Chapter 10
We get to the building where the restaurant is, but we have to take an elevator to the twenty-first floor. Exiting to the top floor restaurant, we wait just outside the entrance for Allie and David. I can tell it makes Bryce nervous to be out in public with dangerous people still out there looking for me.
Having gotten home late, he didn’t have time to change, so he’s still wearing the khaki slacks and black button-down he wore to work. He catches me looking at him and pulls me close. His normal smell of evergreen and summer, mixed with his natural musk from the day, fills my senses and makes me a bit heady. He brushes my hair back from my face and looks searchingly into my eyes.
“You’re wearing the earrings,” he murmurs approvingly. “They look fantastic on you.”
I finger the sparkling gems lovingly. “They remind me of you,” I reply fondly.
He smiles, not quite his sunshine smile. He’s still worried. “Then you should wear them all the time,” he responds. He leans in close, nuzzling his nose against my ear and dropping his voice. “And I’d like to see you wearing nothing but those earrings later.” His hot breath on my ear and neck, along with his words, sends shivers down my spine. I relish it, trying not to think about it being one of the last times for what may be a long time.
I’m saved from the bittersweet moment by Allie and David’s arrival. Hugs or handshakes are had all around, along with loud birthday wishes. Blushing, I duck into the restaurant, eager to get to the part where there’s cake and booze.
Allie teases me the whole way to the table, making sure to loudly remark that we are here for my birthday. She knows how much it embarrasses me, but that’s clearly part of the fun for her.
Thankfully, once we’re seated and looking at our menus, it dies down. “You okay?” Bryce leans in to ask.
“I’m fine,” I whisper. “It’s only going to get worse once she’s gotten some drinks in her, though.”
Bryce laughs. “Then we should get a few drinks in you, so you care less,” he teases. And now I laugh.
“What are you two lovebirds tittering about?” Allie demands from across the table. Bryce and I snap back upright, grinning.
“Oh, you know, where would be the best place in the restaurant for a quickie,” I joke. David laughs, but Allie pulls an unamused face. “At least David thinks I’m funny.” Allie sticks her tongue out at me and I return the gesture. The men roll their eyes at each other conspiratorially.
As we make small talk about our workweeks, I realize I never told Allie what happened after she left the restaurant last Saturday. And I don’t think now is really the time. But she’s going to be more surprised than most when I leave. And mad, of course. Not for the first or last time tonight, I suppress my thoughts and try to focus on the conversation.
And the food, which is amazing. As total carnivores, Allie and I had agreed a steakhouse was our only option. And as I dive into my ridiculously melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon, I know we made the right choice. Everyone seems pretty happy, in fact, and it’s one of the only times everyone sinks into truly companionable silence.
But the inevitably of the birthday song arrives. And Allie, predictably, sings the loudest and most off-key. I can’t help laughing, though, as I feel the love of those closest to me. There are worse ways to turn thirty, I decide. And the chocolate bourbon cake doesn’t suck either, making good on Allie’s promises of booze and cake. And booze cake.
All in all, as the dinner wraps up, I decide it was the perfect birthday get-together. Small, low key, good food, and the people I love. And blessedly few jokes about aging. What more could I possibly ask for?
Bryce and I stick around for a few minutes, lingering in the lobby so I can enjoy the view. The city lights twinkle around us spectacularly. And I know my dawdling is making Bryce even more nervous, but I feel like I need to take it all in one last time. He waits beside me as patiently as he can, though, his fingers entwined with mine. And I can feel him staring at me.
I glance over at him leaning with his back against the windows, simply taking me in. He doesn’t look worried or impatient right now. He’s exquisite in this moment, perhaps more so for my desire to drink in my last looks at his handsome face.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks. I wonder if it’s a general question or if he senses what I’m preparing to do. Probably the former, or he’d be a lot less calm.
“How grateful I am for this life,” I reply honestly. It’s part of the truth, anyway. He’s silent for a moment, his blue eyes bright and shining. And I know exactly what he’s thinking, so I beat him to it. “Never forget how much I love you, Bryce Hoyt.”
And his true sunshine smile splits across his face, melting my heart even more than it already was. “You stole my line,” he teases. His eyes darken with intensity. “I love you too. Now let’s go home.”
“What, no dirty things you want to whisper in my ear first to drive me crazy?” I tease, letting him lead me to the elevator. He glances around at the empty lobby.
“It’s not as much fun when there aren’t other people around,” he remarks. I laugh, and it feels good.
“You’re incorrigible,” I chide him as we step into the elevator.
Once the doors close behind us, and we’re completely alone, he presses me roughly against the back of the elevator, towering over me. A thrill shoots through my body, warming me from my core to the tips of my fingers and toes.
“You have no idea,” he murmurs, finally dropping his lips to mine. The force of his kiss takes my breath away. I wrap my arms around his neck, drawing him into me as close as I can get him. But the elevator doors ping open before I expect them to. Never one to be rude, Bryce pulls away, turning to face forward.
But we’re both stopped short at the three large, dark-haired men facing us in the elevator as the doors slide closed behind them. I can feel Bryce stiffen next to me. The one closest to the panel pulls the elevator’s red “stop” switch, and Bryce steps in front of me as the man in the middle takes out a gun. I try not to throw up as panic overtakes me. All I can think is, Not again. Not another gun, in another elevator, another kidnapping. But Bryce wasn’t with me last time. I watch him slip his hand under the back of his shirt and wrap around his own gun, flicking off the safety.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” the man on the left says. “Just give us the girl and neither of you will be hurt.”
“You’re not taking her, so get out now. That’s my only warning.” Bryce’s voice is full of quiet, barely controlled rage, and I’ve never heard him sound so terrifying. And large though these men are, none of them are as big as Bryce. But while he’s got the intimidation factor going for him, there are still three of them. I press my lips together, trying to stay silent and will away the tears threatening at the back of my eyes.
The man in the middle with the gun laughs. He turns his head to the man who spoke first. “This guy thinks he can …” Bang! The loud sound of a gunshot goes off in the small space and the man in the middle drops. Before I can even process what happened, another deafening crack reverberates through the elevator and the man on the left drops. As I start to register the pain in my ears, I realize Bryce’s gun is drawn and is trained on the third man. Like the now-dead men, I wasn’t fast enough to notice Bryce draw and fire his gun. Twice.
But the third man, the one who’d stopped the elevator, apparently did. Because he now has a gun that is pointed back at Bryce. A very large gun. Bryce eyes it tensely but doesn’t shoot.
“I think you know what happens if I fire,” the man says calmly. Reluctantly, Bryce nods. Leaving me to assume he knows we’d both be dead if the guy got off a shot. Because I know Bryce would sacrifice himself in an instant if he thought I’d be safe. And at that thought I can’t fight the tears back any longer, letting them spill silently over. “Good. Now, I assume you also know that I have no desire to kill her. She’s of little use to me dead. So let’s get this over with quickly before we have company. Drop your gun now or I shoot.”
Even before Bryce complies, I know he will. And based on the speed of his first attack, I also know what’s coming next. But so does the dark-haired brute with the big gun. Bryce opens his hand, dropping his gun, and attacks simultaneously. But the bastard is already pulling the trigger. Given the proximity, though, Bryce manages to cross the short distance in time to knock the gun upward, deflecting the shot into the ceiling.
But our attacker seemed to be prepared for that, too, as his knee is already flying up, dislodging Bryce from the grasp he has on the gun. It’s not enough for the man to keep his own grip on the weapon, however, and the gun tumbles out of his hands onto the floor. Bryce’s attack continues relentlessly, his fist swinging for the man’s stomach, chest, and head, only to be blocked each time. I can only watch in horror as the two, dangerously evenly matched, trade attempted blows.
My eyes flick to the ground, to the pools of blood spreading and joining under the two bodies. Fighting another wave of sickness, I try to concentrate on finding one of the guns on the floor. But before I can focus long enough, Bryce grunts in pain, causing my eyes to snap back up to the fight. The third man looks to have landed a hit to Bryce’s face. Bryce is reeling back, blood spurting from his nose as the man dives for his gun.
“No!” The cry escapes my lips before I can stop it. It’s all happening so fast. Too fast. I throw myself to the ground, desperate to get my hands on one of the fallen weapons as I watch our attacker reel back up with his own, spinning around on a dazed Bryce. But he’s too close to shoot as Bryce lurches at him, catching him in his midsection and pushing him hard into the side of the elevator.
Unfortunately, the humongous gun is still dangerous. I watch in horror as he brings it down on Bryce’s skull. A loud crack echoes as it makes contact, and Bryce slumps to the floor, unconscious. The man huffs a short, satisfied laugh. And then kicks Bryce in the head with enough force to flip his large body away. I tuck my head down, into the floor, unable to look at the blood streaming from Bryce’s face, and the reality of what just happened. My stomach lurches and my head spins. I can feel darkness tugging at me, and I know I’m close to fainting. My hand finds something hard and cold under my midsection. I grip it, trying to anchor myself to the feeling, to awareness.
“Well, ain’t this a pickle,” I hear the man murmur through the ringing in my ears. “It’s gonna be tricky getting you out of here fast enough.” I feel the elevator jolt and resume its descent. A hand grips the hair on the back of my head hard, drawing me to my feet. The man’s cold, dark eyes meet my own.
But I look down at my hand, still holding whatever it is I’d picked up from the floor. I want to weep with relief when I see that it’s Bryce’s gun. He looks down too. But too late. I fire into his face. The recoil throws me back, but I know from the warm, coppery spray that hits me that I didn’t miss. And I at least have that satisfaction as I rapidly lose consciousness.