Page 55 of Storm's Embrace

Flashes of his crazed drive to the hospital all those years ago washed over him, as did the memory of his overwhelming fear at seeing the blood still covering the ER floor and his utter helplessness as he’d cradled his dead child in his arms. And then finally his last images of Josie and Matthew, their faces devoid of life, as the casket lid had closed.

He’d lost everything before to horrific violence, and he’d be damned if he would allow it all to be taken from him again.

The question was how to stop it.

“Tell me what’s my fault and we’ll try to figure things out.” He took a quick glance at Miriam’s panicked gaze before focusing back on the gunman. God, he had to get her away from him. “But why don’t you let my secretary go first.”

That had no effect on the other man. If anything, he pressed the gun in harder—hard enough Miriam winced. His jaw tensed as he stopped just short of the edge of her desk. He couldn’t lose her, but what was he going to do?

“Where’s Brittany and Jesse?”

Eli took in a harsh breath.

Derek Garrison.

He once more met Miriam’s pleading eyes as she slightly shook her head and mouthed, “No.”

“Mr. Garrison.” Eli held firm where he was. He had no desire to ratchet up the other man’s agitation—not with Miriam and his baby’s life in the balance, but he also couldn’t compromise the safety of the young mother and child. “I can’t tell you where they are.”

Garrison obviously took exception to that as his face flushed even more red, but Eli ignored it and pushed at him to be reasonable. “But you can make a choice here. You can do the right thing and let Ms. Porter go, or you can completely ruin your life by doing something even more rash than you already have.”

Derek Garrison let out a sharp laugh. “You’re kidding me. Right?” His gaze narrowed. “I have a better idea. You tell me where my wife and kid arenowand I’ll think about not blasting a hole into this bitch.” Eli tensed as Garrison pushed the gun into Miriam’s side again. “So you can help yourselfandher, or you can watch her die. That’syourchoice.”

“Eli don’t—“

The door chimed and Garrison whipped his head around and slightly lowered his gun at Leah’s loud, “See, I can be on time. Sorta.”

He had to take the chance while the gun wasn’t pointed directly at Miriam, so he charged forward while Miriam pulled away from the other man at the same time and yelled, “Run, Leah.”

Garrison raised his gun and reached for Miriam. “What the—“

Eli didn’t give Garrison time to react any further as he barreled into the man and wrapped his arms around his waist and tackled him to the floor. The gun skittering across the carpet registered with Eli as he grappled with the man landing blow after blow against his head until Miriam grabbed the man’s arm and pulled on it.

“Stop,” she yelled, but Garrison knocked her away and into her desk where she hit her head and collapsed onto the floor. Eli growled and renewed his efforts to gain control of the situation and the man who outweighed him by at least fifty pounds—most of it muscle. If Miriam was—

“Holy Crap!”

“Call for help,” Eli groaned to Leah as another punch landed to his side, nearly taking his breath as he tried to maneuver the man onto his stomach.

Then just as he was bracing for another blow, one of the office laptops swung into his vision before it bashed into Garrison’s head. The other man’s dazed expression met his for several seconds before his eyes closed and he went limp and sprawled underneath him.

Out cold.

“Asshole,” Leah groused as she threw the smashed laptop to the floor before turning and dropping to her knees next to Miriam. “Sis?”

“God. Miriam.” Eli pushed himself up and away from the unconscious man and crawled to where Leah held Miriam’s head in her lap with her hand pressing over the blood flowing from a gash across her sister’s forehead. “I’ll be right back,” he said in a rush as he stood and raced to their medical supply cabinet in the hallway. He grabbed the items he needed and got back just as Miriam was coming around.

“Eli?” she said, struggling to sit up. “Where’s Eli? Oh, God. My baby,” she cried out holding her stomach.

“Baby? You’re having a baby?”

“I’m here sweetheart.” He went to his knees beside Leah, saying, “Yes,” as he spared her a quick glance before focusing on Miriam’s worried face. “And I’m sure the baby is fine.” At least he hoped so as he gently cleaned around her wound.

“Can I hit him again?” He glanced at Leah again, surprised at the trembling in her voice, to see a few tears tracing down her cheeks. “I really want to hit him again.”

“I’m all for that.” He didn’t look at the man who had threatened his woman and child. He wasn’t worth it. Besides, he was more concerned with the cut he could now see more clearly. It had appeared much larger when it had been bleeding. And while he was well aware head wounds did that, it just wasn’t something he’d reasoned out when it had come to Miriam being the one doing the bleeding. “But maybe it’d be better if you called the police instead.”

Eli scooted over and took over being Miriam’s pillow as Leah stood and pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and walked into the hallway as she dialed.

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