Simon wouldn’t hesitate to shoot me. I could see it in his face. He wouldn’t wait for an explanation. I’d betrayed him. He pulled the trigger, the shot whizzing over my head as I dove.

The crack of another shot. Pain surged from the back of my thigh. Grunting, I fell.

“Jay?” Maggie choked out, rushing toward me.

Simon walked toward me, his feet crunching over broken glass. He was taking his time now that he knew I wasn’t going anywhere. Maggie bent over me, as if to shield me from Simon. Her hands cupped my face. Simon kicked her aside. I looked up as his foot connected with my stomach.

I fell back, groaning. I pressed one hand to the back of my leg where blood was soaking my jeans.

He knelt beside me, one knee pinning down my arm, the gun against my chest.

“Such a disappointment.” He squeezed the back of my thigh. I hissed. “After everything I’ve done for you. Maybe I’ll get Andrew Arthur to take your place. He knows how to get a job done. He doesn’t let feelings get in the way.”

“Stop,” Maggie pleaded. “You’re here for me. There’s no point hurting Jay.”

He looked over at her. “There’s always a point. You took his loyalty from me, just like that. You have more power than you realize. Or maybe you knew it. Maybe you were counting on it. Charm my boy into coming to your rescue?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, no?”

With my free hand, I struggled to sit up but Simon pressed his gun against my temple. He didn’t take his eyes off Maggie.

“Timing is everything, isn’t it? Fred Madsen borrows fifty grand, then disappears. You pay back Nico’s loan, in full, within the same week. Hell of a coincidence.”

Alfonso was coming to. I couldn’t get up. The pain in my thigh was intense, the cut in my side still bleeding. I pushed my palm over the wound. I had to block it out. Everything. It was the only way to save Maggie.

“I did some digging and found out about your brother, Frasier,” Simon continued. “I put two and two together. So now you’re going to tell me. Where is he?”

“You don’t need to do this,” I said, my voice a croak. “She doesn’t know anything.”

He let out a chuckle, as if this was a game. “He’s her brother. Of course she knows. And I think you should be the one to make her talk. Consider it penance for past sins.”

“No.”

Maggie gasped.

Simon pressed the gun harder into my temple. “Excuse me?”

I wouldn’t do this, not anymore. I’d been done with it for so long but kept on anyway, because I didn’t care what people thought, didn’t care who I’d been hurting. Maggie had made me care. Not just because I hadn’t wanted to hurt a woman, not just because she was Maggie and I wanted to be better for her, but because she was a person, just like anyone else.

I’d always justified myself by saying I only did bad things to bad people, but at the end of the day, all I really did was make things worse. People who only wanted a way out fell deeper and deeper into the hole because of guys like Simon. Guys like me. People turning their lives around was bad for business.

I was done. Nothing Simon said or did would make me lay a finger on Maggie. On anyone. Never again.

Simon’s face loomed into mine. “You think your little crush will save her? You think it’s so easy?”

Nothing was easy. Simon had saved me from the streets, given me purpose, and I’d taken that to mean he loved me like family. Maybe he did, in his own twisted way. But I wouldn’t work another day for him.

“You are in my debt, Jason. You think you can move on with your life but this is your life. Son, it’s high time you understood how the world really works, and why loyalty is more important than anything else.”

I looked him in the eyes. “I know.”

“Jay,” Maggie said.

Simon frowned, as if he didn’t understand me. Since that day in the warehouse when he’d told me I was smart, I’d believed him. But he’d never seen someone smart. He’d only seen someone he could use.

Not anymore.

I grabbed Simon’s hand over the gun, pushing it away. He pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the floor. I followed through and elbowed Simon in the face. Rolled over him and smashed his head into the floor. His eyes didn’t open.

Maggie screamed. I looked up.

Alfonso had grabbed her. She was struggling to get free.

I lurched to my feet.

Maggie’s knee came up, right into his groin. He hunched and grabbed himself. She balled her hand into a fist and punched him in the face.

“For the love!” Maggie cursed, shaking her hand like she’d hit a rock.

Her punch wasn’t enough to stop Alfonso. I went for him. He was angry, sloppy. I sidestepped him, grabbing his arm as he passed and hurled him into a wall head first. He went down. Hopefully for good this time.

Panting, I looked at Maggie.

Her mouth hung open. She was cradling her hand. She stumbled toward me then stopped. Close, but not close enough.

“Are you okay?”

She made a noise somewhere between a snort and a sob. “Are you?”

My side burned, my leg throbbed with pain. It was a miracle I was still standing. “I’ll live.” I reached for the gun, hissing at the pain shooting down my thigh.

Maggie was there, her hand on my back and her face full of concern. The desire to pull her into my arms and kiss her was intense. Stronger than the pain.

“Hopefully Hopkins will be here soon.” I put the safety on then pocketed the gun. “But we should tie them up, just in case. There’s zip ties in the pantry.”

“Why are there zip ties in the…never mind.” She shook her head as she walked to the kitchen. I grabbed the towel I’d used on my side earlier and pressed it against my leg.

Maggie came back with the zip ties. She stood over Simon and grimaced like she didn’t want to touch him. I started to hop toward them, but Maggie bent down and pulled Simon’s wrists together. “He won’t wake up, will he?”

“Not yet. Put his arms behind his back. Tougher to get free that way.”

Maggie made a face at me and then rolled Simon over. “He better not wake up,” she muttered.

I couldn’t stop from smiling as Maggie used the zip tie, pulling it tight until Simon’s skin bulged around it.

She did Alfonso next, then stood with a shudder. “Well, that was a first.” Her eyes met mine. “And hopefully a last.”

My heart stopped. That sounded final. “How’s your hand?”

“Hurts like all-get-out, but I’ll live.”

I motioned my head, telling her to come closer. She didn’t hesitate.

Letting go of the towel, I took her hand gently in mine. My thumb brushed over her knuckles. Her hand was bruised, but nothing was broken.

“Who exactly is Hopkins?” she asked, shaking a little under my touch. “He’s not dirty too, is he?”

“No.” My eyes moved to her lips.

Maggie swallowed. “He’s sure taking his sweet time.” She looked down. “Your leg.”

Blood was still soaking through my jeans.

She knelt, perching on the balls of her feet. She dabbed the towel against the wound. “This isn’t working. You need to go to the hospital.” She steadied herself with one hand on my other leg. I inhaled, and not from the pain.

I grabbed the hem of my shirt and started to pull it off.

She looked up at me. “What are you doing?”

I smirked. “It’s either yours or mine.”

She held her hand out and I gave it to her. She wrapped the shirt around my thigh, tying it off tight.

When she stood, her dark eyes moved up my body, lingering over my chest, then my lips, finally holding my gaze.

I knew that look. I hoped to hell I was right about that look. With Maggie, I could never be sure, but I risked it. I moved into her, rested my hands on her hips.

Her lips trembled. The look was gone, but she wasn’t angry. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” I whispered.

Her eyes darted to the blood on my shirt, to Simon, to Alfonso. “You’re hurt, and it’s all my fault.”

“Maggie, look at me.”

She lowered her head but she grabbed my arms, holding on.

My fingers dug into her hips. “Look at me.”

She did.

“Everything is going to be okay,” I said.

I didn’t believe it, and she didn’t either. Nothing could be that simple. Would her testimony be enough to put Simon away? Could he wriggle out of it, based on his reputation, the cops he had in his pocket? And what about me? I wasn’t innocent in all this, Simon would make sure everyone knew. If he wasn’t put away for something, he’d be gunning for both me and Maggie.

I cupped her face. “I will make it okay,” I said, my eyes boring into hers. “I promise you.”