Patience gone, he gave the press secretary one final warning. “Drop the gun or die.” He sounded calm. “You have two seconds to decide.”
Once again, Daley’s wide eyes slid from Emmett, to the window, and back to the dead guy at his feet. At first, Emmett was certain the guy was going to continue the unwinnable standoff. But in a move that shocked them all, Daley lifted the gun from Janie’s head.
“Fine.” He released his hold on Janie before taking a few steps back. “You win.”
Janie didn’t wait for Emmett to tell her to run to him. She took off in his direction the second she was free.
But then?—
“No!” Daley shouted, his head shaking back and forth like an animal trapped in a cage. “It can’t end this way! I can’t go to prison. Ican’t!”
Emmett saw the moment the decision was made.
“Don’t do it, Daley!”
The desperate man started to raised his gun, his intent to shoot her in the back crystal clear.
Not a chance in hell.
“Get down!” Emmett shouted at her, praying she understood.
Janie dropped to her hands and knees.
Multiple suppressed shots cut through the hallway’s dense air. Daley’s body jerked as several bullets pierced through his flesh, and within seconds . . . it was over.
Emmett ran to where she was still hunched over on the floor. He dropped down next to her and pulled her into his arms. “Janie? Baby, are you okay?”
“Emmett!” She wrapped her arms around him in a hold so tight, he found it hard to breathe. “Oh, thank God!”
He decided he didn’t care about breathing. The only thing that mattered was that Janie was alive; she was okay, and she was safe.
“Uh, boss?” Gwen came over to where they were. “We should probably have Lucas check out that cut on her arm. She’s lost quite a bit of blood.”
Shit.
He’d been so overwhelmed by relief that she wasn’t going to die, he completely forgot about the wound on her arm. Emmett pulled back to inspect it, hissing in a sharp breath when he got a good look at the long slice that had been cut into her skin.
“Campbell do that?”
Janie shook her head slowly. “There was another m-man here. They c-called him Billy.” She winced in pain. “He’s the man who t-took me from th-the hospital. But he’s gone. He r-ran out the b-back before we s-saw you.”
“The back?” Gwen’s wide eyes flew to the door several feet behind the carnage. “Boone!” Her ponytail flew side to side as she spun on her boots and took off that way in a dead sprint.
“Go with her!” Emmett ordered Blake and Draven to stay with their teammate, just in case.
“What about Billy?” Janie’s voice sounded a bit weak.
“Shh…” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll find him.”
No matter how long it takes.
Emmett stayed with Janie while Lucas got to work triaging Janie’s wounds. The man reached into the pouch resting against his lower back and pulled out a baggie of first-aid supplies. Seconds later, a temporary bandage was in place, helping to keep pressure and, hopefully, stop the bleeding.
When Lucas was finished, he and Emmett helped Janie get to her feet. Shock and adrenaline had left her entire body trembling beneath his touch. When sheswayed, he didn’t bother asking before scooping her into his arms.
“Boone’s alive,” Gwen’s voice filled his ear with news that brought another rush of relief. “Bastard clocked him out cold, but he’s coming around now.”
Getting clocked is better than dead.
