Page 8 of Dirty Gambit

“Please,” his father pleaded. “Don’t do this.”

“Take her!” Lena snarled.

Looking torn, but determined, the server stashed away his gun and reached for Jessie. Ignoring the screams from Jaxon’s mother and Jessie, he scooped the child up.

“Let her go!” Jaxon snarled, half out of his seat.

A deafeningbangshook the room. Plaster rained down on them, momentarily silencing everything but Jessie, who rose in volume.

“Enough!” Lena growled. She exhaled and lowered her arm, the gun still smoking. “I’m sorry,” she said to his mother. “But you can try again, get another kid. You can’t have this one.” She turned her gaze on the server. “Take her out. I’ll be right behind you.”

The server cast an anxious glance around the room before he turned and fled, the sound of utter heartbreak following behind him.

“Don’t phone the police,” Lena said, having to nearly shout to be heard over his mother’s desperate wails. “At least for the next three days. Get up.” She motioned for Jaxon to rise. “I’m taking Jaxon with me. In three days, I’ll let him go, but if you phone the police before those three days … I’m not responsible for what happens to him.” Her brown eyes went to Jaxon. Surprise flickered to find him still in his chair. She frowned. “Get up.”

Not about to take orders from a girl who barely reached his damn shoulders, Jaxon reclined in his seat and stretched out one leg. “Make me.”

“Jax!”

He ignored his father, keeping his attention on the pint-sized brat thinking she had any kind of control over him. “What are you going to do about it?”

Lena’s brow lifted in a dry glower. “Seriously? That’s your plan? To piss off the person with the gun?”

“Jax, please … please…” his mother sobbed, clutching at his father’s arm.

Lena’s face closed up tight as though the sound of his mother’s crying somehow physically hurt her. “Are you really going to make your mom lose both her children in one night?”

Fury ripped through him. “Don’t put this on me! I didn’t start it.”

“But I’m finishing it.” The voice came from the doorway. The server was back and he had his gun pointed inches from Jessie’s face.

“You son of a bitch!” Jaxon was on his feet, his body running hot and cold at the same time. Behind him, his mother made a choked, whimpering sound.

“What are you doing?” It was Lena, her eyes big and wild with horror.

The server was looking at Jaxon. “Move.”

“Get that gun out of her face!” Jaxon hissed, taking a step forward.

Rather than comply, he cocked it. “Try me, pretty boy. I’m having a very long day and I would like to leave.”

“Jax … Jax…” His mother was half in and half out of her chair as though she couldn’t decide whether to lunge at the guy pointing a gun in her daughter’s face or faint.

“God damn it!” Lena snarled under her breath. “Put that thing down!”

The server ignored her yet again. His brown eyes were fixed on Jaxon. “What’s it going to be? I personally don’t care either way.”

“Jaxon … please…” It was Lena this time.

Her paralyzing terror slammed into him a second before his did. The dark depths of her eyes were pleading for him not to do anything stupid. So, this wasn’t part of the kidnapping plan, he thought with a sinking sense of dread. It was never good when one of the lunatics took matters into their own hands and veered off course.

Inwardly, he swore. Of course, he wouldn’t do anything stupid. That was his sister that maniac was holding.

“Okay,” he said. “I’m going. Just … put the gun down.”

“Let’s go.” The server jerked his head towards the door. “Not a sound, do you hear me? And you two.” He turned to Jaxon’s parents. “You mention me to the cops and I’ll come back here and gut you in your sleep.” He flicked Jaxon a disinterested glance when the other man growled dangerously. “Go!”

Jaxon shuffled forward, paused once to glance back at his parents. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

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