yelled.
Before she could comply, Stephen grabbed her shoulder in a vice-like grip. “Where are the diamonds, bitch?”
Damn. In the confusion, she forgot the diamonds. Their entire reason for running, and she left them in her suitcase. Her only chance of keeping the jewels from him was if he didn’t check the bags. Hopefully he’d think she was smart enough to take the diamonds over the edge of the building with her.
She struggled against his grip, afraid of making herself fall, but more afraid of what would happen if Stephen pulled her inside with him and his partner. “The cops are on their way. Don’t you think it’s time you and Terrance left?”
He laughed. “We put up a barricade on the first floor. They won’t get here for a while. Not until I have the diamonds.” Stephen leaned his head down level with hers. “And once I finish this job, I have some vacation coming up. Can you guess what my plans are?”
Shelley got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The wicked grin on his face told her more than she wanted to know. “Nick will never let you near Carlie.”
He grabbed one of her wrists, jerking her forward and increasing her dizziness. “Maybe if I take you captive instead of killing you,” he mused, “Carlie will come to me willingly.”
Shelley twisted her hand, trying to break free. All her best defenses required better leverage then she could get with her narrow footing. “Even if she tries to save me, she has taste. She’ll never be with you.”
“She has taste? You mean she’s not a slut like you?” He leaned out past her, looking at Gavin below them. “Did you screw him last night? I hope he was good. As slutty as you are, that’s the last man you’ll ever be with.”
He wasn’t the first man to call her a slut, but it fueled the rage he provoked in her by threatening Carlie. Shelley changed tactics, punching forward instead of pulling away. Her fist connected with Stephen’s jaw with a satisfying crack and he released her shoulder, stumbling backward.
The force of the blow toppled her off balance, and Shelley teetered on her tiptoes for a few heartbeats. She wind-milled her arms in a desperate attempt to gain control over the direction she fell. Instead of an orderly plunge into Gavin’s waiting arms, Shelley flew away from the wall, unable to touch it at all to slow her progress or correct her direction.
“Help me!” she screamed.
Gavin’s arms wrapped around her legs, but she was going too fast and slid through them like water flowing through cupped fingers. She reached for him, getting her hands on his shoulders, but they ripped away quickly, and her fingers glided down his arms as she rushed to certain death.
His hands circled her wrists as she slipped past. Though her right hand continued sliding until he only held the tips of her fingers, he had a firm grip on her left. After a horrible jerk and a pop in her shoulder blade, Shelley’s motion stopped.
They both breathed heavily, and Shelley stared into Gavin’s green eyes, unable to articulate anything past her fear.
“I’ve got you,” he finally said. “I’m going to pull you inside.”
He pulled, but they didn’t move much. Her battered shoulder felt like it separated further from her body with every shift in position he made, and she bit back a scream.
Gavin wasn’t built for brute strength. Shelley had no idea how he planned to get her inside before his hand strength gave out and she plunged to her death on the ground below.
“Nice catch,” Stephen said.
Shelley looked up, seeing his gun pointed at them. It wouldn’t do any good to tell Gavin, he was obviously doing the best he could.
“Tell me where the diamonds are,” Stephen ordered. “Otherwise, all I have to do is shoot your friend in the back of the head. That’ll finish you both off.”
Meeting Gavin’s eyes, it bewildered Shelley to see him smile. She had no idea what he found amusing at a time like this. Somehow, he
Before she could comply, Stephen grabbed her shoulder in a vice-like grip. “Where are the diamonds, bitch?”
Damn. In the confusion, she forgot the diamonds. Their entire reason for running, and she left them in her suitcase. Her only chance of keeping the jewels from him was if he didn’t check the bags. Hopefully he’d think she was smart enough to take the diamonds over the edge of the building with her.
She struggled against his grip, afraid of making herself fall, but more afraid of what would happen if Stephen pulled her inside with him and his partner. “The cops are on their way. Don’t you think it’s time you and Terrance left?”
He laughed. “We put up a barricade on the first floor. They won’t get here for a while. Not until I have the diamonds.” Stephen leaned his head down level with hers. “And once I finish this job, I have some vacation coming up. Can you guess what my plans are?”
Shelley got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The wicked grin on his face told her more than she wanted to know. “Nick will never let you near Carlie.”
He grabbed one of her wrists, jerking her forward and increasing her dizziness. “Maybe if I take you captive instead of killing you,” he mused, “Carlie will come to me willingly.”
Shelley twisted her hand, trying to break free. All her best defenses required better leverage then she could get with her narrow footing. “Even if she tries to save me, she has taste. She’ll never be with you.”
“She has taste? You mean she’s not a slut like you?” He leaned out past her, looking at Gavin below them. “Did you screw him last night? I hope he was good. As slutty as you are, that’s the last man you’ll ever be with.”
He wasn’t the first man to call her a slut, but it fueled the rage he provoked in her by threatening Carlie. Shelley changed tactics, punching forward instead of pulling away. Her fist connected with Stephen’s jaw with a satisfying crack and he released her shoulder, stumbling backward.
The force of the blow toppled her off balance, and Shelley teetered on her tiptoes for a few heartbeats. She wind-milled her arms in a desperate attempt to gain control over the direction she fell. Instead of an orderly plunge into Gavin’s waiting arms, Shelley flew away from the wall, unable to touch it at all to slow her progress or correct her direction.
“Help me!” she screamed.
Gavin’s arms wrapped around her legs, but she was going too fast and slid through them like water flowing through cupped fingers. She reached for him, getting her hands on his shoulders, but they ripped away quickly, and her fingers glided down his arms as she rushed to certain death.
His hands circled her wrists as she slipped past. Though her right hand continued sliding until he only held the tips of her fingers, he had a firm grip on her left. After a horrible jerk and a pop in her shoulder blade, Shelley’s motion stopped.
They both breathed heavily, and Shelley stared into Gavin’s green eyes, unable to articulate anything past her fear.
“I’ve got you,” he finally said. “I’m going to pull you inside.”
He pulled, but they didn’t move much. Her battered shoulder felt like it separated further from her body with every shift in position he made, and she bit back a scream.
Gavin wasn’t built for brute strength. Shelley had no idea how he planned to get her inside before his hand strength gave out and she plunged to her death on the ground below.
“Nice catch,” Stephen said.
Shelley looked up, seeing his gun pointed at them. It wouldn’t do any good to tell Gavin, he was obviously doing the best he could.
“Tell me where the diamonds are,” Stephen ordered. “Otherwise, all I have to do is shoot your friend in the back of the head. That’ll finish you both off.”
Meeting Gavin’s eyes, it bewildered Shelley to see him smile. She had no idea what he found amusing at a time like this. Somehow, he
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