Page 41 of Business Temptations

“Just for show,” Tim explained, moving sideways as Ricardo shifted as well. Tim moved the sharp object in his hand as Ricardo shifted his grip on the pistol.

Tim didn’t take his eyes from Ricardo as he moved towards the vault.

“Is it on a computer somewhere?” Ricardo demanded, his lip curling with fury. “You will get me that formula!”

“I can’t,” Tim replied, his voice smoothly confident. “I created the original formula over a decade ago. Not even I can remember everything that went into the end product.” He shrugged and kept moving, keeping Bailey behind him and hiding the hand that was gripping the pen/knife/mysterious object.

“Then I will bring you back to Spain and keep you in my dungeon until you remember,” he declared, his tone implying that his solution was obvious.

“He doesn’t have a passport.” Bailey nearly choked on that claim. Tim traveled all over the world with ease. The man spoke at conferences, interviewed potential scientists, and conferred with various companies regarding a wide range of business and personal issues. No passport? What a load of baloney!

Ricardo sneered, obviously believing Tim. “I’m a Marquesso,” he scoffed. “I can get both of you through security easily.”

Tim shifted again, keeping himself between that madman and Bailey.

Bailey kept her eyes on Ricardo while her hands remained lightly on Tim’s waist, trying to anticipate where he would move next. She was trying to remain behind Tim, because she suspected her friend was trying to maneuver them towards something that could help them.

That’s when she remembered the security cameras. She glanced up at the ceiling, but Ricardo scoffed. “Your security team is watching a loop, mi querida. They have no idea that I’m here.”

Bailey’s heart sank. If the security guys were watching a loop, then Ricardo had help. She seriously doubted that Ricardo had the technical knowledge needed to create a video loop, much less install it. That meant that Ricardo wasn’t the only intruder to their building.

“We seriously need to update our security measures!” she whispered to Tim.

He nodded, but the movement of his head was only perceptible to Bailey. He shifted again, ostensibly because Ricardo was moving as well. He stopped at a worktable. He tapped her hand and she squeezed his waist, letting him know that she understood his silent message.

As quietly as possible, she pulled out another drawer as they inched by the workstation, trying to keep Ricardo a certain distance away from them. Sure enough, Bailey felt around and found several scalpels in the drawer. She pressed them into Tim’s hand, and took a couple more for herself. She wasn’t exactly sure what they could do with them, but she felt a smidge safer now that she had something sharp in her hand.

Still, Ricardo kept the gun pointed on them. So she still wasn’t sure what they could do with the scalpels and pens. It’s not like they could…!

Bailey saw something flash across the room. A split second later, something was sticking out of Ricardo’s cheek!

Ricardo screamed in pain and shock, but he didn’t drop the gun. Another flash, and there was a scalpel sticking out of the hand that, only moments before, had been holding the gun. The weapon was now on the floor while the older man gripped his bleeding hand, still not sure what was going on.

Neither did Bailey, for that matter.

And before she could remember to breathe, Matteo and three members of their security team pushed through the laboratory doors. The security team guys had their weapons drawn and aimed at a still-screaming, profusely-bleeding Ricardo. He was yelling in Spanish, words that Bailey hadn’t ever heard before. And as soon as she saw Matteo, she threw herself into his arms.

“You’re safe!” he muttered, pulling her close and burying his face in her hair as he pulled her close.

“I’m fine,” she whispered back. “Thanks to Tim.”

Matteo released her and straightened, looking behind her at the tall man who was casually cleaning the lenses of his glasses.

“What did you do?”

Tim shrugged, as if he hadn’t just taken down a mad gunman. “Just a bit of knife throwing.” He glanced back at Ricardo over his shoulder, who was still screaming and swearing, clutching his wounded hand. The scalpel in his cheek was still there and Bailey felt a bit nauseous as they watched the security guards handcuff him.

Bailey’s mouth fell open. “Just a bit of knife throwing? Where in the world did you learn to throw knives?”

He looked over at the man, then back at Matteo and Bailey. “No where. I just…watched a few videos about knife throwing. Then today, I calculated the speed and direction needed and…flung them in the right direction.”

Bailey and Matteo stared at their friend and partner, then Bailey laughed and walked over to hug him. “You’re amazing!” she told him.

Tim hugged her back, then she stepped out of the way so that Matteo could do the same. The two men slapped each other on the back. Hard.

“I owe you,” Matteo whispered to Tim.

Tim grinned at Bailey, then shook his head. “No, you don’t. Years ago, Bailey saved me,” he explained. “I was lost until she gave me direction with my idea.” He smiled and bumped his fist against her chin playfully. “Today was my way of paying her back for giving me the life I never thought I’d have.”

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