Page 115 of Back in Black

“And we’ll all deal better together.” Gillian looped her arm through Drew’s, clearly pleased with the outcome. “We’ll create a united front to put a stop to the hostility before someone gets seriously hurt.”

As Brett released Audrey, she smiled and turned to Gillian. “I would appreciate that very much. Thank you.”

“Great,” Drew said. “One down, one to go.”

Brett put a hand on his hip, looked down at the ground, and waited.

Drew got right to the point. “I still think your circumstances make one hell of a draw, but only with your involvement and approval. I wouldn’t go behind your back to do the story any other way. If you say no—”

“I say no.”

Damn. But he’d expected no less, especially now that Millie Christian had thrown things in such a bad light. “Then that’s it,” Drew agreed. “Done. But I still want you at the SBC.”

Brett let out a breath and shrugged. “At this point, no matter what organization I go to, someone is going to question my past. I might as well stay where I most want to be.”

“Fair enough.” Drew couldn’t help but grin as he reached out for Brett’s hand in a gentleman’s agreement. “You should know that I did a press conference before coming here, and when someone asked about you, I stuck with one line, and one line only.”

“What’d you say?”

“That you are one hell of a fighter and I was going to do my best to sign you with the SBC. You already know that won’t stop people from asking, but I’ve never had a problem ignoring questions I don’t want to answer.”

Brett’s smile was slow. “I’m sure you don’t.”

“But,” Drew continued, “I want you both to know that the main purpose of the press conference was for me to rip Ms. Christian to shreds.” He held up his hands before they could question him. “I figured it was the easiest way to draw her out and to get her focus back on me instead of you.”

“Do you think it worked?” Audrey asked.

Drew opened his mouth—and a rifle blast sounded. Everyone jumped as a shot slammed into the brick face of the building, sending shards to pepper the air only inches from Drew’s head.

Oh, yeah, he’d drawn her fire back on him—literally.

It’d be nice if he lived to tell about it.

GILLIAN gave a short scream as Drew dove on her, driving her down to the ground and covering as much of her body as he could with his own. The next bullet grazed his upper arm, making him curse in burning pain. He shoved Gillian’s head down when she tried to raise up to check on him.

Fumbling, he half crawled, half dragged her over behind a parked car, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. With a hand on the back of her neck, keeping her pinned down, he fished in his pocket for his cell phone and finally got it out.

“What in the world are you doing?” Gillian gasped.

Into the phone, Drew barked, “Where the hell are you, Marcus?”

Sounding winded and excited, the investigator said, “I just conked her on the head with a fucking rock. It’s all I had available. She’s out cold now.” He wheezed in a breath. “Everyone okay?”

Drew dropped to his back beside Gillian. God Almighty, that crazy bitch had nearly done him in.

Immediately Gillian crawled up and over him. “Drew!” She sounded shrill and panicked and . . . concerned. “Oh, my God, you’re bleeding!”

“I’m okay,” he told her, but his fucking arm was fast growing numb.

She smacked him on his uninjured shoulder.“Are you out of your mind?”

Remembering, Drew jerked up and around and saw that Brett had Audrey caught down low against the building and was shielding her with his back. Thank God he hadn’t been the target, because he was still fully exposed.

Drew yelled, “It’s okay, Brett. My investigator has her now.”

“Her?” Brett asked, not really moving much.

“None other than Millie Christian.” And this time, she’d gone way too far. She’d finally be out of his life, once and for all. “Call the cops, will you? Ask for Officer Sparks.”

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