“I don’t like that,” I say. “I want him in jail.”
Samuel lets out a frustrated sigh. “I do, too. Listen, I get it, but we need to consider all of the possib—”
He doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before a heavy door opens and closes somewhere in the distance.
“What the hell?” James asks. “Is that the back door?”
Samuel sits up. “Who’d be coming in the back?”
Whatever’s happening, I have a feeling it’s not good.
Chapter 29
Samuel
Iglance at James, my senses on high alert. “I thought everyone else was gone.”
“Mark was the last to leave,” James replies. “The place should be empty.”
My gut tightens. “Go check it out.”
James nods and quietly slips out of the office, leaving me alone with Erin. The moment the door shuts behind him, I reach for her, pulling her close. She doesn’t resist, letting me hold her. I need it as much as she does.
I kiss her, not soft or fleeting but deeply. Her lips part beneath mine, her taste washing over me. I pull back but keep her close, my hands resting on her waist.
“We’re going to be alright. We’ll get through tonight. We’ll stay safe and tomorrow we’ll call the FBI.”
She smiles faintly, worry etched across her face. “Safe tonight... in bed too?”
I let out a low laugh, not expecting a comment like that. I brush her hair back from her face. “Safe everywhere. Alarms set, doors locked. Fort Knox has nothing on us. And it’s going to stay that way until Misha’s taken care of.”
A grunt in the distance snaps both of us to attention. My body tenses, instincts kicking in as I turn toward the door, opening it just enough to see out into the hallway.
“James?” I call.
Nothing.
My chest tightens as I guide Erin behind the desk, keeping her close.
“Stay with me,” I command.
I crouch, unlocking the bottom drawer of the desk and pulling out my Glock 17. My movements are quick and precise, the weight of the gun familiar in my hand as I slide the magazine in and chamber a round.
Erin watches me with wide eyes. I tuck the Glock into the back of my waistband and move toward the door, Erin tightly gripping my arm.
“Stay close,” I whisper.
Footsteps echo in the hallway, slow and heavy. Every muscle in my body coils tight, ready for whatever—or whoever—is about to come through that door.
The footsteps grow louder, closer. Erin’s hand tightens on my arm. I slip the gun out of my waistband, keeping it pointed at the floor.
The door creaks open, and a figure steps into the frame. Relief floods me as I recognize the familiar face.
It’s Mark. He stops short, his expression shifting to confusion as he takes in the scene.
“Whoa, what’s going on in here?” he asks, glancing at the gun in my hand. “What’s with the firepower? I was thinking of asking for a raise, but uh, maybe another night.”
I exhale slowly, lowering the gun but keeping it at my side. “Jesus, Mark. Thought everyone had gone home.”