“She’s lying to you,” Ragsdale said as Franco aimed the gun at him. “And you’re lying to her if you’re denying you planned to kill Chase like you did your brother, Margo, and Gre—”
Franco fired the gun, hitting Ragsdale in the shoulder and knocking him backward across the fireplace. Grabbing Jade before she could move, Franco hid behind her and fired a second bullet, which buried itself in Ragsdale’s chest. Out of the corner of her eye, Jade saw Coop step out from behind the staircase, a gun in his hand. With Jade blocking Franco, Coop didn’t have a clear shot, but Franco did. And he saw Coop. Desperate to keep Franco from shooting Coop, a split second before Franco could pull the trigger a third time, Jade twisted to her right, throwing off his aim. The shot missed Coop, and Jade dropped the seashell. Before Franco fired again, Jade jammed the scalpel she’d taken from Franco’s pocket into his thigh. She felt it hit bone and stick.
“Aaahhh!” Franco’s crazed screaming coincided with skidding tires. Grasping Jade’s wrist with his left hand, Franco’s gunhand backhanded Jade across the right side of her face. “You bitch!”
A shadow, like a descending tornado, reined in the doorway.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE
“Let her go,” Chase’s voice was deep and demanding. Lethal fury blazed in his blue eyes as he aimed the Ruger Blackhawk at Franco. “Or I’ll blow your damn head off.”
“I don’t think so,” Franco replied, clutching Jade as he maneuvered himself against the fireplace, which cut off both Chase and Coop from taking a shot at him. “Tell him, dear lady.”
“Chase!” Jade gasped as Franco smacked the barrel of his gun onto her temple.
Roaring motors sounded outside the open front door. Right behind Chase, she saw Cash, Richard, Blade, Tommy-Gun, and Wolf. Beyond the portico were several other Sons of Steel dismounting their Harleys. Bob, Martyman, Mean Pete, Red, Reno, and Faro stealthily joined an uninjured Coop at the back of the great room.
“I said tell him!” Franco shrilled, pressing the gun against her scalp.
“Not until you put your gun down,” Jade said. “When you do that, I’ll tell him, and we’ll walk out of here together.”
When Franco didn’t lower his gun, Chase growled, “I’m waiting.”
“If she won’t tell you, I will,” Franco said with a familiar tone of superiority. “She’s leaving with me because she’s going to marry me, not you, Chase. She always wanted me,” Franco said, his monotone returning. “Katy is yours free and clear.”
Staying focused on Jade, Chase asked, “Is that right?”
“Yes, thanks to me!” Franco declared as though Chase didn’t realize the favor he’d done him in regard to both women. “Katy tried to shoot Jade just now!” With his telltale glance up and to the left, he said, “Ragsdale wrestled a gun from her but took two bullets Katy fired into him.”
Jade had never witnessed full-blown insanity, and it was absolutely horrifying. Knowing Franco’s accusations were lies, Chase didn’t bother to look at Katy or Ragsdale. Instead, he swaggered into the great room with Richard and his men on his heels, guns drawn.
“This is the last time I’ll tell you politely,” Chase began, still advancing, “let Jade go.”
“Stop right there!” Franco’s screech hit the all-the-way-gone side of hysterical madness.
Chase didn’t stop until he was within a few feet of Franco and Jade. His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, and he growled, “I saw you hit Jade.”
“She stabbed me in the leg!”
“Hit me,” Chase challenged. “Let’s see how that goes.”
“Uh…no,” Franco said, clutching Jade and inching sideways. “She and I are leaving.”
“Your only way outa here is through me,” Chase said, taking another step toward him.
“I swear I’ll shoot Jade!” Franco said, the .22 pistol shaking against Jade’s temple.
Chase cocked the Blackhawk. “And there goes your bargaining chip.”
Franco paused as though something dawned and sneered, “I’ll shoot Katy first.”
The instant Franco moved the pistol from Jade’s head, using his gun hand, Chase backhanded Franco across the right side of his face. Stunned, Franco lost his grip on Jade. With his left arm, Chase quickly swept Jade behind him. Franco’s ugly snarl disappeared as Chase’s fist slammed into the right side of Franco’s face, surely crushing his cheekbone with the second blow. As Franco staggered backward, Chase walked straight for him. Franco aimed his gun.
Jade recognized the cannon-like first shot that split the air before others blasted from all directions. The psychopathic murderer resembled a macabre puppet on strings as bullet after bullet propelled his flailing corpse this way and that before dropping it next to Ragsdale’s body.
In the echo of bullets and gun smoke, one man stood out. As Chase turned and strode toward her, Jade hurled herself into his arms. Chase’s strength and power was such that he lifted her up against his muscular chest and continued forward, taking her away from the bloody bodies.
“They’re dead!” Jade cried, her arms winding tightly around his neck.
