Kira?She came back.She’s here.I don’t know how she got in here—presumably through the door and not a window—but my heart thunders with joy.And not just because I’m in dire need of rescuing.
“Put the knife down, Mallory.”
“No,” my attacker snarls, every bit the petulant teen.“You don’t tell me what to do.No one does.”
“Put it down and let Dylan go, and no one needs to get hurt.”I think Kira must have prodded Mallory in the back, because her body jerks against mine.
“You’re not going to shoot.If you pull the trigger, the bullet will go through me into him.”
“Is that so?Did you consider that’s maybe an outcome I’m willing to risk?Now put the knife down.”
Kira has a gun?That’s news to me.Close protection officers don’t carry arms while in the UK.The law prohibits it.
I’m stunned when Mallory actually drops the knife.
The red stained blade lands on the pillow, and I watch the blood from it seep into the pillowcase.Meanwhile, Kira hauls Mallory off my back and onto her knees on the floor.
“Hands where I can damn well see them,” Kira barks.
I hear the click of something.Cuffs snapping around Mallory’s wrists, I pray.
“Nose to the carpet.”
I turn my head when I hear the thud.Mallory’s sprawled face down on the carpet with her hand’s fastened behind her.
“Dylan, you okay?”Kira asks.
I nod, my lungs burning and my throat too tight for me to form words.I’m so goddamned glad to see her.No one ever looked so good or brought such light into my world before.
“Dylan, are you all right?”
“Fine,” I croak, and fight against the restraints still holding me to the headboard.I hate being pinned.“Get these fucking things off me.”There’s blood running into my mouth.
“Just take it easy.I’ll be right there.I’m going to release you.”She edges around Mallory, giving her a wide berth.The mattress tilts as she puts her weight on the edge and leans over to help me.There’s no gun, just an empty Perrier bottle in her hand, which she drops in order to pick up the knife.“Just hold still.The more you pull the tighter these damn things will get.”
Yeah, I’m not enjoying the way they’re biting into my skin, and the knife is far from the perfect tool.It also takes Kira’s attention away from where I’d prefer it to be.My body’s still wired for danger and anticipating further assault, but Kira’s no fool, and the only movement Mallory makes is some beached fish like flapping.
The cable ties snap, and tingles thread through my palms and into my fingertips as the capillaries fill with blood.“You came back,” I say, reaching out and clasping her shoulders.“I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
“I should never have left you.I failed you.”
“You didn’t.”
She touches my face near to where Mallory has cut me.The ghosts in her eyes say otherwise, that she’ll never forgive herself for leaving me exposed.That isn’t how I see it.There was no reason for her to be here with me anymore.As far as anyone knew the game was up.My stalker in custody.
Kira shakes her head solemnly.“She should never have got this close.”
“You thought the threat had been removed.”
“I still shouldn’t have left you.”
I curl my hand over the top of her fingers, where she’s still holding me.“You’re here now, that’s what matters.How did you know?”Did she know?
“I was on my way back anyway, and then Howard called.Bask’s story actually checked out.The team were able to trace the number the messages he’d supposedly received from you came from.Turns out it was registered to Hugo Whit.”
Mallory’s adoptive dad.I’m not sure that entirely explains how they made the leap from Hugo to Mallory, but there’s no opportunity to ask, as the police bust in and surround the three of us.
Howard Falchard sent the cavalry.
