Page 38 of The Negotiator

“I followed him there.” He sounded so logical now. The words came out clear, as if he were explaining a simple math problem and not a horrific crime. “He planned to be there when you got home, force the issue.”

She wedged her heel in the opening of the door and kept it there. “So, you killed him.”

“It was a fight, Lauren. You get that, right? An accident.” Jake shook his head. “He wouldn’t stop. You know how this sort of thing happens.”

The familiar tone convinced her to move. She kicked the door open and ducked inside, only to panic when she couldn’t make her fingers work fast enough to find the lock and use it. Adrenaline surged through her as her hands fumbled on the metal lock and her gaze scanned the low-lit area in a frantic search for her phone. She didn’t see it, but she almost had the lock.

Without warning the door slammed into her, pushing her back. She turned to see Jake standing there. He didn’t have a frying pan this time. He carried a knife and wore a blank expression, a sort of resignation to what he had to do next.

She put up her hands, knowing she couldn’t fend off a blade. “It’s okay.”

“You still don’t get it.” He pointed the tip of the knife at her then at his own chest. “We make sense together. We have more in common than you ever did with Carl. He took you for granted but I wouldn’t. I have been waiting for you. Been patient.”

All of the blood drained from her head. She fought to stay coherent. “Absolutely.”

“Don’t patronize me, Lauren. I’m not deranged or evil. This—us—we just make sense. My idiot brother didn’t get it. He schemed and planned and tricked and that got him things, but only for a short time. You deserved more.”

The keys. His familiarity with her house from having been in it so many times. The way she welcomed him into her office and her life. And all along he’d been planning.

When he took a step toward her, she moved. A scream tore from her throat as she lunged to the side, grabbing for the wall. Her hands slammed against tools and a paddle, sending the equipment falling and making it rattle. Her fingers blindly searched as she backed up and watched him. So many things happening at once.

Her hand closed over the end of a paddle. She ripped it from the wall, knowing she would only have one shot at this. Refusing to hesitate, she acted. Her battle cry rang out as she yanked the makeshift weapon off the hooks. Put all her energy and strength behind it and swung.

The paddle skimmed the air. A smooth motion sent it sailing. She held on, bellowing her enraged scream and not letting go as the paddle end slammed into his shoulder, right by his neck. It was like running headfirst into a wall. The force shook her entire body.

She closed her eyes for a second, so brief. She opened them in time to see Jake drop to his knees. He listed to one side but he didn’t go down. The knife waved in his hand, through the air.

Her muscles froze. She watched the blood soak through his jacket. Saw him struggle to stand up.

“Jake, no,” she begged as she tried to tighten her hands on the paddle again, but her fingers refused to move.

The room whirled around and her vision started to blur. She hadn’t been hurt but her body was giving in. The adrenaline high burned out.

He had one foot on the ground and started to rise as a voice shouted in her head to move. She tried to get past him to the door but he fell against her. A hand latched on to her leg with a surprisingly strong grip. She kicked and yelled and tried to fling her body to the side.

Just as she lifted the paddle again, hoping to gather the strength from somewhere deep inside her, the door slammed open. Garrett and Matthias rushed to fill the space.

Garrett took the first step. He rammed his foot into Jake’s arm, sending the knife flying. The second shot nailed Jake in the back. He dropped in an unmoving sprawl.

Men poured into the room then. Ones she remembered from her house, Matthias’s men. Then the detective. She couldn’t figure out where they came from or what was happening. Her mind refused to focus and her brain kept misfiring.

Her body started to drop and Garrett was right there. He slid across the floor on his knees and caught her. Wrapped his strong arms around her. “I’ve got you.”

He did. He was there and protecting her. Not running away. “Garrett?”

The room exploded into activity around them. Jake’s eyes were closed and Matthias had him pinned down. She watched as the detective put handcuffs on him.

“Lauren, are you okay?” Concern sounded in Garrett’s voice.

She could only think about one thing. “I knew you’d come.”

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