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“C’mon.” Brick tilted his head toward the door. “I’ll drive you.”
***
Amanda
Amanda pulled the phone out of her coat pocket, holding it low behind her father’s desk as she dialed 9-1-1. Putting it on speaker, she dropped it face down on the chair beside her. With the volume low, she couldn’t be sure someone answered, but she could hope. “Stay back, Nathan. Leave me alone.”
“Ah, pet, you know I can’t. You’ve been a bad girl and you need to be punished.” He took a menacing step toward her.
She backed away quickly, and he pursued. “My father is the mayor. We’re in his house, for God’s sake. You can’t plan on hurting me here.” Please, please God let the police figure out where to go.
Nathan snarled. “Your father is nothing to me. A political pawn. The only reason I have anything to do with him is that it gives me access to you.” He bit his lip. “You and that sweet pussy of yours. Of mine, honestly. Because let’s be real, you and I both know you belong to me.”
She fumbled in her purse, then pulled out the same gun she’d displayed the night she broke things off. She’d gone nowhere without it since the day he’d strangled her. “I have a gun. I’m warning you. I won’t let you put your hands on me again. Walk away. No one has to get hurt.” She scurried around the desk, putting the heavy piece of furniture between them again.
“Someone does have to get hurt, but it’s not going to be me. You and I both know you’re not going to shoot me.” With a sweep of his arm, he knocked everything from the top of the desk. The papers and files fluttered almost silently, but the lamp clattered onto the floor. “You wouldn’t risk the scandal to your precious father. No. You’re going to put the gun down and take your punishment like a big girl. I’ve waited for a taste of you long enough. When I’m done, you’ll be lucky if you can walk again for days.” He lunged forward, pushing her into the tall bookcase and tearing the sleeve of her coat.
Books tumbled down on top of them both, and the tall piece of furniture swayed, threatening to tip over.
“Get away from me. I said no!” She fired the gun twice.
The shock on his face was almost comical as blood bloomed on his left side. He dropped her arm and went down to his knees.
She pushed past him, back to the other side of the desk where she grabbed her phone, putting it to her ear. “Hello? Is anyone there? I need help.”
A soothing male voice responded. “Yes, Miss Griffin, the police and an ambulance are on the way. Are you all right?”
The door flew open and two officers came in with their service-weapons drawn. She dropped her gun and the phone, raising her hands high in the air. “Don’t shoot,” she croaked.
“It’s okay, Miss,” the African American officer said, lowering his weapon. “We’re here to help.”
His partner, a middle-aged white guy with a mustache, approached Nathan. “Stay right there, sir. The medics are right behind us.”
“H-how did you get here so fast?” It may have seemed like Nathan had her cornered in here forever, but it was probably only a few minutes.
“I called them, ma’am. As soon as I saw your father leave you two alone.” Terrence kept his eyes on his feet as he passed the threshold. “Mr. Shaw said some terrible things to your father about what he would do to you the next time he saw you.” He glanced at Nathan’s prone form with distaste. “Folks like him tend not to see the help when we’re around.”
The medics rolled in behind him, making a beeline for Nathan. Kane and Brick were on their heels. Two men she didn’t recognize rushed in last.
“Mandy!” Kane shouted. He looked crazed as he shouldered his way toward her. Her legs nearly gave out once she was inside his arms. “What’s happening? What are the police doing here?”
“Mr. Hale? Is that you?” Terrence’s eyes rounded like saucers.
Kane nodded. “It’s been a long time, Terrence.”
“Mr. Shaw tried to attack Miss Amanda, and she shot him.” He pointed to the medics who were loading Nathan onto the gurney. “I’m so glad you’re here, sir. I always thought you were the right man for her.”
“This is the one you’ve been fucking? Doeseveryoneknow?” Nathan shouted, lunging off the gurney toward the white cop. “I’ll kill you, you bitch.” He grabbed for the gun in the officer’s holster.
Kane spun Amanda in his arms, ready to use his body as a shield. But before Nathan could fire, the cop closest to her started shooting.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
She lifted her head from Kane’s chest and craned her neck to see what happened. Nathan was on the floor, his sightless eyes staring up at the ceiling. Blood gushed from two fresh holes in his chest.
“Damn, Gleason,” the white cop muttered, toeing the body with the tip of his shoe. “You shot Nathan Shaw. You know what kind of political nightmare this is going to cause?”
Gleason grunted, then tapped at his chest. “The hell it is. I’ve got my bodycam on. I don’t care if he was the fucking pope. He went for your gun.”
