Page 45 of Claimed By the Boss

It’s finally over.

“Leo, come on.” Nolan grabs my hand and pulls me toward the open door.

Before we reach it, return fire comes from where Tony had hidden. There must be guns in the boxes, and now bullets fly wildly past us.

I stumble, expecting the agony of a bullet in my back. My feet tangle together, and I fall. Nolan wraps an arm around me, lifting me and swinging me behind a metal rack.

“Stay down.” Tension fills his voice. “Jade, what’s the situation?”

Confused to hear Jade’s name here, I glance up at Nolan and spot a black device in his ear, allowing him to communicate with the stripper.

But why would Jade be here?

After a moment, Nolan swears and turns to me. “When I say go, run in a crouch to those crates by the door.”

I follow the line of his arm to a stack of three red, metal boxes near the door. It’s not much cover for two people, and I swallow hard.

Nolan’s fingers graze my cheek. “Don’t hesitate, just go. I’ll be right behind you.”

A tremor goes through my body, but I nod.

With a last look at me, Nolan raises his gun and starts firing. “Go!”

I force my feet to move, racing in a crouch across the open area, my eyes on the sunlight spilling through the door. At the crates, I fall to my knees, my pulse pounding in terror.

Nolan slides in beside me a moment later, his gaze sweeping over me in assessment.

“Rockford!” Tony’s angry voice taunts from somewhere in the warehouse. “You fucking asshole. You think you can just walk out of here?”

Instead of answering, Nolan leans out and fires.

A shout of pain follows, and Nolan shoves me toward the door. “Go, now. There’s a black SUV out front. Caleb is waiting there.”

Heart in my throat, I bolt for the door and race into the bright evening light. More gunfire cracks through the air, making my ears ring, and the acrid burn of gunpowder stings my nose.

I spot the vehicle, the back door open, and leap inside. Plush leather catches me, filled with Nolan’s pheromones. I scramble over to make room, and the seat bounces as Nolan jumps in behind me, slamming the door shut.

Nolan reaches over to drag me close, checking for wounds. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Are you?” My hands run over him, fearing bullet holes, but he seems unscathed. “You shouldn’t have come. You’re such a bad businessman.”

“I certainly underestimated the volatility of my investment.” He pushes back my limp bangs to examine my face. “This is the last time I see bruises on your face. Understood?”

Done with being hit, I nod. “How did you even find me? They were still working out how to send the ransom threat.”

“I told you before that I had someone watching Tony.” His touch moves to my nape, caressing his Mark. “I’m sorry I didn’t come faster. We had to get our people in place.”

Behind the wheel, Caleb twists around to stare at us. “What’s taking Jade so long? Our cleanup people need to wipe the scene before the cops arrive.”

“He was under fire.” Nolan cocks his head, but the sound of the gunfight has stopped. “There was a third shooter.”

A sick feeling rises inside. “Mr. Bugrov.”

Nolan’s eyes lift to mine in surprise. “Your apartment manager?”

“He was in on it with Gino and Tony.” Now that we’re safe, tears threaten once more. “He’s the one who told them we’d gotten close.”

An icy chill fills Nolan’s face. “I should have shot him the first time we met.”

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