Page 78 of Being Bold
“You can shoot me,” Bo sneered, “but I’m taking you down with me.”
Mr. Dao didn’t like that comment because anger twisted his features. “I’ve had enough of this.” He stepped behind one of the men as if he planned to use him as protection from Bo’s bullets. “Shoot him,” he demanded.
Every cell in her body rebelled at the thought of Bo being shot. No way would she stand there and let that happen. “Wait!” Acting on instinct, she stepped out of Bo’s reach.
He glowered at her, but she didn’t take her focus off Mr. Dao. Edging toward the terrace door, she said, “This is what you wanted, right? Show me the terrace but leave him alone.”
When no one moved, panic stole over her, squeezing the air from her lungs. Desperate, she squeaked out, “Don’t hurt him! I’ll do whatever you want, just let him go!”
She understood leverage and that she and Bo had none, especially as she’d just given away her feelings for him. But she’d had to do something. If nothing else, her plan was to stall because the rest of TOP would show up eventually. She had to believe that.
Mr. Dao’s face held that sinister smile again. “Well, isn’t that interesting . . .” His gaze shot to Bo, his demeanor shifting to anger. “Hand over your gun or they’ll shoot Selene.” To punctuate his threat, one of the suits aimed his pistol at her. The guy’s face was stony, his eyes dead. She had no doubt he would shoot her if Mr. Dao told him to.
When Bo relinquished his weapon, she could feel him vibrating with tension. He didn’t take his eyes off the man whose gun was trained on her, but she knew he was angry at her. He’d have to deal with it because she refused to let him die for her. Bo deserved to live. To have a life not haunted by his past. Even if that life wasn’t with her.
Sadness crept through the fear, trying to smother what was left of her hope.
Two of the suits grabbed Bo’s arms, then Mr. Dao turned his attention to her. “Let’s finish our tour, Miss Coleman.” He glanced at the men restraining Bo and ordered, “Bring him.”
As soon as they stepped onto the terrace, the wind stole her breath. It was even stronger up here than on the street. Mr. Dao gripped her arm, and she stiffened, eyes scanning for a way out. The terrace was impressive yet terrifying. Everything had snow dusting it from the slate gray tiles on the ground to the pale patio furniture surrounding a concrete, bowl-shaped outdoor fireplace. She had but a moment to take that in before her gaze locked on the four-foot-tall glass safety wall surrounding it all. You could see right through it. The tops of the other buildings seemed so far away.
When Mr. Dao tugged her to the edge, she had a severe bout of vertigo. She reached out, gripping the top of the glass as the world spun.
“It’s a long way down, isn’t it, Miss Coleman?” He didn’t hide his snicker at her reaction. “A fall from here . . . you’d have plenty of time to think about how much it’s going to hurt when you hit the ground.”
Oh, God.She clenched her eyes shut, but it didn’t stem the nausea rising up her throat. She managed to swallow it down, but dizziness assailed her. That was his plan? To throw her over the ledge.
If she made it off this high rise, she’d gladly never step foot in one again.
Her ears rang, but when she heard Mr. Dao mention Bo’s name her eyes flew open, and she struggled to focus on what he was saying, “Until you tell me where the microchip is, I can’t toss you over, but him”—he waved at Bo—“he seems like the perfect incentive.”
“No, please!” Her breath shallowed out in panic. She didn’t have a microchip to give to Mr. Dao. She had nothing to save Bo or herself. Nothing.
“Do it,” her boss said to the men already dragging Bo to the ledge.
She tried to run to him to help, but the other henchman grabbed her from behind. His hold was unbreakable. Still, she didn’t stop struggling as she watched Bo fighting the other suits.
She gasped when, for a moment, it seemed he would get the upper hand, but then Mr. Dao took the gun from the man imprisoning her. To shoot Bo.
She screamed and fought harder against the man holding her as adrenaline surged in her system. His cursing barely registered, nor did the pain, as he squeezed her hard enough to crack ribs.
The first gunshot seemed to cause time to slow. In horror, she watched Mr. Dao shoot wildly. He managed to hit the glass behind Bo more than anything. One of the suits fell, a bullet leeching the life from his eyes.
Bo still struggled with the other one, and their bodies slammed into the damaged glass. Her heart leapt in her throat as it spiderwebbed, a powerful cracking sound piercing the howling of the wind.
Mr. Dao’s laughter echoed all around her as the glass gave way. Bo and the other man tumbled through it.
“BO!” The name tore from her lips in a frantic shout as his body disappeared over the edge of the terrace.
Noooooo!
Tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. The remaining suit released her, and she fell to her knees. A powerful, body-shaking sob ripped from her throat. Her heart flopped around in her chest like a fish out of water struggling to breathe because the man who kept it beating was dead.
Bo was dead.
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Bo
