couldn’t breathe.
“We have to get out of here, Mr. Bronson, now.”
“Where’s Bob?”
“He’s down. They snuck up on us, seemed to know exactly where we would be, and Bob was hit.”
“Get Ashleigh out of here.” Cole pushed her toward the stranger, and headed for the back door.
“Cole!”
“Cole!”
Both Ashleigh and the man yelled at the same time.
The man took the lead. “Dennis is missing.”
Cole stopped dead in his tracks. “Missing?” He turned to the man who was holding Ashleigh’s arm. Cole’s eyes, usually so expressive, were hard and dark, a predators eyes. This was a dangerous side of him that made her nervous.
“No one knows where he is. He hasn’t been seen since late this afternoon.”
“That son of a bitch...”
“Will someone please tell me what’s going on here?” Ashleigh was slipping, bordering on hysterical. She had no idea what was going on.
“Andy, close the blinds.” The other man released Ashleigh and did as Cole demanded. Cole walked toward Ashleigh. “Calm down.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms as if trying to warm her, but she knew his gesture was to calm her…as if anything would work right now. “Everything will be fine. Andy will take you somewhere safe. You can trust him. He works for me.” He then turned back to Andy. “Where did Charlie take Bob?”
“Last I saw he was dragging him toward the cabana. Charlie told me to come get you, that you’d be here because Bob just spoke with you and told you to get inside…to safety. A shot came from the roof of the house next door, and Bob went down. I ran to the house, sir, I’m sorry I don’t know anything else.”
Ashleigh was shaking, tremors tearing through her body by the time Cole turned to her, once again. “What is going on, Cole? Who’s Bob and why did he get shot? Why does this guy have a gun and why did he call you Mr. Bronson?”
A deafening crash blasted from the front window as it shattered and sent glass flying through the room. The air was sucked from Ashleigh’s lungs as Cole grabbed her by the waist and dragged her to the corner bar. “Stay down!”
****
Cole had to stay calm and think rationally if he was going to get them out of this. His first instinct was to storm out the door, find whoever was responsible for this mess, and strangle him to death. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option at the moment. His first priority had to be keeping Ashleigh safe.
He could kick himself for putting her in this position. He should have realized the danger he was placing her in, but thought he had it under control. His father worried too much, and Cole didn’t take the threat seriously enough. Well, it was too late to change the clock now. At this point, he could only do everything in his power to keep Ashleigh safe.
“Cole?” A pang of guilt shot through him, hearing her voice tremble with fear.
Andy tore from the room and shots rang out in the stillness of the night. Not knowing what was going on outside was killing him, but he couldn’t leave Ashleigh. “It’s okay, Ashleigh.” She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her head on her knees. She sobbed in her hands.
Her vulnerability burned his gut. How could he have involved her in his mess?
“Ashleigh, I’m so sorry.” The apology was horribly inadequate. “I’ll get you out of here. I have men outside, a number of bodyguards, they will have notified the police by now, and help should be on the way. Just sit tight a few minutes more.”
He crouched by her side and took one of her hands in his. When she yanked her hand away, his heart sank. How could he ever expect her to forgive him for this? “Ashleigh, please listen to me.”
“Why, so you can lie to me more? I can’t believe I ever trusted you.” She cried.
“I didn’t lie to you.”
“Really, Mr. Bronson?” She said his name dripping with enough sarcasm to make him cringe.
The sound of sirens in the
“We have to get out of here, Mr. Bronson, now.”
“Where’s Bob?”
“He’s down. They snuck up on us, seemed to know exactly where we would be, and Bob was hit.”
“Get Ashleigh out of here.” Cole pushed her toward the stranger, and headed for the back door.
“Cole!”
“Cole!”
Both Ashleigh and the man yelled at the same time.
The man took the lead. “Dennis is missing.”
Cole stopped dead in his tracks. “Missing?” He turned to the man who was holding Ashleigh’s arm. Cole’s eyes, usually so expressive, were hard and dark, a predators eyes. This was a dangerous side of him that made her nervous.
“No one knows where he is. He hasn’t been seen since late this afternoon.”
“That son of a bitch...”
“Will someone please tell me what’s going on here?” Ashleigh was slipping, bordering on hysterical. She had no idea what was going on.
“Andy, close the blinds.” The other man released Ashleigh and did as Cole demanded. Cole walked toward Ashleigh. “Calm down.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms as if trying to warm her, but she knew his gesture was to calm her…as if anything would work right now. “Everything will be fine. Andy will take you somewhere safe. You can trust him. He works for me.” He then turned back to Andy. “Where did Charlie take Bob?”
“Last I saw he was dragging him toward the cabana. Charlie told me to come get you, that you’d be here because Bob just spoke with you and told you to get inside…to safety. A shot came from the roof of the house next door, and Bob went down. I ran to the house, sir, I’m sorry I don’t know anything else.”
Ashleigh was shaking, tremors tearing through her body by the time Cole turned to her, once again. “What is going on, Cole? Who’s Bob and why did he get shot? Why does this guy have a gun and why did he call you Mr. Bronson?”
A deafening crash blasted from the front window as it shattered and sent glass flying through the room. The air was sucked from Ashleigh’s lungs as Cole grabbed her by the waist and dragged her to the corner bar. “Stay down!”
****
Cole had to stay calm and think rationally if he was going to get them out of this. His first instinct was to storm out the door, find whoever was responsible for this mess, and strangle him to death. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option at the moment. His first priority had to be keeping Ashleigh safe.
He could kick himself for putting her in this position. He should have realized the danger he was placing her in, but thought he had it under control. His father worried too much, and Cole didn’t take the threat seriously enough. Well, it was too late to change the clock now. At this point, he could only do everything in his power to keep Ashleigh safe.
“Cole?” A pang of guilt shot through him, hearing her voice tremble with fear.
Andy tore from the room and shots rang out in the stillness of the night. Not knowing what was going on outside was killing him, but he couldn’t leave Ashleigh. “It’s okay, Ashleigh.” She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her head on her knees. She sobbed in her hands.
Her vulnerability burned his gut. How could he have involved her in his mess?
“Ashleigh, I’m so sorry.” The apology was horribly inadequate. “I’ll get you out of here. I have men outside, a number of bodyguards, they will have notified the police by now, and help should be on the way. Just sit tight a few minutes more.”
He crouched by her side and took one of her hands in his. When she yanked her hand away, his heart sank. How could he ever expect her to forgive him for this? “Ashleigh, please listen to me.”
“Why, so you can lie to me more? I can’t believe I ever trusted you.” She cried.
“I didn’t lie to you.”
“Really, Mr. Bronson?” She said his name dripping with enough sarcasm to make him cringe.
The sound of sirens in the
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