twisted to look over her shoulders. “Do you see anything?”
“No,” Seth said, his breath coming easier.
“It must be coming from my head,” she said, lifting her hand to touch a cut along her hairline. “Henry seems to have a thing about using his gun as a billy club.”
“Well, thank God, there’s no serious damage. Which is more than I can say for Marshall.”
“Score one for the good guys.” She smiled again, wincing a little as she used the sleeve of her t-shirt to wipe off the blood. “Now if we can just summon help before Henry manages the stairs.”
“Or before they bug out. If they got the chip, then it’ll be better to cut their losses.”
“Point taken,” she said, her smile widening. “Except that they don’t have it.” She opened her hand, a tiny rectangle displayed on her palm. “I do.”
“I don’t care what they say about women, I’ll take one in the trenches any day,” he teased. “Especially, if that woman is you.” For a moment the silence stretched between them—words unspoken hanging in the air.
“Seth, I—” Tracy lifted a hand, but behind them the elevator bell sounded and the doors slid open.
Seth shook his head, holding a finger to his lips. The hall was empty, but he knew they only had seconds before Henry, and quite possibly Marshall, joined them. They had to pass the stairwell to reach the apartment’s door, with the elevator to the ground floor another hundred feet or so beyond that.
“You sure we shouldn’t just make a break for the other elevator?” Tracy whispered, still clutching the chip in her hand.
“It’s tempting, but if we can get inside the apartment we can arm ourselves, and I’d feel a hell of a lot better about the odds. For we all we know they’ve got accomplices on the front entrance.”
She nodded as he stepped out into the hall, gesturing her forward. Keeping low, Tracy in front, they ran for the apartment and had just passed the stairwell when the door behind them slammed open.
“Go,” Seth urged, as they sprinted for the relative safety of Tracy’s apartment.
Henry opened fire, bullets ricocheting off the walls. He was closing fast, and the door to the apartment was shut. “Get down,” Seth yelled as Henry lifted his gun again. At this range it was going to be impossible to miss.
Seth dove to cover Tracy’s body with his. If one of them had to die, it goddamned well wasn’t going to be her. The shot rang out and Seth waited for the burn of the bullet.
But instead there was only silence.
Slowly he rolled off of her, praying that the cavalry had come to the rescue.
But instead he faced the barrel of another gun. This one wielded by someone Seth recognized.
Victor Cherov. The man was a shadow. A mercenary who sold his gun to the highest bidder, his specialty was cleaning up messes. Henry, his lifeless body sprawled across the floor behind him, was clearly a superfluous part of Cherov’s latest assignment.
And as soon as Victor secured the microchip, Seth had no doubt that he and Tracy would be considered expendable too.
Chapter 6
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Just hours ago she and Seth had made love on the credenza. And now they were standing in her living room looking down the barrel of Victor Cherov’s gun. Seth was standing next to her, his shoulders stiff with tension. There was dried blood on the makeshift bandage around his head. But at least it hadn’t started bleeding again.
She had no doubt that push come to shove he’d sacrifice himself to try and save her. But he’d have to fight her for the honor. She wasn’t about to let him die on her watch. She owed him that much. Hell, she loved him that much.
The thought came with an ease that surprised her.
She loved him. It was that simple. And nothing—not a wedding ring, not a seasoned killer—was going to stop her from cherishing the fact. “Let him
“No,” Seth said, his breath coming easier.
“It must be coming from my head,” she said, lifting her hand to touch a cut along her hairline. “Henry seems to have a thing about using his gun as a billy club.”
“Well, thank God, there’s no serious damage. Which is more than I can say for Marshall.”
“Score one for the good guys.” She smiled again, wincing a little as she used the sleeve of her t-shirt to wipe off the blood. “Now if we can just summon help before Henry manages the stairs.”
“Or before they bug out. If they got the chip, then it’ll be better to cut their losses.”
“Point taken,” she said, her smile widening. “Except that they don’t have it.” She opened her hand, a tiny rectangle displayed on her palm. “I do.”
“I don’t care what they say about women, I’ll take one in the trenches any day,” he teased. “Especially, if that woman is you.” For a moment the silence stretched between them—words unspoken hanging in the air.
“Seth, I—” Tracy lifted a hand, but behind them the elevator bell sounded and the doors slid open.
Seth shook his head, holding a finger to his lips. The hall was empty, but he knew they only had seconds before Henry, and quite possibly Marshall, joined them. They had to pass the stairwell to reach the apartment’s door, with the elevator to the ground floor another hundred feet or so beyond that.
“You sure we shouldn’t just make a break for the other elevator?” Tracy whispered, still clutching the chip in her hand.
“It’s tempting, but if we can get inside the apartment we can arm ourselves, and I’d feel a hell of a lot better about the odds. For we all we know they’ve got accomplices on the front entrance.”
She nodded as he stepped out into the hall, gesturing her forward. Keeping low, Tracy in front, they ran for the apartment and had just passed the stairwell when the door behind them slammed open.
“Go,” Seth urged, as they sprinted for the relative safety of Tracy’s apartment.
Henry opened fire, bullets ricocheting off the walls. He was closing fast, and the door to the apartment was shut. “Get down,” Seth yelled as Henry lifted his gun again. At this range it was going to be impossible to miss.
Seth dove to cover Tracy’s body with his. If one of them had to die, it goddamned well wasn’t going to be her. The shot rang out and Seth waited for the burn of the bullet.
But instead there was only silence.
Slowly he rolled off of her, praying that the cavalry had come to the rescue.
But instead he faced the barrel of another gun. This one wielded by someone Seth recognized.
Victor Cherov. The man was a shadow. A mercenary who sold his gun to the highest bidder, his specialty was cleaning up messes. Henry, his lifeless body sprawled across the floor behind him, was clearly a superfluous part of Cherov’s latest assignment.
And as soon as Victor secured the microchip, Seth had no doubt that he and Tracy would be considered expendable too.
Chapter 6
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Just hours ago she and Seth had made love on the credenza. And now they were standing in her living room looking down the barrel of Victor Cherov’s gun. Seth was standing next to her, his shoulders stiff with tension. There was dried blood on the makeshift bandage around his head. But at least it hadn’t started bleeding again.
She had no doubt that push come to shove he’d sacrifice himself to try and save her. But he’d have to fight her for the honor. She wasn’t about to let him die on her watch. She owed him that much. Hell, she loved him that much.
The thought came with an ease that surprised her.
She loved him. It was that simple. And nothing—not a wedding ring, not a seasoned killer—was going to stop her from cherishing the fact. “Let him
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