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Lydia let out a harsh cackle. “She’s hardly innocent in all of this.”
“How do you figure that?” Grant asked. “Her only crime is marrying me.”
“That’s enough. Now, stop talking, put the flash drive on the ground, and slide it over.”
Grant licked his lips as he tried to come up with another solution. If he let go of the tiny piece of plastic he held in his hand, he had nothing to bargain with. The little stick was his only bargaining chip.
“How about if you let me switch places with Julia? I’ll come to you with the flash drive. You let her go. Then I hand it over, okay?”
“No,” Julia said with a shake of her head.
“Aw, that’s sweet. Little Miss Perfect doesn’t want you to do that. And neither do I. I don’t want you anywhere near me. Do what I asked, or I can put a bullet in her.”
His eyes slid closed for a second as he tried to steady himself. “Okay.”
He slowly bent toward the ground and placed the flash drive on it before he shoved it forward. It skittered across the rough surface of the roof and stopped a few feet in front of Lydia and Julia.
“Idiot,” Lydia huffed as she forced Julia forward. “Pick it up.”
Lydia kept a tight grip on her arm as Julia leaned forward to snatch the flash drive from the ground. A tear fell to her cheek as she rose.
His heart broke, but he forced his voice to remain steady. “You have what you want. Now, let her go.”
“Hmmm, so tempting, but I think I’ll keep her with me to ensure a clean getaway. Come on, Sweet Cheeks, we’ve got a helicopter ride to take.”
“No!” Grant shouted, his eyes going wide as Lydia tugged Julia back toward the chopper. “Lydia, let her go!”
Behind him, the door burst open, and Kyle and Luke spilled onto the roof. The sudden movement caught Lydia off guard. She paused for a moment. Julia took advantage of her temporary surprise and elbowed her.
Lydia, stunned, stumbled back a step, struggling to keep hold of both Julia and the gun. She reached for her with her gun-toting hand, but Julia smacked her, sending the gun skittering across the roof and toward the edge.
Both women froze, staring after it before Lydia leaned in its direction. Julia lunged for it, too, trying to prevent her from reaching it first.
They landed a few feet away from it in a tangled heap. Their momentum carried them toward the edge of the roof.
If they didn’t stop soon, they’d both plunge over the edge.
Grant’s heart thundered in his chest, and adrenaline surged through his veins, igniting every nerve. Without conscious thought, his feet propelled him forward in a desperate dash toward them.
The two women stopped short of the edge, landing separately and climbing to their feet as Grant barreled toward them. Lydia shoved Julia backward toward the edge before she dove for the gun again.
Julia stumbled back a step, her arms flailing as she struggled to regain her balance. But she couldn’t recover from the shove. As she lost her footing, ready to plunge over the edge, Grant reached her. He grabbed hold of her hand and yanked her toward him. She fell against him, and he wrapped her in his arms, holding her as tightly as he could.
Her chest heaved against his as she stood frozen. Her heart pounded against his chest as he stroked her hair, squeezing her close. “It’s okay, Julia, I got you. I got you.”
A sob escaped her as she flung her arms around his neck.
He wrapped her in his embrace again as he stroked her hair. “I got you.”
She leaned back to look up at him, her eyes a mix of fear and relief. “Thank you.”
“Are you okay?”
She bobbed her head up and down though no words came out. Instead, she leaned against him again, clinging to his arms.
Next to him, Luke wrangled the gun from Lydia’s hands before he hauled her to her feet. She tried to make a run for the helicopter that started a lazy lift into the air, but Luke kept a firm hold on her. “I don’t think so.”
“Julia, are you okay?” Kyle asked.
