That’s probably why it pissed him off so much when Ruth and the rest of the women taking him on didn’t do what he told them to do. When they refused to cower under his threats.
Maybe Walker was on to something after all.
I pass the security desk just as William attempts to step around Maren. Maren must have anticipated the shift, because she makes sure to stay right in his path, blocking any attempt he might make at getting closer to Ruth.
And for some reason, that’s what pushes William over the edge. He body checks Maren, sending her stumbling back. Thankfully, Ray is close enough to catch her as she goes down.
But then there’s no one between William and Ruth. He smirks, thinking he’s won, but the fucker has no idea what’s coming for him. Trevor and I aren’t the only people closing in on him. There’s a trio of mercenaries from Alaskan Security at a full run who will reach Ruth’s side a few seconds after I do.
But I’m afraid it won’t be fast enough. William is right there. He’s reaching out, a snarling smile on his face as he?—
William’s head whips to one side, eyes bulging as his spine goes stiff.
Trevor—who managed to get a few more steps ahead of me—Superman punched the senator right in his jaw. I can’t even imagine how much power and momentum he put into that, but I’m willing to bet William is going to be spending a fair amount of money on reconstructive surgery. And a fair amount of time eating through a straw.
I nearly trip over my own feet as I reach Ruth, wrapping both arms around her as I continue moving, getting her away from whatever the fuck is about to go down.
She’s shaking, her entire body vibrating as I scoop her up, heading for Trevor’s office since it’s the closest place she can comfortably sit.
The guys from Alaskan Security are yelling behind me, screaming at William. Telling him to show them his hands.
I’m about to turn—see what’s going on—when I’m hit from the side. The impact is hard enough it sends me tipping straight toward the floor. There’s no way I can stop it, the most I can hope for is to make sure Ruth doesn’t get hurt when we hit, so I twist, taking the brunt of the impact.
And it is one hell of an impact. I hit the tile so hard it sounds like?—
A gunshot?
The air has been knocked out of me, and I’m going to be bruised from my ass to my shoulders, but I still manage to roll, keeping Ruth against me as I block her body with mine.
Because somebody’s shooting a fucking gun.
A quick series of pops follows the initial discharge, then everything goes eerily quiet.
Someone groans behind me, and I crane my neck to see Walker flattened on the floor, wincing as he tries to move. “Fuck, you’ve got a hard head.” He reaches up, running a hand over his jaw. “Last time I do you a favor.”
I hold Ruth tight to me as I continue scanning our surroundings, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
The team from Alaskan Security is huddled together, hunkered over William’s unmoving form. A pistol lays beside him, a pool of blood slowly oozing its way toward the weapon.
Walker grunts, pushing to a sitting position. “Did he hit you?”
Fucking hell. William was shooting at me.
Instead of checking myself over, I run my hands down Ruth’s arms and over her legs, looking for any sign of injury.
“I’m fine.” Her blue eyes lock onto where the man who’s been terrorizing her for almost two years is bleeding on the tile. “Is he dead?”
Walker groans again as he pushes up to his feet. “He sure doesn’t look alive.”
I’m going to have to agree with him on that one. I haven’t seen so much as a twitch come from William. And the amount of blood leaking out of him is substantial. “Who shot him?”
“I can probably narrow it down to one of three people.” Walker rocks his head from side to side. “Fuck I’m old. I used to be able to take a hit better than this.”
I’m sure I’ll be feeling the effects of Walker’s tackle as soon as the adrenaline wears off. He’s big as hell and solid as a rock. I meet my cousin’s eyes. “Thanks for saving my ass.”
He dips his head in a nod, expression serious. “Anytime.”
“I’mfine.” Maren is still yelling, only now she’s directing her ire toward Trevor. “Go bother someone else.”
