I didn’t want to. The little paperin my hand no doubt held the information that could clear my name, and more than likely keep me alive. I’d be exonerated and free to kiss Asher as much as I wanted. But as soon as I handed the information over, I’d be dead. Now that I knew Randal White had orchestrated the murder and framed me, there was no way he was going to let me walk away from this. I could either stand there and let Nicolaishoot me, or I could go down like a badass.
My heartrate spiked, pumping adrenaline into my veins, and I didn’t think. I just acted.
“What?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at Brian like he’d said something.
Nicolai shifted, watching us.
As I turned back around, I smacked his gun hand toward my car and sprinted for the Cadillac Escalade across the aisle. The gun went off, deafeningly loudin the enclosed garage.
Fire shot through my arm. I crouched behind the SUV and checked the wound. There was a gash halfway down my bicep and blood streamed along the muscle, dripping from my elbow. I slipped the paper between my teeth and angled my arm away from my dress, applying pressure with my hand while trying to figure out my next play. My ears rang and I could feel my heart beat throughmy wound.
A stream of expletives ripped from Brian.
Nicolai joined him, shouting more nonsense. “I didn’t... moved... I... we need...”
I needed to hide before they came for me, but I didn’t want to leave the cover of the Escalade. Besides, my stupid high heels would click against the concrete floor and they’d know exactly where I was. I’d started to slip out of them when red and blue lightscreated an eerie glow around the garage.
