CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“YOU DIDN’T LOCK the door,” Meyer said to Fisher in confusion.
“I have my own key,” Rowdy reminded him, calm, even. “I would have gotten in anyway.”
“You knew we were here?”
“I’ve had you watched, both of you.” Not exactly true, but a lie didn’t bother Rowdy if it got him the desired results—which in this case, would be the upper hand. “You can still leave.”
Meyer shook his head. “No. It’s too late for that.”
“It’ll only be too late if you hurt anyone else.” Arms out to his sides, Rowdy advanced on Meyer. “If you want to leave now, I won’t touch you, I swear.”
Meyer laughed. He looked at the women, then back at Rowdy and he laughed some more. “You think it’ll be that easy?”
He didn’t dare look at his sister or Avery. If he did, fury would take over and he’d be on Meyer, gun or not, in seconds. “I think you value life. I know you love Sonya.”
“My Sonya.”
“Think of her, Meyer.” Rowdy counted on Avery’s mother being Meyer’s one weakness. “Where will she be if you die today? If you go to jail for life?”
“She’s all I’ve ever thought of!”
“Good. That’s good.” Sanity was such a fragile thing. Had Meyer always been nuts? “You know she loves you, too.”
“She wanted her f**king daughter back,” Meyer spat. “But Avery was too selfish—”
Adrenaline pumped through his blood. “Look at me, Meyer.” Rowdy steadily approached. “That’s over now. Avery understands how much Sonya needs her. But she needs you, too.”
“No.” Meyer caught Pepper trying to stray closer and his face contorted in rage. “Stupid bitch, you will back up right now.”
Pepper froze.
“She’s not going to do anything, Meyer. You have the gun. Now look at me.”
“I will when she backs off.”
Instead of Pepper doing the reasonable thing, she held her ground. And Avery, damn her, crowded in next to Pepper.
Rowdy had lost far too much in his life. He would not lose Avery or Pepper. “Meyer, does Sonya know where you are?”
“She hasn’t a clue.” He eyed the women. “She’s so busy being stoic, pushing forward with a smile intact. She’s beautiful.”
“Yes, she is.” Rowdy only had a few more feet to go. Then he’d be close enough to rush Meyer. “Beautiful and smart and kind. You’re a lucky man.”
“You’re not.” Meyer eased the gun from Avery to Pepper and back again. “Which one should it be, Rowdy? Your little sister or your lover?”
Fisher said, “Jesus, Meyer.” Face pale with pain and blood loss, he squeezed his leg. “Let it go.”
“You are a disappointment.”
Fearful, Fisher glanced at Rowdy, but Rowdy looked only at Meyer. “I want you to put the gun down.” Put it down before I jam it down your goddamn throat.
“Not until you choose.”
Holding on to the pole, Fisher tried to stand. “We’re not getting out of here if you don’t stop. Let’s go now.”
“We have nowhere to go,” Meyer told him.
“I could use a f**king hospital!” Fisher got mostly upright, slumping against the pole. “Be reasonable.”
“You’re not as smart as I thought, Fisher. There’s no cleaning this up. I know it even if you don’t. So let me have my fun. I’m not going down without taking one of them with me.” He smiled. “I’ll be generous, Rowdy. You can keep one. Which is it to be?”
Before Rowdy could come up with a reply, Avery stepped forward. “Let Pepper go.”
Rowdy’s heart stalled. In his head, he whispered no.
Then his sister joined Avery. “Screw that. I’m not going anywhere. Let Avery leave.”
Cursing low, Rowdy gave up subterfuge and strode forward. “You won’t hurt either of them, you miserable f**k. Before you get off a shot, I swear to you, I will rip out your twisted heart.”
Just a few more steps, Rowdy thought. And then he’d be close enough to jump the bastard.
Meyer must have realized it, too. Panicked, he turned the gun on Rowdy. “Stop!”
Relieved to again be the focus, Rowdy kept going. “Fuck you.” If Meyer didn’t manage a killing shot, Rowdy would disarm him. Either way, Pepper would know to react. She and Avery would find a way to get safe.
Meyer took aim, his finger squeezing the trigger.
Rowdy braced himself, ready to lunge—and a bullet hit Meyer in the chest. For a split second Rowdy stared, dumbfounded, as the force of the shot sent Meyer stumbling backward. He tripped over one of the kitchen chairs and landed flat on his back, a blood blossom expanding over his shirt.
On instinct, Rowdy launched himself at Avery and Pepper, hastily pushing them both to floor behind him. He had no idea who had fired the shot, if Fisher was now armed, as well. He twisted to survey the danger.
Reese stepped in, gun drawn as he searched the scene. “Rowdy? Are you hurt?”
Rowdy drew a breath, still with a death grip on Avery and Pepper. “No.” He sounded hoarse, and took a second to breathe. He stroked a hand over Avery’s hair, ran his other hand over his sister’s back. “Fish is bleeding like a stuck pig, but we’re okay.”