Page 56 of Deadly Threat
Newt shrugged and examined his nails. “Constance was the one thing my father loved in this world. He didn’t even know her and yet…” Anger flashed across his face. “He betrayed me. Betrayed all of us over her.”
“So you want to kill her? Because your father didn’t love you?” Mia’s hands gripped Horvat’s muscled arm still around her throat. “She’s already in jail, suffering, because this asshole made her embezzle from my sister.”
Newt chuckled, but it was dry and without humor. “He and King should have kept their paws off her. Made Daddy very mad.” He sounded like a psychopath, and Malachi fought his urge to jump him. “But I need her for another purpose.”
“Like what?” Mia asked.
Newt grabbed her chin and Malachi stepped forward automatically. He got the barrel of a semi-automatic in his face, forcing him to pull up short.
“Our father gave her everything,” Newt growled, “and she doesn’t even know it.”
Malachi suddenly understood—Constance had some kind of key to the Marcher assets. Had to be. Newt needed her to access them, but why would Marcher have left valuables with a daughter he hadn’t even claimed?
“We’ll get her released,” Mal assured him. Keeping his gazed pinned on the psycho, he was sizing up Horvat, too. He could take him if Thomas could handle the other men, but that would leave Newt. How dangerous was he in his fancy suit? “Just let Mia go. She’s worth nothing to you.”
Thomas added, “The cops are on the way. Best to let us secure the exchange with my boss before they arrive. They get trigger happy in hostage situations. I guarantee if anything happens to the mayor’s sister, there will be no deal.”
Newt actually seemed to think this over.
Horvat goaded him. “Come on, already. Take their stupid offer or let me have the girl. Money or pleasure— I get one or the other or I’ll kill you right here.” He turned his pistol on Newt.
Mr. Slick cocked a brow, but otherwise looked unconcerned. “This is why you’ll never rise above being the muscle, Josip. Your brain is the size of a pea.”
Horvat’s gun leveled between Newt’s eyes. “And you’ve got no balls, you little dick. Your old man went soft on us, and he screwed us all over, liquidating his assets and putting them in that offshore account for your half-sister. Get real. That’s the only reason I went after her, the only reason King got involved. We found out what he did. I should have killed him when I had the chance, and made Constance pony up, but here we are.I want my fucking money.”
Newt rolled his eyes and turned to Malachi and Thomas. “Do you see what I’m dealing with?” He appeared completely untroubled about Horvat going off script. “So hard to get loyal help these days.” He glanced up at the sky, then back to Thomas. “Make the deal,” he told him. “We’ll be in touch.” He motioned at Horvat. “Bring the girl. Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Malachi stepped forward, but the barrel of the gun was in his face.
Horvat dragged Mia to the limo, her cries echoing off the delivery truck’s panel. She fought, heels dragging in the sand as she pounded at him with her fists.
“Stop it, bitch.” He knocked her in the head with the butt of the gun.
Malachi saw red. With quick reflexes, he knocked the weapon in his face away. Mia went limp and a fresh wave of hot anger ripped through him as he ripped the gun from the henchmen’s hand. The Korean had been ready to shoot, and it went off, the bullets peppering nearby trees.
A swift jerk and he nailed the guy in the stomach with the butt. Thomas jumped on the other henchman and more shots rang out.
Malachi’s opponent squared his legs, hands raised, martial-arts style, and then came at him before he could fire. He kicked out and Malachi dodged, whipping around to avoid the blow, but the bastard kept coming. He knocked the weapon from Malachi’s hands, and that pissed him off even more. He reared back and sent an uppercut into the man’s chin. The Korean dropped and sprawled in the dust.
In the distance, sirens rode the wind. Mia’s scream cut through the fight— she was conscious, but he caught sight of her being thrown into the limo. Malachi hopped over the downed man, raising the gun to fire at the tires.
The asshole kicked him in the back of the knee, and Malachi faltered, bringing the gun around to shoot the guy. An unexpected fist clocked him in the jaw. The weapon fell to the ground and they both scrambled for it.
Malachi knocked it away, hit the Korean again, and sent him to the ground. This time, he didn’t get up.
Newt was closing the passenger door, but movement on his side caught Malachi’s attention. Thomas was down, his attacker ready to shoot him in the face.
Any second, the limo would peel out, carrying Mia from him, but if Malachi didn’t save Thomas, the guy was about to get his brains blown out.
Calculated risk.Who do I save?
Malachi drew his Glock and shot the henchman before he could kill Thomas. Then he pivoted and took off running as the vehicle took off.
The driver gunned it, and the back tires spun, kicking up sand and blinding him. He couldn’t let them go, but he couldn’t fire blindly, either. He might hit Mia.
The vehicle straightened out and the driver hammered the gas, sending the limo jetting down the road. Malachi ran all out, nearly catching it before it raced off and left him in the dust.
She’s gone. He kept going, unwilling to give up. Far behind, he heard Thomas yell his name, but he wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t. Not his legs, not his heart.
