deep
breath and caught it. Mint, coffee, and apples. That had to be the perp. If the
guy got away, he’d be able to track him down later.
He steadied himself and burst through the door
with the gun in a classic shooter’s stance. God, he didn’t want to kill
this dickwad, but the guy had a firearm leveled at Frank’s head. He had to
remove the danger before someone got killed.
“Freeze!”
The gunman turned to him, then back to Frank,
who’d taken the opportunity to duck down behind the counter and hide. Smart
man.
Greiff advanced two steps, turning his body
sideways to create a smaller profile. “Drop the weapon. Now.”
The robber looked from side to side, then raised
his gun and pointed it at Greiff. “Fuck you.”
His blood pounded in his ears and he took a deep,
steadying breath. The air whistled through his nose—air filled with a unique
fragrance that belonged to only one person.
“Damn it, Chloe, get out of here!” He couldn’t
take the risk of turning to see where she was.
The gunman backed up a step and cocked his head to
the side. “Drop the gun or I’ll shoot. Who else is in here?”
Greiff ignored the question. “Backup is on the
way. Drop the weapon.”
A scraping noise behind him called his attention,
but he focused on the danger in front of him. The priority now centered on
disarming the perpetrator before something happened to Chloe.
And then he’d kick her ass for ignoring him.
The robber retreated more, indecision evident in
his faltering stance. He’d probably never had someone try to fight back.
Chloe stepped out of the aisle behind the perp
holding a small, kitchen-sized fire extinguisher.
His heart seized in his chest and the deepest
rooted panic he’d ever felt took hold. “No, Chloe! Get down!”
The perp turned his head to the right and flailed
at the metal canister headed straight for his head. The crack of a gunshot
sounded as he fired his nine millimeter pistol. Greiff returned fire, and
popped him in the left thigh. The fire extinguisher bashed the gunman in the
face as he crumpled from the wound in his leg.
Greiff rushed forward, kicked the fallen firearm
to the side, and hugged her, then leaned back to lecture her. His fear turned
into anger and exasperation. The sharp copper tang of blood mixed with spent
gunpowder in a noxious fragrance. “What the hell are you doing? You could have
been killed. I told you to wait outside. I can’t believe you did that.”
She flinched and gestured at the man on the
ground. “But I wasn’t. I’m fine. You better check him. He’s bleeding.”
Sirens sounded in the distance, growing louder by
the second. Frank popped up from behind the counter and rushed around it.
“Chloe, get out of here.” Greiff leaned down and
checked the unconscious gunman’s pulse, holstered his weapon, and took the rag
Frank held out to compress the gunshot wound. He showed his badge to Frank.
“That was so damn dangerous. This wasn’t an unarmed guy after junk jewelry and
a few dollars. This was a gunman. Go home. Now.”
Frank picked up the extinguisher and moved it a
few feet away.
“Yes, Chloe, you should go. I don’t know where you
came from or why you’re naked, but you need to get out of here.” The older man
stared at the floor.
Unshed tears shone in her eyes. “But—”
“No. You have to go. Now. Get dressed and go
home.” The hurt and confusion on her face struck a pang in his heart and he
softened his voice. Being reprimanded hurt, but he couldn’t let her get away
with being so reckless with her life. “Chloe, I’ll come by later. You can’t
stay here right now.”
She nodded and paced away with measured steps, one
hand clamped around her bicep. When she’d passed through a door into a back
storeroom, he switched his attention to the man in front of him. Damn, he
should be walking her home instead of staying to deal with reports and a gunshot
wound. “Frank, you got a security camera in here?”
The other
breath and caught it. Mint, coffee, and apples. That had to be the perp. If the
guy got away, he’d be able to track him down later.
He steadied himself and burst through the door
with the gun in a classic shooter’s stance. God, he didn’t want to kill
this dickwad, but the guy had a firearm leveled at Frank’s head. He had to
remove the danger before someone got killed.
“Freeze!”
The gunman turned to him, then back to Frank,
who’d taken the opportunity to duck down behind the counter and hide. Smart
man.
Greiff advanced two steps, turning his body
sideways to create a smaller profile. “Drop the weapon. Now.”
The robber looked from side to side, then raised
his gun and pointed it at Greiff. “Fuck you.”
His blood pounded in his ears and he took a deep,
steadying breath. The air whistled through his nose—air filled with a unique
fragrance that belonged to only one person.
“Damn it, Chloe, get out of here!” He couldn’t
take the risk of turning to see where she was.
The gunman backed up a step and cocked his head to
the side. “Drop the gun or I’ll shoot. Who else is in here?”
Greiff ignored the question. “Backup is on the
way. Drop the weapon.”
A scraping noise behind him called his attention,
but he focused on the danger in front of him. The priority now centered on
disarming the perpetrator before something happened to Chloe.
And then he’d kick her ass for ignoring him.
The robber retreated more, indecision evident in
his faltering stance. He’d probably never had someone try to fight back.
Chloe stepped out of the aisle behind the perp
holding a small, kitchen-sized fire extinguisher.
His heart seized in his chest and the deepest
rooted panic he’d ever felt took hold. “No, Chloe! Get down!”
The perp turned his head to the right and flailed
at the metal canister headed straight for his head. The crack of a gunshot
sounded as he fired his nine millimeter pistol. Greiff returned fire, and
popped him in the left thigh. The fire extinguisher bashed the gunman in the
face as he crumpled from the wound in his leg.
Greiff rushed forward, kicked the fallen firearm
to the side, and hugged her, then leaned back to lecture her. His fear turned
into anger and exasperation. The sharp copper tang of blood mixed with spent
gunpowder in a noxious fragrance. “What the hell are you doing? You could have
been killed. I told you to wait outside. I can’t believe you did that.”
She flinched and gestured at the man on the
ground. “But I wasn’t. I’m fine. You better check him. He’s bleeding.”
Sirens sounded in the distance, growing louder by
the second. Frank popped up from behind the counter and rushed around it.
“Chloe, get out of here.” Greiff leaned down and
checked the unconscious gunman’s pulse, holstered his weapon, and took the rag
Frank held out to compress the gunshot wound. He showed his badge to Frank.
“That was so damn dangerous. This wasn’t an unarmed guy after junk jewelry and
a few dollars. This was a gunman. Go home. Now.”
Frank picked up the extinguisher and moved it a
few feet away.
“Yes, Chloe, you should go. I don’t know where you
came from or why you’re naked, but you need to get out of here.” The older man
stared at the floor.
Unshed tears shone in her eyes. “But—”
“No. You have to go. Now. Get dressed and go
home.” The hurt and confusion on her face struck a pang in his heart and he
softened his voice. Being reprimanded hurt, but he couldn’t let her get away
with being so reckless with her life. “Chloe, I’ll come by later. You can’t
stay here right now.”
She nodded and paced away with measured steps, one
hand clamped around her bicep. When she’d passed through a door into a back
storeroom, he switched his attention to the man in front of him. Damn, he
should be walking her home instead of staying to deal with reports and a gunshot
wound. “Frank, you got a security camera in here?”
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