Page 84 of Sleigh My Heart

His expression said he would have been fine with that. “Enough. You up.” He pointed at Elaine. “You, on your stomach.”

Michelle’s breath released. Panic beat in her chest like a kettledrum. This was it. She would be dead before the day was out. Her only hope was that someone would burst through the door to rescue her. Her mind knew Jim was her most likely bet, but her heart cried out for Nick.

***

Nick groaned as he hung up with the reindeer wrangler. He hated Plan B, but time had run out.

His phone rang. Number unknown. With hesitation, he answered. “Jolley.”

“Nick, it’s Jim Swenson. Is Michelle with you?” His voice was curt.

Nick straightened. Every nerve in his body was on alert. “No. She was following Smith’s aunt.”

“Fuck. She’s not answering my call. I told her not to engage, only surveillance.”

“This is your sister we are talking about?”

“Yeah, yeah. If you hear from her, let me know. ASAP.” The line went dead.

Michelle was in deep. He knew it. The police could track her vehicle, but no way he could sit here and wait. If his hunch was right, he could be there in eight minutes, five if he broke a few laws.

He grabbed his keys and coat and ran.

Six minutes later, he drove by the nightclub Smith worked at. He’d circled the back alley before parking by the front door. An empty police car sat one block down. It had to be Michelle’s. He called Jim and gave him the information.

“Stay put. I’m on my way.”

No fucking way Nick was waiting for the cops when Michelle could be inside bleeding out for all he knew.

The club didn’t open for another two hours. He grabbed his gun from his lockbox under the seat and shoved the hidden holster into his waistband on the back of his hip.

On the sidewalk, he scanned left and right—nobody, not even a vagrant in the doorways. That shouldn’t surprise him, being it was only ten degrees out. Moving to the door, he leaned against the side wall and knocked. Then louder. When his attempt went unanswered, he tried a different approach. He rounded to the back, picking up a box from a dumpster on the way by. At the back steel door, he pounded. “Delivery. Come on. My balls are freezing out here.”

Nick glanced at the camera above the door. Neither Smith’s aunt nor the club personnel knew him. So, he waited, not very patiently.

On his third set of knuckles, the door opened.

“I don’t have a—Hey!”

Nick kicked the guy back, pulling his gun at the same time. “Where is she?”

Movement flashed in the corner of his eye. He whirled. A woman slammed a door. Before it closed, he caught sight of Michelle on the ground.

Nick caught the weapon in the guy’s hand as he lifted his arm. No time to waste. Nick shot him twice in the chest. He kicked the gun from the man’s prone body.

“No!” His gun up, scanning side to side as he rushed through the back of the stage to the door. No fucking way he was losing her. He stepped back, and did a full force kick to the door, inches from the lock mechanism. It flew open, and a shot rang out. The shockwave of the bullet breezed by his head.

He dropped. Gun up, he fired. The woman crumbled. Her gun fired once more, in Michelle’s direction.

“NO!” Nick scrambled across the floor, trying to reach her before the bullet.

Her body jolted seconds before he covered her. “Shit, shit, shit. Mickey!”

As he cradled her face, police burst through the door. He didn’t even hear them announcing themselves. His full attention was on the woman in his arms, bleeding. “Medic. Now!”

Chapter 22

Afog settled over her mind. The faint hum danced in her ears, punctuated by steady beeps. She blinked. “Oh.” She scrunched her eyes closed. “What day is it?”