Page 100 of Blackstone's Heart
Ingram gave a cold laugh. “For someone who deals in security he is way too trusting. The bastard happily SHOWED me his system. When he held that pathetic party for Wilson earlier this year. I casually asked him about it. The idiot took me into the room in the garage where his security system is. I paid attention to it and he was all too eager to brag about Blackout’s supposedly unhackable and impenetrable system. He went on to show me his perimeter security.
“You know; you might want to mention to him the hole is his plan. He didn’t bother adding sensors near the creek or the path leading to the house. I had a clear path from there to the house and easily slipped into the garage.”
Krista kept herself from physically reacting to the anger coursing through her. To know that Ingram could have come to the house at any time and taken her away from Ethan or Ethan away from her, had her spitting mad. Mentally bracing herself, she knew she had to make her move now and try to get to Lance’s gun. She narrowed her eyes as she looked Ingram dead in the eye.
"You think we belong together? Yeah right. Let me tell you something you fucker. I could never be with a pathetic excuse of a man like you. You're nothing but a sniveling coward. You didn't have the balls to come at me directly until now. You attacked and killed Jerry. You came after me hiding behind a pen and paper."
Ingram groaned and dug the hand holding his gun against his temple. "Shut up. Just shut up."
"You're weak Ingram." Krista continued, shifting a step closer to Lance. "You have no idea what it means to be a REAL man. You could never measure up to a man like Ethan. Hell, you can't even measure up to me."
"SHUT UP!" Ingram screamed, his eyes flying open and his gun barrel aimed right at her the hand shaking.
It was now or never. Sucking in a breath, Krista made her move. She watched in slow motion as Ingram's trigger finger began squeezing the trigger. On a wing and a prayer, she dove over the coffee table toward the doorway and Lance. She registered the report of the pistol, the bullet impacting the wall behind where she had been standing. Then she felt the cold steel of the .45 in her hand as her arms stretched out. Rolling to a half sitting position, she raised the gun, aimed and squeezed off two rounds.
***
The SUV screeched to a stop in Ethan's driveway, but he was already out of the vehicle and flying toward his front door. He fumbled with his keys a moment before he managed to get the door unlocked and pushing his way in, gun raised. He rounded the corner into the front hall from the entryway. The first thing he saw was Lance laying on the floor unmoving. His ears picked up the sound of flesh hitting flesh, grunting and sobbing. When he turned into the living room he stopped dead at the sight in front of him.
As sirens began screaming from outside, more sounds joined the cacophony of noise. Ethan watched with wide eyes as Krista knelt over Ingram. Her right fist lifting, coming down, lifting again and meeting its mark. Her voice rising with each swing of her fists.
"You killed Jerry! You tried to kill me! You hurt Lance! Hurt Tony! Hurt Grant! YOU FUCKER!"
The anguish in her voice was what spurred him into motion. Holstering his Colt, he hurried to her and pulled her off the sobbing and cowering Ingram. Krista struggled to break free and go after Ingram once more. He somehow turned her into him and just held her tightly.
"Sshh. It's me Krista. It's Ethan, baby. I'm here. I've got you now." He said.
"Ethan...he…shot Lance. He shot me..." Krista gasped.
Ethan pulled back sharply and looked her over. It was then he noticed the blood covering her upper left arm and soaking through the sleeve of her shirt. He was about to turn on Ingram himself but found Cain and Jimmy were already handcuffing the sobbing man. Instead, Ethan focused on his woman.
"Are you shot anywhere else baby?"
"N…No. Oh god, Lance!"
The pair turned and moved to where Tony and Gage were already working on Lance. Tony was holding gauze to the bullet wound in Lance's side while Gage was trying to get the man to wake up. "Dammit, come on Hawk. Open your fucking eyes."
Krista dropped beside Gage. "Lance. Damn you, Lance Archer you better open your eyes right now!"
Lance let out a groan and his eyes barely opened, meeting Krista's. "K... Kris..."
Krista smiled a little. "Yeah. It's okay now. Your boys are here. I know you hurt but you gotta stay awake for me. At least till we get you to the hospital. I'm fine. I shot the asshole and started pounding his face. Just hang on for me Hawk. Can you do that."
"Yeah. So...tired." Lance gritted.
Krista looked at Ethan, Tony, Gage and Grant. She could hear the police and ambulance sirens right outside and knew the EMT's were only seconds away. "I know you're tired. I'm feeling that way myself buddy. Just stay awake. Please Lance, stay awake for me." She pleaded, stroking his forehead.
"We need a stretcher over here! Now!" Cain's voice carried from the front door.
***
Ethan sat in the chair next to Krista's hospital bed. For the second time in two months she was once more in St. David's. A floor below them his man was in surgery. The rest of Alpha team was in the waiting room. Ethan however had been unable to leave Krista. When he and Krista had arrived, he found that Lance had crashed once in the ambulance. He had been taken straight to surgery. That had been nearly three hours ago.
Krista had been taken right into the ER. Other than the gunshot wound, slight blood loss and the bruise on her cheek, the doctor said she was fine. However, he wanted to keep her overnight just to be safe. Her arm had been cleaned, stitched and was now bandaged. Ethan reached out and took her left hand. The one that was sporting his rings. Krista sighed, turned her head and opened those beautiful blue eyes he loved.
"Hey you." She smiled.
"Hey yourself beautiful. How you feeling?" He asked.
