Read Online Have and Hold: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #4) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries) by Sarah Biglow - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Biglow
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which slowed them down. They were almost at the junction when a door slammed open behind them and Bruce appeared wielding a knife in one hand and Fiona’s finger in the other. Without thinking, Kalina put herself in front of the injured woman.
His knife hand faltered an inch. “You?”
“It’s over, Mr. Hempstead. The police are already on their way. You and Beth aren’t going to get away with what you’ve done.”
“And I thought I was the only one who had the chops to be an investigative reporter,” Beth said from behind Bruce. She stepped up beside her cousin and brandished a gun.
Heavy footsteps thudded behind Kalina and she didn’t have to turn to know that the police had arrived just in time to back her play.
“Put your weapons down and get on the floor,” Jimmy ordered. His service weapon was held high, aimed right at Bruce’s chest.
Bruce’s lower lip trembled and he tossed the knife aside. As he got to his knees, he pressed Fiona’s finger to his chest. “I love you.”
Beth remained standing, weapon still pointing at the cluster of police. Jimmy’s aim moved to her and after a moment she relented and tossed the weapon aside. Two uniformed officers approached and cuffed them.
Ambulance sirens wailed in the distance and Kalina turned to look at Jimmy. “Thank you.” She flung her arms around his shoulders and held him close.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Before long, paramedics huddled around Fiona, one of them packing her finger in ice for transport. Despite the amount of blood, they seemed confident it could be reattached without much issue. That was small consolation considering what the man who claimed to love her had put her through. Kalina wasn’t certain but had an inkling that Beth had been the one to push him to such extremes. Of the two, she had the more dominant personality. Both of them had already been led away in handcuffs by the time Kalina trailed Fiona and the paramedics out to the parking lot. Just as the ambulance peeled away, lights flashing and sirens wailing anew, Chris’s car came screaming into the lot. He pulled to a stop across several parking spaces and her cheeks burned with color.
“Please tell me you are OK,” he said and grabbed her by the wrists.
“I’m fine.”
He frantically checked her over for signs of injury. His hand stopped on a few splatters of blood on her jacket. She hadn’t even noticed it there.
“Chris, it’s not mine, I swear. Bruce Hempstead cut off Fiona’s finger. She had her hand wrapped in a towel. It must have gotten on me when I took a look.”
“I told you to stay put and let the police handle this, Kal.”
“If I hadn’t then maybe they would have done worse than they did.” She didn’t mean to start yelling at him.
Chris tightened his grip on her wrist and pulled out of view of the other officers still on scene. As soon as they were alone, he let go. “I know you like to help and I can’t say that it hasn’t been invaluable but this was really dangerous. They could have gone after you.”
“But they didn’t. They didn’t even know I was there until the end. And by then Jimmy had already showed up. I helped that woman survive a trauma and I’m not going to apologize for it. Be angry at me if you have to. That’s fine. But I’m not going to say I’m sorry when it would be a lie.”
Chris exhaled a long, slow breath and scrubbed at his face with the heels of his hands. “The more you get involved the more I worry something is going to happen. And with the baby now… I can’t do my job if I’m constantly worrying about you. Do you understand that?”
“I do. Of course I understand, Chris. And I never meant to make you worry or put me ahead of the needs of the job. Look, I’m going to go back to the shop and let you finish up here. We can talk about it when we get home.”
She didn’t give him time to respond before she dug the car keys out of her coat pocket and headed for her car. The streets were
His knife hand faltered an inch. “You?”
“It’s over, Mr. Hempstead. The police are already on their way. You and Beth aren’t going to get away with what you’ve done.”
“And I thought I was the only one who had the chops to be an investigative reporter,” Beth said from behind Bruce. She stepped up beside her cousin and brandished a gun.
Heavy footsteps thudded behind Kalina and she didn’t have to turn to know that the police had arrived just in time to back her play.
“Put your weapons down and get on the floor,” Jimmy ordered. His service weapon was held high, aimed right at Bruce’s chest.
Bruce’s lower lip trembled and he tossed the knife aside. As he got to his knees, he pressed Fiona’s finger to his chest. “I love you.”
Beth remained standing, weapon still pointing at the cluster of police. Jimmy’s aim moved to her and after a moment she relented and tossed the weapon aside. Two uniformed officers approached and cuffed them.
Ambulance sirens wailed in the distance and Kalina turned to look at Jimmy. “Thank you.” She flung her arms around his shoulders and held him close.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Before long, paramedics huddled around Fiona, one of them packing her finger in ice for transport. Despite the amount of blood, they seemed confident it could be reattached without much issue. That was small consolation considering what the man who claimed to love her had put her through. Kalina wasn’t certain but had an inkling that Beth had been the one to push him to such extremes. Of the two, she had the more dominant personality. Both of them had already been led away in handcuffs by the time Kalina trailed Fiona and the paramedics out to the parking lot. Just as the ambulance peeled away, lights flashing and sirens wailing anew, Chris’s car came screaming into the lot. He pulled to a stop across several parking spaces and her cheeks burned with color.
“Please tell me you are OK,” he said and grabbed her by the wrists.
“I’m fine.”
He frantically checked her over for signs of injury. His hand stopped on a few splatters of blood on her jacket. She hadn’t even noticed it there.
“Chris, it’s not mine, I swear. Bruce Hempstead cut off Fiona’s finger. She had her hand wrapped in a towel. It must have gotten on me when I took a look.”
“I told you to stay put and let the police handle this, Kal.”
“If I hadn’t then maybe they would have done worse than they did.” She didn’t mean to start yelling at him.
Chris tightened his grip on her wrist and pulled out of view of the other officers still on scene. As soon as they were alone, he let go. “I know you like to help and I can’t say that it hasn’t been invaluable but this was really dangerous. They could have gone after you.”
“But they didn’t. They didn’t even know I was there until the end. And by then Jimmy had already showed up. I helped that woman survive a trauma and I’m not going to apologize for it. Be angry at me if you have to. That’s fine. But I’m not going to say I’m sorry when it would be a lie.”
Chris exhaled a long, slow breath and scrubbed at his face with the heels of his hands. “The more you get involved the more I worry something is going to happen. And with the baby now… I can’t do my job if I’m constantly worrying about you. Do you understand that?”
“I do. Of course I understand, Chris. And I never meant to make you worry or put me ahead of the needs of the job. Look, I’m going to go back to the shop and let you finish up here. We can talk about it when we get home.”
She didn’t give him time to respond before she dug the car keys out of her coat pocket and headed for her car. The streets were
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