Page 36 of Cruel Ice

They were huddled around a dead body. Excuse the fuck out of him for beingnot fine.“He’s playing with us.”

“Excuse me?” From James. He’d taken a step away from the body.

“He could have killed Keith before I arrived. He did that shit right in front of me. He’s trying to send me a message.”

“Uh, what message would that be?” James asked as his head cocked. The light kept flashing. On. Off. On.

“He thinks he’s in control.” Tension snaked through every muscle in Declan’s body. “He’s trying to show me how much power he has.”

“Well, hedidkidnap you,” James pointed out. “And the shooting…shit, just how close were those bullets to hitting you?”

I felt them brush over me.

But once again, his guardian angel had saved his ass. “I want this sonofabitch,” Declan said flatly. “I want him dead in the ground.”I will put him in the ground.

The sirens were shrieking now. Car doors slammed.

“Uh, boss…” Cade cleared his throat. “Better not say things like that in front of the cops. And maybe this should be the point where we all put our hands up so none of the boys and girls in blue get nervous and start firing atus?”

“Excellent idea,” James praised. His hands were already up.

Footsteps thundered toward them.

“Police!” A shout. “Hands up!”

“This is what I mean.” A murmur from Cade. His hands were up.

Declan stepped away from the body. His hands rose even as the uniforms rushed forward—rushed forward, then staggered to a stop as their flashlights hit the body on the ground.

There were a lot of other shouts then. A whole lot of confusion as the uniforms scrambled and their flashlights bobbed and?—

“Declan! Declan Flynn!”

Detective Parker Ellis was suddenly right in front of him. “What in the hell happened here?” Parker barked.

Declan kept his hands up. “I was interviewing your suspect.”

Parker’s flashlight swept over him. Lingered on Declan’s chest.

“Someone didn’t appreciate my interview,” Declan added with a roll of his shoulders. “Gunshots were fired from the roof of the pool hall.”

Parker’s flashlight didn’t lower. “Is that his blood?”

What? On the wall? The ground? “Yeah, his blood hit the wall and the ground.” And, just so they were clear... “I didn’t touch him after the shooting.”

“Is that his blood on you?”

Declan glanced down and saw that the flashlight was shining in the middle of his body—and that his white dress shirt was stained red.

“Fuck.” From Cade. “I thought you said the bullets didn’t hit you, boss.”

Declan blinked. “They didn’t.”

Parker moved closer. “So it’s the vic’s blood?”

“She tackled me when the shots were fired. I didn’t get his blood on me. I—” Declan shook his head. “It’s her blood.”An overwhelming surge of fear and fury filled him. It burned through him. Twisted. Snaked. Exploded. He whirled for the limo.

“Freeze!” One of the cops shouted, “Mister, you need to freeze right now!”

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