He didn’t want to wait, and he didn’t want to make enough noise to tip off Caleb until he knew what was going on. “No,” he said, praying he was wrong and Julie was safe.
“Why don’t you leave the line open? I won’t speak until I get the all clear, but I will be able to hear what you hear and relay the information to the team.”
“Okay, thanks,” said Eric taking the steps two at a time. When he got to the fire door on the third floor he slid the phone into his shirt pocket and eased the door open.
Eric slid quietly down the back hallway of his restaurant just in time to see his new dishwasher walk through the doors to the front of Comme Ci, carrying a gun.
Fuck.Fucking dishwasher was one of the animals who’d taken Julie. He spent so much time trying to keep her safe, and he’d let his stupid doubts and suspicion put her in danger.
“One guy with a gun,” he said under his breath. “It’s Branson.”
He circled around the side entrance to the lounge. He hadn’t seen Caleb or Julie and he didn’t want to follow Branson and walk into them. He cracked the service door and scanned the room. His heart stopped in his chest when he saw Julie, pleading with Caleb while the fucking dishwasher held a gun on her.
In an instant moment of clarity, everything fell into place. The familiar mannerisms and the way he moved. The man didn’t look the same but Eric knew it was him – the guy who’d groped Julie. His vision went red. He’d kill the man with his bare hands before he risked losing Julie again.
But how the fuck was he supposed to get her away from Branson, or whatever the fuck his name was, without getting her shot?
He watched as they argued, saw Julie wince in pain when the man jammed his gun in her side. He was barely holding it together, but his woman was amazing. He could tell she was scared, that the animal had hurt her, but she was holding her own and not letting herself fall apart.
He watched as Branson squeezed her throat, forcing himself to keep his gaze locked on the gun. As soon as he saw an opening, he’d get Julie away from the men and then he’d make them pay.
When the fucking animal smacked the gun down on the back of Julie’s head, Eric moved without thinking. He charged through the door, barreling into the man and knocking him to the ground before either he or Caleb realized Eric was there. It was like running into a brick wall. The bastard had at least thirty pounds on him and more fighting experience.
None of that mattered.He would do anything, risk anything to protect the woman he loved.
He didn’t hear Jackson’s men arrive. His entire focus was on making sure the asshole underneath him never got his hands on Julie again. The security guys had to pry him off Branson before it registered they were there. Eric swung his head around, struggling to break free of their grip and saw Caleb with his hands behind his back and Julie collapsed on the floor with one of Jackson’s team bent over her.
Like someone had thrown a switch, he twisted, straining to get away from the ruin of the man on the floor and to the woman who’d become his whole world. The men holding him let go, and in seconds he was by her side, scooping her into his arms. His breath went out on a shaky sigh when he felt her stir, warm and alive in his arms.
Her eyelids fluttered opened and he blinked hard against the grateful tears filling his eyes. He wasn’t ashamed to cry, not when the tears were from the love threatening to explode his heart. But he couldn’t bear to have his vision of Julie blurred. Not when he had her back in his arms exactly where she belonged.
