Page 240 of Quarter to Midnight

Dear God.Xavier really was going to give himself up.

And then Gabe caught a glint of gold. The sun reflecting off of Molly’s hair. She was mere feet behind Ducote, her gun positioned just as it had been the night they’d stopped Nicholas Tobin from hurting Chelsea and Harper.

Gabe knew exactly what she was planning to do.

“My father died protecting Xavier,” Gabe said. “You’re not getting him. But you can try to take me.”

Ducote shook his head. “Your daddy didn’t even fight. He was a damn coward.”

Gabe felt the rage bubbling up from his gut. “Because you drugged him.” He wanted to look at Xavier, to be sure that he was okay, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off of Ducote. He needed Ducote to move the gun away from the woman’s head, to point it at him. Then Molly could do her thing.

“Rocky Hebert was brave,” Xavier said, his voice loud and clear. “The kind of man you’ll never be.”

And even without looking, Gabe could tell the young man held his head high.

“Hands where I can see them, Hebert,” Ducote barked. “Or I will shoot your little friend and he can spend eternity with your father.”

Gabe could see Burke now, standing just behind Molly. But he didn’t see Cresswell or any other cops.

Where the hell is André?

It looked like this was up to them. Gabe needed the bastard to point his gun away from the old lady. Point it at me. “Go to hell, Ducote.”

Ducote’s face was red and dripping with sweat. “I’ll take you with me.”

Xavier took another step forward so that he was within touching distance of the woman, who was looking positively gray. She no longer clutched at Ducote’s arm, now clutching at her heart instead. Something needed to happen fast, or she’d die from heart failure before Ducote could shoot her.

“Do it,” Xavier said. “If you’re such a big, bad guy, then do it. Or do you just hide behind other people who do the hard work for you?”

Ducote was gritting his teeth. “You fucking—”

And before Gabe could draw another breath, Ducote’s arm swung, the gun moving from the woman’s head to point at Xavier. Gabe shoved the young man out of the way and leapt forward, falling to his knees at the woman’s feet as Ducote’s gun swung away from Xavier and pointed at him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the shot.

But it never came. Instead, Ducote screamed, his gun clattering to the ground.

Gabe opened his eyes in time to catch the old woman as she slumped to the ground. Cradling her, he knee-walked her to safety, looking up just as Ducote went down—just like Tobin had, Molly’s knee gouging the bastard’s kidney.

Xavier rushed to Gabe’s side, kneeling beside the woman and pressing his fingers to her throat. “I’m not getting a pulse,” he said, then sucked in a breath. “Yeah, I am, but it’s faint. Put her down, Gabe. We need to do CPR.”

But Gabe barely heard him because Molly and Burke were still fighting with Ducote. Burke held the man down on the other side, but he wasn’t giving up, thrashing and kicking his legs, desperate to escape.

“Cresswell!” Burke yelled. “Get your sorry ass over here and cuff him!”

Gabe heard Molly cry out in pain and watched as Ducote got his hand free. No. That fucker was not touching Molly. Not today. Not ever.

“Put her down, Gabe,” Xavier said urgently. “She’s dying.”

Obeying, Gabe laid the woman on the pavement as gently as he could, then threw himself over Ducote’s legs. From where he lay, he could see two cops running up to them, guns drawn. Finally.

“Get out of the way,” one of them commanded. “Now.”

Shuddering out a breath, Molly rolled to her feet and the officer started to take her place. A second later, Burke followed suit as the second cop took over for him. Gabe didn’t move because Ducote was still kicking.

“Finally,” Molly said, panting. “Where the fuck is Cress—”

The shot was a shock.

Gabe froze, not sure where it had come from. Then he lurched up, adding his own scream to that of the crowd. “Molly!”

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