Page 70 of Captive Lies

One of Liam’s guys was reloading and he got shot in the head. Liam’s second man glanced at his comrade and got hit right in theneck.

In the split second I had taken my eyes off Orlov’s remaining men who were using the SUV for cover, Stefan materialized in our storage unit. He grabbed my wrist holding the gun and squeezed. The pain was excruciating as I gave a soundless cry. He grabbed my weapon and handed it to Orlov, who was holding his gun at our two men down on thefloor.

Stefan glared over my head at Liam. I scampered back to shield him—he was pale and slumpedover.

Sporadic gunfire echoed in thedistance.

Stefan’s smile was cruel. “I told you I have no problem killing you, Paulina.” He pointed the gun at me. “Boss?”

“Make sure Marco is dead. We need Paulina alive,” Orlov ordered inRussian.

I heard a whistling sound and Mikhail Orlov fell to the ground like a puppet whose string wascut.

Stefan spun around and the blast of a bullet slammed into him, the impact throwing him on the concreteflooring.

Grant walked in, arm outstretched with a gun fixed on Stefan’s head and shot himagain.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even as I saw Tyler follow his boss with a frustrated look on his face, I thought my mind was playing tricks onme.

Then I remembered Liam. I got down on my knees in front of him, my aching wrist cradled against my stomach as I touched him lightly with my lefthand.

“Liam?” I whispered brokenly. There was no rise and fall in his chest. My lips trembled and my eyes blurred as I touched my fingers to hispulse.

Nopulse.

“No!” I screamed. The sinking feeling in my stomach expanded until I couldn’t breathe. “No! No!” I fought the arms that wrapped aroundme.

Tyler crouched in front of Liam and felt for his pulse. I stared at him hopefully. His sad eyes met mine before looking to the person holding me. He shook hishead.

“No!” I shouted as I struggled again. “He’s not gone. He’s notdead!”

“Blaire,” Grant’s voice whispered. “Let him go,baby.”

Arms tried to pull me away from my friend but I clung to his arm. I cried for Liam to wake up. I cried for him to get up. I cried until my voice was hoarse and there was no strength left insideme.

“You can’t do this to me, Liam,” I sobbed brokenly. “I can’t start a new life withoutyou.”

My hand fell away from his lifeless body and I felt someone liftme.

I’d given up the fight forgood.

27

Grant

“She’s asleep.”

Grant nodded at the paramedic who’d treated Blaire at the scene. He flinched as he remembered the sobs that ripped from her chest. She had fought him, screamed at him, and called him names, but he held onto her until she collapsed in his arms,exhausted.

His own body shook with anger. The sight of Blaire, beaten and broken, was like a knife through his heart. Her anguished cries twisted that knife and he bled with her, but he had to hold on to his control even as the desire to empty his gun into an already-dead Orlov wasoverwhelming.

Liam was dead, and it was up to Grant to face the authorities. The storage facility had cameras, but Blaire’s friend had a plan and Grant himself had already set things in motion, knowing that things could go FUBAR in a heartbeat. And they had. Liam’s backup team got ambushed by Orlov’s men. Jake was tasked as the sniper, but after taking out the guy with the carbine, his position had been exposed and he had to find another vantage point. At that time, hearing that Liam had been shot and they were pinned down in the storage unit, Grant decided to move in with Tyler. They were in communication with Jake, who managed to shoot the last of the Russian goons before taking out Orlov himself. Grant now knew he had shot Stefan. At that time, all he saw was a man pointing a gun at Blaire and Grant fired his gun at him twice. Unlike in the alley where he aimed to disarm, this time he unleashed kill shots with nohesitation.

“Mr.Thorne?”

Grant turned to face the fed in charge of the case. It was fortunate that with pre-planning, the Miami PD had been tasked with only assisting the FBI, because, from what Jake had told him, several of the cops were on the take from the ROC. Since Blaire’s abduction had crossed state lines, it had become a federalcase.

“I’m Agent Wilkes,” the man flashed his badge. “I believe you mentioned this was a case of kidnap andextortion?”

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