Page 71 of His Weekend Wife

“You’ve counted the money, now let the women go,” Declan insisted, lowering his hands closer to his waist.

“Not so fast.” Phillipe stomped across the gravel, grabbed Ash’s arm and dragged her up to standing. The knees of her jeans were dirty and bloody. Her hair was disheveled. Her lips were turned into a grim line.

Declan took a step forward, but Phillipe brought the gun to Ash’s temple, his sneer growing. “Don’t be a hero.

“What do you mean? I’ve given you what you asked for, now you do the same in return.”

“Abby can stay, but your wife, I plan to keep her as security,” Phillipe said through clenched teeth.

“That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“And neither was the gun you’re hiding.”

“Here…I’ll take care of that.” Declan slowly reached around, took the gun from his waist and laid it at his feet, giving it a slight kick with the toe of his shoe. “Now, I’m unarmed. You can let her go and no one gets hurt. You know that’s what you want. You only want the money, not blood-stained hands.”

Phillipe lowered the gun only slightly, as if he was absorbing Declan’s words. With a nonchalant shrug, Phillipe gave Ash a shove and Declan caught her against his chest. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“Yes—Yes I am,” she whispered.

Phillipe held both at gunpoint as he took a step backward, arrogance crossed his thin features as he was already spending the cash in his mind. His eyes were wildly lit. “Sayonara, Mr. Bankman. Cha-ching!” He took three steps back, lowered the gun to his waist and swiveled only to meet the barrel of a pistol aimed between his eyes. Holding the gun was Declan’s brother, Quentin Knight.

“Hold it there, my friend,” Quentin said in a firm voice.

“You called Quentin…?” Ash looked up at Declan.

He wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek. “I called him. I couldn’t come alone. I couldn’t trust Phillipe. A man like him won’t stop.”

“I was scared for your safety. All our safety. I knew you’d come and get me.”

“I will always be here for you. Always. I love you.”

Her eyes misted. “I love you too.”

“Please tell me you will never leave me again.”

“Never.”

“Excuse me, darling. Let me take care of this scum.” He kissed her forehead and went to where his gun was on the ground and picked it up, aiming it at a scowling Phillipe who wasn’t moving a muscle.

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