Page 39 of Once Upon a Royal Billionaire

He backed up and started opening drawers, running his hand through them without looking, his eyes always on Emily.

She waited for her chance.

Then when he made his way over to the junk drawer, he looked down for a moment, and she raced out of the kitchen, heading for the front door.

She rounded the corner, fleeing through the living room.

Jackson tripped on something behind her, but he was getting closer. She could smell his rancid sweat. She reached for the doorknob, but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away, her legs and arms kicking and swinging in the air.

He’d needed both hands to stop her, so the gun wasn’t pointing at her anymore. She elbowed his gut, and he grunted. Then she reached back to scratch at his face, aiming for his eyes, everything they’d taught in her self-defense classes. But she just wasn’t very strong. He barely flinched when she pounded into him, and he dodged her hands and grabbed her wrists so that she couldn’t reach his eyes.

But she was not giving up. The house phone rang and Rhett’s number was announced over the intercom. “Hello!” She called out. Maybe their smart speaker would hear her from the front of the house. The phone rang again. “Hello!” she shouted.

“Be quiet.”

But the ringing stopped, and a voice, the best voice in the world, said, “Emily?”

“Rhett!” She shrieked.

“Emily! What is it? Emily! Are you there? Answer me!”

But Jackson had his hand firmly over her mouth and was leading her toward the back door.

She kicked like crazy, trying to scream through his hand, but Rhett had gone silent. Then the door crashed open and two security men from out front rushed Jackson. He whipped his gun out and held it at her head. “Don’t move. Emily and I are leaving together. If you give me trouble, I shoot.”

The guys held up their hands. “Okay. Don’t shoot. It doesn’t have to get to that.”

“Don’t talk, just back away.”

The security guards kept their hands in the air and slowly backed up to the front door. Movement caught her eye out the window. She wasn’t sure who or what was out there, but she placed a whole lot of hope on that one flash of movement.

Jackson dragged her toward the door to the garage. “What kind of car you got in there?”

“I don’t know. It works.”

He yanked her hair. “Don’t be getting sassy with me. Are the keys out there?”

“Yes.”

He moved toward the garage, both his hands occupied with keeping her restrained and holding his firearm. The gun felt cold and paralyzing against her head.

“Ouch, you’re hurting me. We’re alone. Do you really think the gun is necessary?”

“You gonna cooperate?”

“Yes. If I sign, then you’ll leave?”

“I can’t leave without you now. Your security showed up, didn’t it?”

The more Emily considered her options, the more hopeless she felt.

* * *

Rhett circled the house,waiting for his moment to slip inside. Jackson had looked crazed, under the influence of something, and desperate enough to kill someone. He’d called in backup, but as soon as Jackson put a gun to Emily’s head, he’d called them off.

He crept to the garage and slipped in through a side door. He moved into position and waited.

Within a few moments, the door to the house opened, and a defeated-looking Emily was dragged into the garage. “Put the gun away,” she said. “I’m walking. We’re going.”

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