Chase listed to the right. “I came to tell her how much I love you.”
Avery inched forward and to the left while Giselle’s attention was on Chase. They were dividing Giselle’s sight line.
Oh God.Jo shook her head, imploring him with her eyes.
Please don’t do anything stupid.
The butt of the gun lanced off the underside of Jo’s jaw, snapping it shut. Pain seared the inside of her cheek. A sharp coppery tang filled her mouth and spewed from her lips on her heaving exhale.
“I told you not to move.” Giselle laughed. “But you never listen, do you? I took you in, tried to teach you, but you think you know everything. You turned everyone against me—my employees first, then clients, and now Chase. I should have gotten rid of you sooner.”
Another yank. “I tried, you know. I slashed your tire, hoping you’d be late for work and I could fire you, but that didn’t work.”
Avery shifted left again.
Giselle either missed his movement or chose to ignore him.
“I hired someone to rob you when I knew you’d be working, and I couldn’t be two places at once. By the way, your landlord’ll do anything for a few bucks.” She laughed again. “Can you imagine how much pleasure I took in firing you that night, knowing you’d go home to find that precious mixer you saved for gone? You and Vivianne talked about nothing else for weeks, but did you bother to ask me for advice?No.”
The gun waffled back and forth between Jo and Avery. “And you two made it so easy. The playboy and his whore fucking in the back of my van.”
Whatever he was planning, she had to keep Giselle’s focus off him.
Swallowing her fear, she glanced over her shoulder. “Did Lambert destroy my apartment?”
“No, that was all me, but you shouldn’t have stolen my client.” She sounded so proud. “The Reese contract cost me. I couldn’t let that go unpunished, and Chase once told me how much that old mixer meant to you. The rest was just for my pleasure.”
The pain Jo felt that night threatened to overwhelm her, but she drove her grief back in its box and drew on anger, instead. This woman had destroyed her life, made her feel helpless and hopeless and afraid, not knowing who hated her so much or when the next attack would come.
Her anger made her reckless. “Did Lambert let you in? Did you have to fuck him first? He’s a perv. I’m sure he asked.”
Okay, so maybe that went a little too far.
Giselle simply shrugged. “He did, but cash worked just as well.” She sighed as if growing weary of the conversation. “Actually, I stole Chase’s key and made a copy.”
From the corner of her eye, Jo registered movement. She didn’t dare look. Avery saw it, too. She tried to think of some way to get free, but her mind was blank with fear. Avery kept inching closer.
Chase wiped a hand under his nose. “Come on, baby. Let’s go. Just you and me. We can start over somewhere else. I’ll go wherever you want. Just let Jo and Avery go.”
The fingers in Jo’s hair loosened, then fisted tighter.
“I don’t believe you.” Giselle swung the gun toward Avery, and whispered, “Time to pay, bitch.”
“No!” Jo shoved Giselle’s hand toward the night sky. A deafening shot reverberated in her ears.
“Jo!” Avery was there, crashing into her, grappling with Giselle for the gun.
Chase slammed into them, forcing Giselle to let go of Jo. The gun went off again.
Avery grabbed Jo and dove behind a car, taking the brunt of the fall. Air rushed from her lungs on impact. He rolled on top of her, his hand cradling her head. “Stay down.”
Bang!
Chase grunted.
Giselle gasped.
From over Avery’s shoulder, Jo saw them go down together on the other side of the car, Giselle on top of Chase. The woman’s eyes were crazed, his desperate. Chase looked at Jo, hisgaze meeting hers briefly before he twisted and rolled the other direction.
