first shot, but he couldn't have got far.
He was halfway around the edge of the clearing when something caught his eye. He glanced across to where he'd left Mel tucked safely away.
"Shit."
What the hell was she up to, and why couldn't she follow orders? She'd left the shelter of the rocks and was creeping across the open ground toward the fallen bodyguard. She reached him and fumbled inside his jacket, retrieved whatever it was she was looking for, stuffed it inside her shirt, and started to creep backwards.
As she straightened up, a pinpoint of light appeared on her chest. Zach glanced quickly around for the shooter but couldn't see where the target was coming from. "Mel!'
She obviously couldn't hear, and Zach swore softly. He had to make a fast decision. He took a quick, careful aim. And shot her.
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Chapter Six
The blast took her across the backside, knocking her to the ground. The dot vanished but appeared again sweeping across the rocks behind her. Zach swore, loudly this time, and sprinted across the open ground. Mel was pulling herself up. She appeared dazed, and he grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the cover of the rocks.
"Which part of 'stay put' did you not understand?"
Mel wobbled as he let her go. She put an arm out to steady herself. Then frowned. "Someone shot me."
"I fucking shot you," he snarled through gritted teeth.
That seemed to bring her around. "You what?"
"I shot you in the arse, so someone else wouldn't get the chance of shooting you in the goddamn head." He realized he was shouting and took a deep breath. "What the hell were you doing out there?"
She didn't answer, just twisted her head around, and tried to evaluate the damage.
"Let me look." He took her arm and turned her. It was a clean burn, a single stripe across her bottom. "It's not serious." He stared for a moment longer. She really had a great bottom, it was a pity to shoot it, but needs must. Maybe she'd listen to him next time.
"Not serious! I can't believe you shot me."
"I saved your stupid life. What were you after, anyway?"
"The payment money. Sanderson's bodyguard had it."
He shook his head in amazement. "You risked your life for money?"
"Yeah. It's what I do. You might be a goddamn hero, risking your life to save the world. I do it for money. Anyway, it's mine. The payment was for bringing you here. Nothing else. I earned that money."
He ran his fingers through his hair and realized his hand was trembling.
"You shot me in the arse." She sounded as though she still couldn't quite believe it.
"Get over it," he said. "I saved your life. Twice. In fact, it's a total mystery to me how you've survived this long on your own. You need some serious looking after."
"Do not."
"Do."
"Oh, shut up. Anyway, I thought you were going after Sanderson?"
"I got sidetracked." He sighed. "He'll be long gone now."
"Shit."
"Yeah, that about covers it." He realized the shooting had stopped. All was quiet. He sighed again, the tension oozing out of him. They were still alive, and he hadn't expected that outcome. He'd really thought that this time he was a dead man. He reached out, grabbed Mel by the shoulders, and kissed her. It took her by surprise, and, for a few moments, she relaxed against him. God, it felt good. Then she stiffened in his arms, and he reluctantly raised his head.
"Get your paws off me," she said. "I don't want you doing any more damage."
He dropped his hands and stepped back.
****
For a moment, when he kissed her, she had quite forgotten the pain in her backside. Now it flooded back, and she regarded him through narrowed eyes.
"Okay," he said. "I'll let you go for now. But you and me have some unfinished business, sweetheart."
He was giving her that lopsided smile, and despite the burn in her arse, she
He was halfway around the edge of the clearing when something caught his eye. He glanced across to where he'd left Mel tucked safely away.
"Shit."
What the hell was she up to, and why couldn't she follow orders? She'd left the shelter of the rocks and was creeping across the open ground toward the fallen bodyguard. She reached him and fumbled inside his jacket, retrieved whatever it was she was looking for, stuffed it inside her shirt, and started to creep backwards.
As she straightened up, a pinpoint of light appeared on her chest. Zach glanced quickly around for the shooter but couldn't see where the target was coming from. "Mel!'
She obviously couldn't hear, and Zach swore softly. He had to make a fast decision. He took a quick, careful aim. And shot her.
Back to Table of Contents
Chapter Six
The blast took her across the backside, knocking her to the ground. The dot vanished but appeared again sweeping across the rocks behind her. Zach swore, loudly this time, and sprinted across the open ground. Mel was pulling herself up. She appeared dazed, and he grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the cover of the rocks.
"Which part of 'stay put' did you not understand?"
Mel wobbled as he let her go. She put an arm out to steady herself. Then frowned. "Someone shot me."
"I fucking shot you," he snarled through gritted teeth.
That seemed to bring her around. "You what?"
"I shot you in the arse, so someone else wouldn't get the chance of shooting you in the goddamn head." He realized he was shouting and took a deep breath. "What the hell were you doing out there?"
She didn't answer, just twisted her head around, and tried to evaluate the damage.
"Let me look." He took her arm and turned her. It was a clean burn, a single stripe across her bottom. "It's not serious." He stared for a moment longer. She really had a great bottom, it was a pity to shoot it, but needs must. Maybe she'd listen to him next time.
"Not serious! I can't believe you shot me."
"I saved your stupid life. What were you after, anyway?"
"The payment money. Sanderson's bodyguard had it."
He shook his head in amazement. "You risked your life for money?"
"Yeah. It's what I do. You might be a goddamn hero, risking your life to save the world. I do it for money. Anyway, it's mine. The payment was for bringing you here. Nothing else. I earned that money."
He ran his fingers through his hair and realized his hand was trembling.
"You shot me in the arse." She sounded as though she still couldn't quite believe it.
"Get over it," he said. "I saved your life. Twice. In fact, it's a total mystery to me how you've survived this long on your own. You need some serious looking after."
"Do not."
"Do."
"Oh, shut up. Anyway, I thought you were going after Sanderson?"
"I got sidetracked." He sighed. "He'll be long gone now."
"Shit."
"Yeah, that about covers it." He realized the shooting had stopped. All was quiet. He sighed again, the tension oozing out of him. They were still alive, and he hadn't expected that outcome. He'd really thought that this time he was a dead man. He reached out, grabbed Mel by the shoulders, and kissed her. It took her by surprise, and, for a few moments, she relaxed against him. God, it felt good. Then she stiffened in his arms, and he reluctantly raised his head.
"Get your paws off me," she said. "I don't want you doing any more damage."
He dropped his hands and stepped back.
****
For a moment, when he kissed her, she had quite forgotten the pain in her backside. Now it flooded back, and she regarded him through narrowed eyes.
"Okay," he said. "I'll let you go for now. But you and me have some unfinished business, sweetheart."
He was giving her that lopsided smile, and despite the burn in her arse, she
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