Page 81 of Stalked

“He’s trapped. He knows it. Getting out with Rosalyn will be nearly impossible. He’ll cut his losses and shoot her as a distraction. And he knows the longer he stays, the less chance he’ll have to get away.”

“He’ll shoot you.”

The other members of the team were taking out their rifles too. None of them were as good a shot as Ashton, but that didn’t matter now.

Steve looked at them. “I’ll draw him out. You take him down.”

Mind made up, he walked quickly to the front door and went through. A little bell chimed as he did.

“Leave right now or I will kill her!” Steve couldn’t see anyone but could tell they were behind the counter.

“I think it’s time we meet face-to-face, Watcher.”

He heard Rosalyn’s sob but didn’t know if it was from pain or relief.

“Who are you?”

“You sent someone to kill me today. That didn’t work out.”

“Steve Drackett? How did you find me?” His tone was incredulous.

Steve took another step closer. He needed to draw the man out. “The same way you’ve been finding Rosalyn all these months. And the other women. We know about the transmitters in the teeth. It’s over.”

“Do you know what you’ve done?” He stood up now but kept Rosalyn right in front of him, his gun to her head. No one would be able to get a clean shot.

And Rosalyn was glassy-eyed, pale and covered in blood. The Watcher seemed to be half propping her up.

Steve forced himself to stay focused.

“You’ve ruined my research. My life’s work! You have no idea what good I was doing for the world.” He was frantic, voice high-pitched, hysterical.

“All I want is Rosalyn.” Steve kept his arms out in front of him but shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. He was going to make a move that would draw the Watcher’s attention and gun to him.

“No. She’s already promised me her baby. She understands my research and knows how important it is.”

Now. He had to do it now.

But Rosalyn beat him to it. Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she slid to the floor.

The Watcher couldn’t hold her up and turned his gun on Steve.

Glass shattered all around him and the Watcher flew back and onto the ground, dead, shot six times. Every single member of the SWAT team had taken him out.

Steve jumped over the desk counter and picked up Rosalyn’s still form. There was more blood on her now. Had she been shot? His hands were so shaky he couldn’t get a pulse.

Derek and Lillian made their way to him first. He was rocking Rosalyn in his arms but couldn’t get her to wake up.

“She’s bleeding,” he told Derek. “She’s hurt.”

Lillian put two fingers at Rosalyn’s throat. “She’s alive, Steve. I think she’s been drugged.”

All he could see was the blood. “But she’s bleeding.”

He felt Derek’s hand on his shoulder, pressing hard.

“You’re bleeding, boss. Bastard got a shot off at you before we took him down.”

Steve didn’t care. As long as Rosalyn was alive, the baby was okay, Steve didn’t care about himself. He pulled her close to him, uncaring of the pain, certain he was never going to let her go ever again.

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