Page 78 of Live a Little!

“He didn’t do anything to me,” she said, loud and clear, stepping forward and throwing the wrench atNeville.

“Get down!” Jake shouted, even as she saw Neville’s gun swing herway.

She watched the wrench arc through the air in slow motion like a bad shotput, and heard the twin explosions. She dropped to the floor, heard the bullet zing past. Neville reared back, eyes wide and mouth open on a groan as he clutched his shoulder and keeledover.

Jake swung his gun back toward Ormond, but the man hadn’t moved. He looked as if all the fight had been knocked out of him. He couldn’t stop staring at Neville. “You were gonna let him kill me. I thought we werepartners.”

In two steps, Jake had crossed to Neville’s side, kicking the gun from his lax hand and retrievingit.

“You all right?” he all but shouted atCyn.

She nodded, not trusting hervoice.

Jake dropped to his knees to check Neville’spulse.

“Is he…is he dead?” Cynthia managed to ask, her voice trembling as badly as herlegs.

He shook his head. “Doesn’t deserve to, but he’ll live.” Glancing around, he stalked over to a computer, pulled one end of a cable out of the machine and the other end from the wall socket, then swiftly hog-tied her former boss. Neville’s eyes fluttered open and hegroaned.

She retrieved a second computer cable and passed it to Jake. Without a word, he took it and tied upOrmond.

The trembling that had begun in her legs spread upward. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to breathe while Jake ignored her and got on with business. Grabbing his cell phone, he punched in numbers and gave orders. She heard words—ambulance…local cops…DEA—but her mind wouldn’t decipher them. Everything was coming from far away and she felt as if she had water in herears.

Her gaze cut to Neville, groaning on the floor. There was a big red patch on the front of his shirt. She looked away. The sight of the gunshot wound reminded her of Eddie, lying there in the bathroom. “Eddie’shurt.”

“Who?”

She was shaking so badly she could barely stand. “Eddie.”

“Where is—” Jake glanced at her and he was at her side in aninstant.

“Hang on, Cyn, don’t faint.” His arms wrapped around her, warm and strong. “Hey, baby. It’s okay. It’s all over now.” He rubbed his big hands up and down herarms.

A dark shape materialized, then another. She gave a squeak of alarm, then noticed the FBI insignia on the black jackets. “Eddie’s in the warehouse bathroom. Shot,” she told Jake softly, unwilling to talk to anyone else, unwilling even to move from hisarms.

“We’ll get him. You allright?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” After a final squeeze around her shoulders, he said, “I’m going to have someone drive you home. I’ve got a few things to take careof.”

“My keys, my purse. They’re in theback.”

Jake gave low-voiced orders over her shoulder, and before she knew it, she’d been ushered out of the building and was on her wayhome.

She hardly noticed the drive with a fresh-faced young man who was obviously dying to get back to the excitement at Oceanic and resented being put on chauffeur duty. Still, once they’d arrived at her house, he opened her front door for her and, after she punched in her alarm code, walked her through thehouse.

“This isn’t necessary,” she assured him. The official tour only reminded her of the other night, when the police officer had done a walk-through as well, just before Jake had dumpedher.

The rookie’s skeptical look said he agreed with her completely. “Agent Wheeler’s orders,ma’am.”

She would much rather Jake had escorted her home himself, but at least he’d been thinking of her safety. That warmed her cold limbssomewhat.

“Can I make you some tea or something?” the young man asked, shuffling from foot tofoot.

She felt old enough to be his mother. “No.” She smiled at him reassuringly. “I’m fine. I’m going to have a hot bath and go to bed early. But thanks. You go on backnow.”

If she’d given him a gift-wrapped box from Tiffany’s he couldn’t have looked any happier. Come to think of it, he was probably the type who’d rather risk life and limb than fool around with jewelry, anyhow. “If you’resure.”

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