Page 62 of Fully Loaded

Dani cried out and tried to leap out of harm’s way, but Ubrigg’s hand bit into her neck. The dark form released Igor, and he toppled to the floor in a heap. A large, solid figure turned toward her. Ubrigg’s hand fumbled in front of her. The light from his phone revealed the body of their attacker.

Blood-splattered olive skin filled her vision. The wall of ripped and bulging muscle heaved. She dropped her gaze to Igor’s body in the glow. Blood gushed from a gash across his jugular. His trembling hand was coated in red, and his eyes were wide and locked on the floor.

Fear turned her body to stone, but she didn’t tear her gaze away. Then Brock stepped into the light and the floor fell beneath her feet.

Satisfaction filled Brock’s veins as he watched the dying bastard at his feet. Then he fastened his fingers on the scalpel and looked up. Ubrigg’s arm was crossed in front of Dani’s chest, and he held her in front of him like a shield. The phone fell from Ubrigg’s grip and the device danced on the tile, sending flashes of light across the wall.

Brock smirked. He didn’t dare lock eyes with Dani—doing so would be his undoing. He needed to end Ubrigg like he’d ended the guard. And for that, he needed to keep his blood cold. The lights snapped on, and Brock’s pupils adjusted quickly. Ubrigg blinked rapidly and Dani winced.

“Not another step!” Ubrigg’s shaky arm moved. Brock lowered his gaze and froze in his tracks. Ubrigg held an assault rifle, and it was pointed directly at Dani’s side.

“Back up.” He waved.

The tendons in Brock’s legs protested despite his brain telling them to move. He watched Dani’s chest lift in and out on haggard breaths. Her sequined gown flashed with every inhale. He finally met her eyes and curled his hands into fists at his sides.

Her cheeks had sunk into her face, and her skin was so damn pale she rivaled Ubrigg’s lab coat. Tears dangled on her eyelashes and her lips trembled on a smile. Every strand of tension in his body weakened, and he dropped the scalpel. The metal spiraled on the floor as if playing a twisted game of spin the bottle. It stopped at Ubrigg’s shoe and he kicked it, sending it skittering down the hall.

The tears at Dani’s lashes overflowed and spilled down her cheeks. She closed her eyes as if accepting this as their good-bye.

Hell fucking no.

“Let her go.” He hated the plea that wrenched his larynx.

“Where’s the flash drive?” Ubrigg’s disheveled appearance contradicted every photo Brock had seen of him. His curly brown hair swayed with every movement, his glasses teetered on the end of his nose, and his sharp green eyes were wide and frantic.

A drop of the guard’s blood rolled down Brock’s chest. The hot fluid cooled as it reached his sternum. His hand tingled with the urge to wipe off the evidence of death, but he didn’t dare make a move that would spook Ubrigg.

“Right here.” He dug into his pocket and then held the drive up near his shoulder.

“Good.” Ubrigg’s tongue swept over his pasty lips, and he waved the gun at the floor. “S-Set it down and walk away. If you do as you’re told, I’ll let her go.”

Dani’s throat bobbed. He was lying. Brock pinched the device between his fingers and lowered his hand to hover at his waist.

“I’m not going anywhere without her.” His voice rolled out hard, determined. He meant every damn word. He trained his laser-focused stare on Ubrigg, willing him to release Dani. Part of him wanted to lunge, to take the risk. Ubrigg was losing his cool and if Brock didn’t do something fast, they’d all end up with their guts plastered on the interior of this godforsaken building.

“Do it now or you’ll both die!” Ubrigg rose onto his toes and directed the weapon at Brock’s midsection.

Seeing the opportunity, Dani threw herself to the side. Brock dove for the gun. He locked his hands over the top of the rifle and steered the nozzle toward the wall. Ubrigg clung to the handle and closed his finger over the trigger.

“Dani, get down!” The scream ripped through his throat. Brock drove his shoulder into Ubrigg’s stomach, throwing his fingers off the trigger.

The electrical room door opened and Ubrigg jerked his head over his shoulder.

“Hello.” Rhett smacked the butt of his gun down on Ubrigg’s skull with a sharp thunk, and the man floated to the ground. Brock yanked the weapon away from Ubrigg, shoved the gun into Rhett’s hands, and whipped around.

Dani lay curled on her side on the tile floor. A sea of red on a backdrop of white. He stepped over Ubrigg’s unconscious form and fell to his knees in front of her. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe you’re okay. When you didn’t show, I—I . . .”

“Shh, it’s all right.” He coasted his hands over her back, soothing the trembles that wracked her body. She curled her face into the crook of his neck and he locked her in an embrace. She sobbed again and his insides wrenched. Emotion thickened the lining of his throat. Dipping his face into her hair, he breathed in the scent of fresh hair dye and piney hotel shampoo. Those scents didn’t stir familiarity, but the soft peppermint of her skin calmed his still jumping nerves.

He pulled away and caught her face between his palms. “Baby, are you okay?” He moved the pad of his thumb under her eye, over the thick river of mascara and tears.

She turned her cheek and pressed a kiss to his palm. “I’m fine. Now.”

He searched every inch of her exposed skin: a fresh bruise on her forearm, thick purple cuffs around the delicate skin at her wrists, and the greenish-yellow remnants of the rope that had nearly strangled her days ago at Leland’s house.

She was far from okay. He dropped his forehead to hers and kissed her cheek, then her nose, then her lips. “Fuck, Dani. I thought I’d never see you again. I thought that bastard would murder you when I didn’t show. It nearly fucking killed me knowing I couldn’t get to you.”