One to Keep

Chapter Nineteen

Alexei followed Luka into the small office, his every nerve vibrating with tension. He’d begged Holly to stay calm, whispering into her ear, promising her he would save her. How was he going to save her? Any way he looked at it, he lost, and that meant she would lose as well. The minute he revealed himself to be less than the perfect soldier, he would be killed, and his “woman” would be fair game. If they had time, they would rape her before slitting her throat.

If they did not, then a bullet through the brain would end her very quickly.

Three against one. He had to find a way to even up the odds before he took the chance.

And then Pushkin had thrown it into his lap. He’d told Luka to kill the deputy.

No one would know that Alexei had killed Luka until he walked out of the office, guns blazing. It would give the women time to run.

It would give them a chance. That was all he could ask.

His heart was racing, his hand trembling. He had to do this right, or he would let them down.

“The boy was utterly useless,” Luka said in Russian as he approached the body on the desk.

The deputy’s hands had been bound with the telephone cord. His long legs dangled off the edge of the desk. They were still, so still it scared Alexei. Was the deputy already dead? His face was a bloated mess, seemingly just a mass of blood and bone and tissue with nothing to animate it. Alexei had seen this before, but now it made him sick. This man had done nothing to deserve his pain.

“Ah, well, at least the girl will be more fun.” Luka laughed as he pulled his gun. He put it to the young man’s forehead. Logan lay still beneath the gun.

Alexei whipped up his own pistol to kill Luka before he fired, but the report of gunfire blasted through the room, making his ear ache.

His heart nearly stopped as Luka turned and fell to his knees. The gun fell useless at his side. He began to bleed from the back of his head.

Looking up, Alexei saw a man move from the shadows where he’d clung like a wraith. Long and lean, the dark man slid into the room. His gun still smoked, heat flowing off it, but his eyes were arctic cold.

“Give me one good reason not to kill you.” He remembered this man. Jennifer was his woman. He’d come for his woman. Alexei dropped his arm to the side, along with the gun.

He kept his voice very low. “Because they will believe one shot, not two.”

“You were sent in here to kill Logan?” Alexei nodded. “I was not going to do it. I was going to kill Luka.

You were faster.”

“A nice little fairy tale.” The man’s voice was as cold as his eyes, but he seemed to listen to reason since Alexei wasn’t dead on the ground like Luka. “But I don’t know why I should believe you. I doubt Logan would believe you.”

“I don’t blow the sunshine up your asshole,” Alexei argued. He had to make him understand. There were two of them. They had a better shot if they worked together.

“Don’t, Stef.” The words were quiet, but Logan’s lips moved, and his bound hands came up. He spoke through cracked, bleeding lips.

“Don’t kill him.”

Stef’s face finally showed a flicker of emotion, a grimace of pain for his friend. “Don’t talk, Logan. I’m going to get you out of here.”

“There’s no way out. No way,” Logan muttered and mumbled something unintelligible.

“We must to move quickly,” Alexei said, fumbling for the English words. “Pushkin be expecting Luka. He is supposed to torture the girl.”

Stef’s face hardened again, his will implacably marked there.

“How many?”

Alexei finally let out a breath. The man was willing to be reasonable. “Only two, but the girls are out there. Holly and your girl are out there. Pushkin was very interested in your Jennifer. He thinks she knows where his painting is.”

“No, she doesn’t, but I do.” Stef pulled a knife from his back pocket. It was a utilitarian knife, and he used it to free Logan’s hands.

The deputy groaned quietly as he tried to flex them.

“It will not matter. He will not make bargains with you. He will say one thing but do another. If you offer a trade, he will kill everyone. He has to.” Alexei had seen Pushkin in action far too often.

He was a snake, and he would turn on anyone if he saw a profit in it.

The dark-haired man nodded. “I thought as much. He can’t leave us alive. He certainly won’t believe we won’t call the authorities. So we have to kill him. You willing to do that?” A malicious little joy lit Alexei’s heart. He had done the right thing. He had offered to give up his revenge, but now it landed in his lap as though the heavens had decreed it be so. He could save his soul and kill the man who had taken his brother. “Oh, I have waited many years to do such a thing. But, I won’t have the women harmed. I would rather he go free than risk them.”

“I would rather get the lay of the land. We can’t just walk out shooting. We could hit one of the women.”

“Holly knows what I do. She is supposed to cause some chaos.

How about we cause some chaos of our own?” Stef hesitated, but Logan managed to reach out and take his hand.

Stef looked down at the deputy. He could only get one eye open. The other was swollen shut. Logan swallowed before he spoke. “You can trust him. They would have killed me and Holly. He told us what to do.”

“He’s the reason we’re all here,” Stef argued.

“Is there a problem, Luka?” The throaty Russian voice rang through the building.

Stef’s entire body tensed as Alexei clutched the doorknob. It was time to decide.

“Are you in the in door or going to the outs?” Stef snarled, but stepped forward. “If I live through this, you’re getting English slang lessons. It’s just ‘are you in or out.’” Alexei raised an eyebrow.

“Fine. I’m in.”

Alexei opened the door. It was time to finish it. For good or bad.

The shot was still ringing in Jen’s ears as the fact of Logan’s death washed over her. How was he gone? Why had Alexei allowed it to happen?

“Stop crying, you sniveling bitch! Do you have any idea how much I hate you?” Holly stormed across the room toward her. The sweet-looking redhead had a scowl on her face normally reserved only for soap opera actresses in the middle of a big scene. “I hope Alexei kills you himself.”

Holly launched herself at Jen, hitting her squarely in the torso, and both women hit the ground.

Jen was caught completely off guard and felt the breath knocked out of her.

“Sorry. I’m supposed to cause a distraction. Alexei is supposed to kill the other guy. Get ready,” Holly whispered in her ear before pushing herself up. She straddled Jen and pulled back her hand.

The younger man, Nikolai, grabbed her fist, laughing. “You are a righteous bitch. Alexei chose well.”

He hauled Holly up by the back of her shirt. Jen found herself with her back against Logan’s desk, staring up at Nikolai and Holly.

Logan had left his drawer open, and as she attempted to get up, her hand slid across the comic books he kept there, causing her to fall again. She reached up again, and her hands met something wooden.

She couldn’t see it, but she knew what it was. Logan’s whittling knife.

“Calm yourself, girl.” Pushkin stepped between Holly, who looked like she was auditioning for “Bad Girls Club,” and Jen. He snarled at the red-haired waitress. “Watch it. Alexei is not the boss here. I am. I don’t like trouble, or the people who cause it.” While Pushkin made his speech, Jen grasped the knife in Logan’s desk. It was small, with a one-and-a-half-inch blade and a wooden handle. Logan had brought it into the diner swearing he was going to quit his deputy job and make a living whittling bears and wolves.

He’d been awful at it, and the knife had disappeared.

Jen slid the blade, handle up, into the pocket of her jeans and then stumbled to her feet. It was tiny, potentially useless, but it was all she had.

“What is taking so long?” Pushkin asked, stepping toward Jen, a scowl on his face. He grabbed her arm. “Are they taking apart the body? Tell Luka to toss the body to the side. I want to get this done.” Nikolai turned to the door. “Is there a problem, Luka?” The door to Nate’s office opened, and Jen felt her heart drop to the floor. Alexei moved out of the office. Stef—her beautiful, strong Stef—was in his grips. A gun was pointed straight at his dark head, the metal at his temple. Alexei had one of Stef’s hands behind his back for leverage as he pushed him along.

“Yes, there was trouble,” Alexei said. “I found this one lying in wait.”

Nikolai cursed and said something in Russian.

“I am sorry,” Alexei said flatly. “He killed your brother.” Nikolai spewed what had to be something vile. His face became a wicked shade of red. He pushed Holly aside and started toward Stef.

“Nikolai!” Pushkin shouted across the room.

It felt like the world slowed down for Jen. One minute everything was far too fast and the next was horribly, painfully slow. She tried to run to him. She had no idea what she would do once she got there.

She only knew she couldn’t watch Stef die. He’d come for her, like she’d known he would, and the outcome of that act couldn’t be his death. She took one step and then another before she felt a hand on her arm, pulling her back.

Nikolai’s gun came up, his movements jerky as though rage had taken over and there was only one thought on his mind. Jen screamed, pulling against the hand that held her, but his strength ensured she couldn’t get away. Futilely she tried, panic overtaking her, but the fist on her arm tightened, hauling her back as his other arm raised a pistol.

Jen heard Holly scream and hit the floor, covering her ears as a loud report boomed through the building. Gunfire cracked through the air, at least two shots going off, but it was Nikolai who jerked backward as though he had hit a wall and bounced back. It was Nikolai whose chest bloomed with blood.

Alexei pushed Stef lightly away as he shot Nikolai. Stef’s right arm came from behind his back, and he had a gun, too. Jen watched as he aimed his gun, but his eyes lit with horror before he could pull the trigger. He stepped back as Jen felt an arm snake around her middle.

Her back was suddenly pressed to Pushkin’s chest, and his meaty arm was a manacle holding her down. He was using her as a shield. Jen squirmed, trying to do anything to get out. He hauled his weapon up and fired. Jen felt her eyes widen in horror as Stef’s left side took the bullet. His side above his waistline started to bleed.

He staggered back for a moment, but managed to stay upright, his gun level at Pushkin’s head. “Let her go.” Jen could feel the heat of Pushkin’s breath against her ear. “I don’t think that is such a good idea. I believe I will keep the girl close, or I will end up like Nikolai there.”

“And if I told you I don’t care about the girl?”

“I would not believe you. You came for the girl. That is the only reason you are here. If you were simply working with the traitor, Alexei, you would have left the same way you came in. Tell me something, do you know where my painting is?” Stef looked far too calm for a man who had just been shot. “I know enough to know you don’t give a shit about the painting.” There was a low rumble from Pushkin that might have been described as laughter had there been an ounce of humor in it. “No, I don’t care about the fucking painting. But I do want the bearer bonds behind it. Alexei, you appear unwell. Did Nikolai’s shot find purchase?”

Alexei did look a bit green. He put his hand over his gut and came away with blood. He fell to his knees. Holly scrambled from her protected position to get to him. Even with a hole in his gut, Jen noted that Alexei pushed Holly behind him, trying to cover her body with his damaged one.

“I’m glad, you bastard. I never trusted you,” Pushkin said. “There was something about you.”

Alexei’s lips struggled as he spoke. “You killed my brother. I have worked, risen in your organization, to kill you. You will die here. Whether by my hand or others, you will die today, and you will take no more innocents with you.”

Holly wept behind him, trying to get her hand on his wound.

Pushkin accepted the information as though it was a mere report of the weather and not a curse. “I did not know what was wrong about you, but I felt it better to keep you close. When I couldn’t raise Ivan, I became suspicious. That’s why I brought along another three men.

They should be here any moment. I’ve had them asking questions and looking for the painting. But, I sent the signal for them to come to me.

Soon, you and your friends will be a distant memory.” Jen heard the sound of gunfire, but this time it was from the outside of the building.

Stef’s lips quirked up. “I have friends, too. We’ll have to see who walks through that door, won’t we? Or you can give me my woman, and I’ll allow the sheriff to arrest you.” Pushkin took a deep breath, and the gun pressed to Jen’s temple.

Such a small little circle pushing against her head, and yet it could bring death in no time at all. She wouldn’t even know it had happened. Pushkin could pull the trigger and everything she was would be gone.

“I love you, Stef.” If she was going to die, those would be the last words she said, because they were true. Nothing in this world had ever been as important as loving Stefan Talbot.

His stance hardened. “Jennifer, I will get you out of this. I love you. I will not let you go. You will not go to Paris without me. You will not move into that tiny loft at Callie’s, and you will never leave Bliss.”

Even with a gun to her head, she had to smile at the royal tone he used. King Stef was in the building. “I already moved into Callie’s place.”

“Then get ready because I’m moving in. It’s going to get crowded on that twin bed, but I won’t sleep apart from you. You wanted me, well, you get me. I’m very possessive, and according to everyone in this town, I am apparently emotionally needy. I disagree, but the votes are against me. You should know I intend to love you forever, Jennifer. I intend to keep you with me or follow you when you go.”

“I won’t go, Stef, not without you,” Jen said, her heart filling up with love.

“That includes dying, Jennifer,” Stef said sternly. “You are not allowed to die on me. I will take it as extreme disobedience, and there will be some punishment.”

His voice was starting to shake, whether with emotion or pain or the combination of both, Jen wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. They were together. It brought her great strength. There was the sound of more gunfire outside, but the reports were getting further and further apart.

“It sounds like my men will be here soon,” Pushkin said. “Now, tell me where my bonds are and I will kill you quickly. Otherwise, you will join that unfortunate deputy.”

“Yes, I’d like to kill you for that, too.” Stef snarled.

“Someone needs to do something,” Holly said, crying. “I don’t think he’s going to make it.”

Alexei’s body was still, but his lips moved. He said something to Holly, who cried out and lightly slapped his shoulder.

She looked at Jen. “He won’t move. He says I have to hide behind him. I can’t get him off me, the big idiot. He’s going to die.”

“You are all going to die,” Pushkin said.

“Not if I can help it.” Logan’s voice was ragged, and his face brutalized past recognition, but he forced his body to move. He propped himself up in the doorway of the office and took aim.

Logan’s left arm hung at an odd angle, and his right trembled, but he held the gun level despite it all. “I don’t have a shot from here, Stef.”

“You don’t need one,” Stef said. “Nate will walk through that door any minute.”

Jen slipped her hand into her jeans pocket, her fingers curling around the whittling knife. Alexei had asked Holly for a distraction, but it looked like they needed another one. With Pushkin’s eyes on Stef and Logan, he wouldn’t notice that she was squirming a bit more.

When she had the knife out, she held it at her thigh so Stef would notice.

“I tire of this,” Pushkin said. Jen could feel that he was sweating now. He was starting to panic, and that could be very bad for her.

Stef’s eyes found the knife at her side, and he nodded, letting her know he was with her.

“I’m pretty fucking tired myself,” Logan spat out.

“Jennifer, Nate is going to walk through that door,” Stef repeated, as though his surety could make it happen. “He’s going to come in here, and we’re going to be fine. I love you with all my heart. Do you trust me, Jennifer?”

She nodded, far too emotional to speak. She heard the outer doors swinging open.

“Then do it now!” Stef shouted.

Jen raised her arm and plunged the small knife into Pushkin’s leg.

It didn’t go deep, but it was enough that he howled and reached for his leg. It was enough that he let go slightly, and Jen was able to drop down.

She felt the bullets hit Pushkin’s body. He jerked behind her once, and then twice, and then again. Jen covered her head, the ringing in her ears almost painful. She made herself as small a target as possible because Stef needed her out of the way.

The sound of bullets died away as the inner door burst open, and Nathan Wright’s voice boomed through the building.

“Stand down!” Nate shouted.

“There’s no one left to stand down, Sheriff. You are late to the party,” Stef said.

Jen felt his hand on her shoulder and looked up into relieved gray eyes. She jumped up and wrapped herself around him. He was here and alive, and that was all she could ask for. Stef’s arms tightened around her body, so tight she almost couldn’t breathe, but she wouldn’t complain. She needed him close.

“I love you, Jennifer.”

“I love you, Stef. I love you so much.” Nate and several others were moving in. “Zane, call a bus.”

“Why do we need a bus?” Jen asked, trying not to look at the bodies on the floor.

“It’s cop slang, love. He’s calling in an ambulance.” Max Harper strode into the room, a shotgun in his hands. “Is everything fine now? We killed everyone we needed to? ’Cause my wife is having a baby in the middle of a diner. I wouldn’t be here except Rachel made one of us come down here to save Stef’s butt, and she was yelling really loud. I’d like to make it back to see my son.”

The doctor pushed through the double doors. He had an apron on and held his hands up as though he’d just sanitized them and didn’t want to touch anything. “Better luck next time, Harper. You just had a girl. Sorry about that. I’m not real great with sonograms. Is there anyone left alive for me to fix?”

The doctor’s face fell, and suddenly all of his bravado was gone as he saw Holly trapped under Alexei’s body.

“Holly?” He ran to get to her.

“Please, Caleb. He saved me. You have to help him.” Chaos reigned as people poured into the small building. Zane helped Logan to sit. Nate checked the bodies. Max ran out, shouting something about his son not having a penis. Stef held her close, and she seemed far away from the horrors of the day.

“Don’t ever leave me.” His voice was a mere whisper in her ear.

“Never.”