Mo didn’t need words to translate Bronwyn’s look. Her face said “does he think we’re stupid” loud and clear. He agreed.
They moved away from the voice.
“I know, I know. You don’t believe me,” Bob went on. “But I feel sure we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement. I have information you need. And you have something I want.”
Mo and Bronwyn continued to move as quietly as possible. Based on his voice, Bob had almost reached the spot they’d been when this all started. They weren’t far from the door. Did they dare exit the room?
Who was the greater enemy? Bob on the inside? Or whatever—or whoever—waited on the outside?
It was possible that Bob was alone and if they left the room, they could make a run for it.
Or they could run straight to their death.
“I can see you aren’t the chatty type.” Bob tsked in what sounded like fake disappointment. “Fine. I’ll start. I’m here because my employer is convinced that the person blackmailing her father is none other than one Bronwyn Pierce.” A pause. “Oops. Did I say that out loud? I guess I did. My bad.”
Bronwyn looked as mystified as Mo felt.
Her father?Did that mean Bob was employed by Senator Carlsman’s daughter? Why?
“Really, Ms. Pierce, you should have Mr. Quinn completely revamp your computer security. It wasn’t difficult to pay off a few people to hack into your files. And, as I’m sure he has informed you, it does look like you’ve been milking the dear old senator out of large sums of cash for a very long time. My employer was convinced it was you, and she wanted you ... well ... let’s say,out of the picture. I’ve always liked that phrase. I mean, it’s not so bad, being out of the picture.”
A scuffle of feet, and Mo and Bronwyn moved again.
The next time he spoke, Bob was in a different place in the room. “This is becoming tedious. Here’s the problem. I’m not just hired muscle. I have a brain. And while it looked like you had been blackmailing Carlsman for a while, Ms. Pierce, this latest move just didn’t make sense to me.” Bob clearly had some things to get off his chest. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. No one could blame you for wanting him to pay through the nose. Teenage pride is a fragile thing. I’m sure his brother made you think you were so special and then he left you to fend for yourself. And why? So he could do research for a film? He was a horrible person. A definite bad apple.”
There was something very unhinged about this guy.
“But why would you try to protect your cousin? Talk about a bad apple. It doesn’t fit your profile at all. And, believe me, you have a profile. I worked on it for a long time. And this play? It doesn’t fit.”
The next sound was unmistakable. He’d popped the clip out of a gun and then popped it back in.
“This clip holds fifteen rounds. There’s no way you get out of here. I know it. You know it. But I can make sure you go fast. No pain. No drama. I swear. You won’t even know it happened. All you have to do is tell me who is behind the blackmail. Because I promise you, they’re going down too.”
Mo didn’t think Bob was joking around. If Mo started firing, he might be able to take Bob out. Or they could both die.
He looked to the exit.
“Oh, and don’t bother trying to leave. I left a present on the door. The next person to open it will lose a hand, at the least. Maybe more.”
Well, that certainly limited their options.
Bronwyn glanced at her watch, then showed it to Mo. There was a text from Gray.
Keep him talking. Marcus is outside the room. I’ve told him not to open the door.
“You really aren’t giving us much of an incentive to help you.” Mo shoved Bronwyn down the row of servers and plastered them against the end of the row. Even if Bob started shooting, he wouldn’t have the right angle to hit them. He’d have to come around the corner or down the aisle, and Mo would have a chance to take him out.
Bob chuckled. “Yeah. Stinks to be you. Look, I know it’s cliche and all, but I really don’t have anything against you personally. You seem like good people. But I have a job to do.”
Bronwyn’s body trembled against Mo, but when she spoke, her words were clear. “You said you know it isn’t me. Why do you need to kill us? Why go through all this?”
“Ah, Bronwyn. Can I call you Bronwyn? The thing is, you know too much. Simple as that.”
Mo had his body pressed against Bronwyn’s. He covered as much of her as possible. When Bob made his move, Mo would open fire. He’d never shot a person before. Didn’t want to do it now. But he’d die to protect Bronwyn.
He shifted his grip on his weapon, leaned toward Bronwyn, and breathed the words into her ear. “I love you. Forever.”
Bronwyn looked into Mo’s eyes and mouthed, “I love you.”
