Page 125 of Last Chance Love

“Don’t play stupid with me, Leon,” she snapped. “We’re going to take a trip to the back so I can…deal with this.”

Something else was moved too, but I was too focused on her and the fact that Dr. Gideonfinallydecided to dip back into the office. I could only hope he was getting help and that help would arrive soon. “There’s one little flaw in your plan, which makes sense. A plan on the fly when you’re panicking usually has a lot of holes you don’t see until it’s too late.”

“Oh? And what am I missing?”

“Well, the fact that you tased the shit out of Reed. Don’t you think people are going to wonder how that happened?”

Her eyes widened briefly, and I could see her thinking about it. I could also see something else she wasn’t noticing, the Taser was missing, and Reed was pressing his hand behind his back, five fingers held out and unmoving. My attention snapped back to her when she let out a breath. “That doesn’t matter. I stumbled across the two of you in the break room. When you tried to attack me, I managed to stun Reed but was forced to shoot you. When Reed recovered, he attacked me again when he saw you. Tragically, I had to take his life as well. See? Easy fix.”

“Clearly,” I said dryly.

“One could be a little more intelligent when they have a weapon held on them,” she said, wiggling the gun for emphasis.

“First of all, lady,” I began snidely. “You are not the first person to threaten me with a weapon and don’t think you’re special because you have a lot to lose. Plenty of people end up in the same creek as you and are dangerous because of it. And look, I’m still here.”

She scoffed. “You really think anyone is going to save you?”

“I never needed much saving before,” I told her. “And second of all, you’re not nearly as smart as you think.”

“Oh, you think you know me?” she asked with wide eyes, stepping forward so she had one leg over Reed’s body.

Reed’s thumb dropped, leaving four fingers.

“Not hard to figure out you’re not all that smart.” Three fingers now. “This whole cover-up was half-assed, as is your attempt to recover from it.” Two fingers. “And for the record, what kind ofmorontells the person they’re holding at gunpoint that they’re going to kill them?” One finger. “You know what that does?”

“What’s that?” she hissed between gritted teeth.

“Makes them desperate and do stupid shit to stay alive,” I told her as the final finger disappeared, and I shoved against the ground, hurtling myself to the side as hard as I could.

Startled, she tried to follow me with the gun. I lost track of what happened as I hit the ground, and the air was filled with the harsh crack of the gun going off. As I scrambled to get to my feet, I heard her grunt and a clatter of the gun. I got up just in time to see Reed jab her with the Taser one more time, holding it to her lower back as he pushed to his feet, panting.

Dr. Greenway dropped to the ground, making me wince when her head hit the ground. Reed stood over her, his chest heaving as he finally looked up, holding the Taser in his hand.

“I wassohoping you understood what I meant when I started the countdown,” he said between heavy breaths. “I know from personal experience how this cunt of a device makes you seize up, and I really didn’t want to get you shot.”

I laughed at the sheer venom of the word I’d never heard him use before and in sheer relief. “Jesus Christ, I fucking love you.”

I rushed to wrap my arms around him, pulling him in for a tight hug as his hand fell on my lower back. I buried my face into his neck and pulled him tight, making him gasp.

“Babe,” he groaned, pushing against my stomach. “Maybe not a hug. That burn hurts like hell.”

“Oh. Sorry,” I spat out and backed up a little, keeping my arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see her sooner, but I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Says the man who kept her blathering like an idiot,” he said, looking down at her. “Not that it’s going to do a whole lot of good. Unless she left some evidence behind, our word won’t count much against hers. Not unless Mona isreallywilling to listen to us after you broke me out and we rummaged through records we definitely were not supposed to.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” I said as I watched Dr. Gideon peek out of the office. “It’s alright, nobody was hurt.”

“Good Lord,” Dr. Gideon muttered, coming down the hallway slowly. “For the life of me, I cannot believe this.”

“Dr. Gideon?” Reed said in confusion.

“Pleasetell me you heard her,” I pleaded with him.

“And that you’re going to tell the truth,” Reed said, eyeing the older man suspiciously.

Dr. Gideon gasped and, in an affronted tone, said, “Ofcourse,I plan to say what I just heard and witnessed. Just what do you take me for?”

“A man who actively hates me and a colleague of Alice,” Reed said testily.

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