at him. Shoving back his greasy blond hair, the guy’s unfocused gaze shifted to Daryl, Alexis Washington’s nine-year-old grandson. “I ain’t letting anybody go,” he said and grabbed the boy’s collar. “I’m gonna shoot you first. Then I’m shooting this kid. How you like that, Doc?”
Mrs. Washington let out a screech and lurched off her seat. The women on either side of her caught her arms. But she screamed at the junkie to let her baby go. He swung the gun toward her.
“Hey,” Daniel said, hoping someone could shut her up. “Look at me. I’m the one who can help you.” Holding his hands up higher, hoping the idiot’s eyes would track them, Daniel lost what he was going to say when the front door opened and Lisa walked in.
He wanted to shout for her to run, but they’d finally quieted Mrs. Washington. The calmer the junkie stayed, the better off for everyone. Including Lisa. Jesus. Why now? Why hadn’t she seen the gun through the window and turned around? Daniel couldn’t let himself be distracted by her.
She dropped her purse. Loudly. “What’s going on?”
The gunman did a 180, pulling a crying Daryl along with him.
Daniel rushed forward, but came to a halt when Lisa held up her hands like stop signs instead of surrender. If that prick hurt one hair on her head, Daniel would tear him apart like only a doctor could.
“Get over there, Barbie.” The gun waved, wobbly again. “’Fore I mess up your pretty white shirt.”
Daryl cried louder.
Lisa kept walking. Her eyes were wide, her hands in clear sight. “Use me,” she said, in the gentlest voice. “Take me instead of the boy, okay? I’ll be good. I’ll be so good. I’ll do just what you want.”
Daniel’s heart nearly burst out of his chest. He couldn’t see the gun from where he was standing. Jumping the son of a bitch was out of the question.
He was on the brink of coughing to call attention to himself when Daryl ran as fast as he could toward his grandma. When Daniel looked back at the junkie, Lisa was so close to him, Daniel couldn’t see what she was doing. Jesus, he had no way to tell where the gun was. He had to find a way to get Lisa and everyone else to safety. Now.
Just as he took a step closer, praying he wouldn’t get Lisa killed, he heard a loud grunt and suddenly the gun was skittering across the floor and the junkie hit his knees. Daniel froze when Lisa stopped the man’s fall. Thin as he was, the guy still outweighed her by a good forty pounds, but she twisted his arm up behind his back and pushed him to the floor. On his way down he briefly met Daniel’s gaze, looking like a man who’d just gotten spanked
hard
by Barbie, and she hadn’t broken a sweat.
Another grunt came when his hands were yanked together and Lisa planted a knee on his back. “Daniel, can you get the gun? Did anyone call the police?”
He just stood there. He still wasn’t sure what had happened, only that it had happened in less than a minute.
“Daniel?”
He nodded, picked up the gun.
“I’ll take it if you don’t mind.”
As if he would disobey her now. He gave her the gun, then moved back when she told him to. With one hand on the prostrate junkie’s neck, she did something with the gun that made the magazine fall out.
She was a hell of a lot more at ease than when he’d checked out her paper cuts. One thing was for certain: she hadn’t learned those moves pushing paper for her brother’s security and investigations firm. Or perhaps she’d had a more personal reason to learn self-defense.
His musing was interrupted by two screaming cop cars parking right in front of the building, and more immediately by Mrs. Washington, who marched up to Lisa and the junkie, then whacked the guy in the head with her purse.
“Don’t you go messin’ with my baby.”
He only groaned. Whether his body was ready for it or not, he was now in the crash stage of meth addiction, which wasn’t a place anyone wanted to be, let alone
Mrs. Washington let out a screech and lurched off her seat. The women on either side of her caught her arms. But she screamed at the junkie to let her baby go. He swung the gun toward her.
“Hey,” Daniel said, hoping someone could shut her up. “Look at me. I’m the one who can help you.” Holding his hands up higher, hoping the idiot’s eyes would track them, Daniel lost what he was going to say when the front door opened and Lisa walked in.
He wanted to shout for her to run, but they’d finally quieted Mrs. Washington. The calmer the junkie stayed, the better off for everyone. Including Lisa. Jesus. Why now? Why hadn’t she seen the gun through the window and turned around? Daniel couldn’t let himself be distracted by her.
She dropped her purse. Loudly. “What’s going on?”
The gunman did a 180, pulling a crying Daryl along with him.
Daniel rushed forward, but came to a halt when Lisa held up her hands like stop signs instead of surrender. If that prick hurt one hair on her head, Daniel would tear him apart like only a doctor could.
“Get over there, Barbie.” The gun waved, wobbly again. “’Fore I mess up your pretty white shirt.”
Daryl cried louder.
Lisa kept walking. Her eyes were wide, her hands in clear sight. “Use me,” she said, in the gentlest voice. “Take me instead of the boy, okay? I’ll be good. I’ll be so good. I’ll do just what you want.”
Daniel’s heart nearly burst out of his chest. He couldn’t see the gun from where he was standing. Jumping the son of a bitch was out of the question.
He was on the brink of coughing to call attention to himself when Daryl ran as fast as he could toward his grandma. When Daniel looked back at the junkie, Lisa was so close to him, Daniel couldn’t see what she was doing. Jesus, he had no way to tell where the gun was. He had to find a way to get Lisa and everyone else to safety. Now.
Just as he took a step closer, praying he wouldn’t get Lisa killed, he heard a loud grunt and suddenly the gun was skittering across the floor and the junkie hit his knees. Daniel froze when Lisa stopped the man’s fall. Thin as he was, the guy still outweighed her by a good forty pounds, but she twisted his arm up behind his back and pushed him to the floor. On his way down he briefly met Daniel’s gaze, looking like a man who’d just gotten spanked
hard
by Barbie, and she hadn’t broken a sweat.
Another grunt came when his hands were yanked together and Lisa planted a knee on his back. “Daniel, can you get the gun? Did anyone call the police?”
He just stood there. He still wasn’t sure what had happened, only that it had happened in less than a minute.
“Daniel?”
He nodded, picked up the gun.
“I’ll take it if you don’t mind.”
As if he would disobey her now. He gave her the gun, then moved back when she told him to. With one hand on the prostrate junkie’s neck, she did something with the gun that made the magazine fall out.
She was a hell of a lot more at ease than when he’d checked out her paper cuts. One thing was for certain: she hadn’t learned those moves pushing paper for her brother’s security and investigations firm. Or perhaps she’d had a more personal reason to learn self-defense.
His musing was interrupted by two screaming cop cars parking right in front of the building, and more immediately by Mrs. Washington, who marched up to Lisa and the junkie, then whacked the guy in the head with her purse.
“Don’t you go messin’ with my baby.”
He only groaned. Whether his body was ready for it or not, he was now in the crash stage of meth addiction, which wasn’t a place anyone wanted to be, let alone
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