.
“Except for Tiege and Ritandi getting killed,” Ky said behind her.
“Hey, we got the son-of-a-bitch and rescued the girl,” Jon told his partner. “That’s what counts.”
“Pappandreos! Winters!”
All three of them turned to the man barreling down from the drive toward them.
“Who is that?” Gemma asked, moving close to Ky again. When his hand spread across the small of her back, her shoulders relaxed. Just a touch calmed and comforted her more than any words ever could.
“ASA Barly,” Ky told her.
“You were given explicit orders not to use deadly force,” Barly shrieked at Ky.
“Couldn’t be helped,” Winters said. “We were forced to defend ourselves. And Miss Laine.”
Barly’s gaze flashed over Gemma. The photographer in her decided there was no conceivable way she could ever make him look appealing in a portrait. His reptilian eyes pulled almost closed while her stared at her. She felt as if she knew what an unsuspecting insect experienced just before a predator claimed it as a meal.
“I’ll need a statement from you immediately,” he told her, without even introducing himself. “Detailing everything you can remember about what Tiege said to you before and after you arrived here.” He switched his attention to Ky. “Have one of your men bring her to my office now.”
“It’ll get done, Barly,” Ky told him, “but Miss Laine’s been through enough. Her statement can wait.”
From over the man’s shoulder’s Gemma spied a familiar face in the sea of agents and personnel who’d descended upon the cabin, standing off at the tree line, hands in his pockets, just observing the scene.
“Excuse me,” Ky said to the attorney, cutting the man off midsentence while he’d been castigating him about shooting Ritandi.
With Gemma’s hand in his, he led her to Rick Bannerman. “I’m gonna be tied up for a while,” Ky said while they walked. “Here and back at the bureau. I made arrangements for Bannerman to take you back to the city so you don’t have to wait around. I know how much you want to get home.”
“I don’t mind waiting for you,” she said. “I can give that statement Barly’s so hot for.”
He shook his head. “Like I told him, it’ll get done. It’s better if you go, Gemma. I need to finish this. I’ve got a lot of bureaucrats to deal with and reports to file, and I can’t do all that with you around.”
“Oh.” Why did she feel like she’d been stabbed in the heart?
“Bannerman can take you home. Either Jon or I will be in touch as soon as we can about taking your statement. It’s not necessary we have it immediately, despite what Barly says. It’s not going to change anything that happened here today.”
