Page 54 of Elliot

“Stand up. Get your legs under you, or I’m going to separate your shoulders,” Jessica hissed. Maya tried. She got her knees under her and tried to stand. She fell the first time, and Jessica kicked her in the ribs. “Get up!”

Maya moved and pulled her knees under her; that time, she made it to her feet. Jessica pulled her over to the edge of the building. The wind whipped Maya’s hair into her eyes.

“Time to say goodbye, you bitch. I hate you. I hate what you did to Dillon. This building was his. Did you know that? He had investors. He had a vision. He had everything until you stole it from him.”

Dillon? How did Jessica know Dillon?Maya blinked slowly, trying to understand the rant. She hadn’t stolen anything.

Jessica stared at her. “Oh, look, the powerful and mighty Maya Callahan is crying. I’m going to cut off this gag. It would look funny if you committed suicide with a gag in your mouth, wouldn’t it?”

Jessica drew the gun out of her pocket and pointed it at Maya as she bent and picked up the knife Maya hadn’t realized she’d dropped. The knife in Jessica’s hand came up and burrowed under the cloth, slicing through Maya’s cheek as she severed the fabric.

Jessica lifted Maya’s tied hands with the hand holding the knife and propelled her forward toward the edge of the building. Maya resisted as much as she could against the pain and the leverage of her bound hands behind her back. “Why? God, why are you doing this? You don’t want to do this, Jessica.”

Jessica laughed. “Oh, Idowant to do this. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.” She lifted Maya’s hands again. Maya fought until her shoulders screamed. Forced to move, she inched forward until she was looking over the edge of the building. Suddenly, Jessica stopped lifting her arms and spun her around. The sudden movement made her dizzy, and she retched again. The knife went against her throat and lifted her up.

“I didn’t think you’d make it this far.”

Maya looked stupidly at Jessica and then in the direction the woman was looking. She cried out when she saw Elliot standing at the end of the hall. He’d found her. Dear God, he’d found her! Her knees went weak, but the knife under her chin kept her on her feet.

Elliot walked forward.

“Stop, or she’s dead.”

Elliot took a couple more steps before stopping. “Let her go.”

“Put your hands in the air,” Jessica countered.

“No.” Elliot took two more steps.

“Stop!” Jessica lifted the knife, and Maya gasped at the feel of the blade against her skin. Why wasn’t she threatening Elliot with the gun? Maya blinked, trying to make her brain work. Where was it? She leaned back, and Jessica shoved the barrel in her back.

Elliot stopped about five feet from them. “Let her go, or you won’t see tomorrow.”

“She has a gun.” Maya tried to stand upright, but she was so dizzy. She felt Jessica jerk her closer to the edge of the building.

Maya blinked and saw Elliot’s gun. She felt Jessica move and elbowed her hard. The explosion of noise muffled her gasp. Jessica slammed into her, and Maya fell backward. She saw Jessica fall past her. The momentum of her fall slammed her into the building. Her vision tunneled, but not before she sawJessica’s body on the ground. The roar of a thousand waves rushed over her, and she blacked out.

CHAPTER 20

Elliot had never before felt the white-hot rage he felt then. Maya, staggering next to Jessica, held his attention for a fraction of a second. He’d gotten as close as he could without forcing Jessica to make a move. He was close enough to grab Maya or take out Jessica if he needed to do so. Doing both, God, he prayed he was fast enough. Maya would always be his priority. Always.

Maya slurred, “She has a gun.”

That warning was his green light. He jerked his gun up and out of the holster. He hadn’t finished pulling the trigger for the second time before leaping forward. Jessica stumbled and pushed Maya backward, the gun in her hand pointed in his direction. Elliot grabbed Maya’s ankle as the woman fell. He held tight as her entire weight dropped over the edge and scrambled to grab her ankle with his other hand. As her body arched and slammed into the side of the building, he managed to grab her jeans with his other hand and then secured a grip on her leg.

“Jesus, I’m having a fucking heart attack here, man!” Con yelled as Elliot tried to gain leverage to pull Maya to safety. “She’s out, man. She’s out like a light.”

“I need help, asshole!” Elliot grunted as he wedged his knee under him and pulled her up.

“They're coming! Hold onto her.”

Like there was any other fucking option. Elliot bore down and pulled up with all his strength. He curled his arms and lifted her, inch by inch, hand over hand, using only her leg. Her other leg dangled limp as he worked. Elliot lifted her past her knee and pinned that portion of her leg to the ground under his weight. He then reached down to grab the waistband of her jeans. He hoisted her high enough to grab her other leg and pull it onto the cement. He heard the sounds of pounding feet behind him.

“You got her. Just don’t move. Stay on top of her legs.”

Elliot reached up and grabbed the front of Maya’s t-shirt. He groaned as he arched backward, pulling her up into a sitting position even though her butt was still off the ledge.

“Con, where the hell are they?” Elliot hissed.

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