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He lunged toward Drake, then stopped short when he saw the blood that covered him. J-Jasmine s?
Most of it. He met Victor s gaze head on. Maxwell shot her.
I heard. Victor s voice had lowered. Saxon was beside him. Looking just as furious and scared.
What happened to your shoulder?
The paramedics had insisted on taking out the bullet. Nothing.
Saxon narrowed his eyes on him. And what happened to that bastard Maxwell?
He was waiting for us at the helicopter.
You said she d be safe with you, Victor gritted. The man s face was chalk white. His eyes blazed
with emotion. I trusted you with her life! Look what you did! He dropped the crutch and attacked.
Drake let him take his swings. He knew he had them coming. Them and more.
He didn t quite expect Victor to have such a strong punch, though. That first hit damn near broke his
jaw.
He took the second hit.
The third.
Fuck man, Victor snarled. You won t even fight me.
No, he wouldn t. He looked up at Victor. Jasmine loves you. He knew that with certainty. He d
heard it in her voice.
At Drake s words, Victor s body shuddered. He whirled away. Nearly fell when his broken leg hit a
chair, but then he stumbled away.
The emergency room doors swung open again. This time, Trace and Noah rushed inside. Noah,
Christ, he looked terrible.
Probably the same way I look.
I was supposed to save her. He d promised her that.
He d never wanted to break a promise to Jasmine.
Drake waited for Noah to kick his ass. He deserved his pound of flesh, just like Victor. Instead,
Noah just asked, in a voice heavy with pain, Is she going to live?
Drake s hands fisted. She has to.
Where is Maxwell Case? Saxon snapped.
Where he fell. Drake s jaw locked. With my knife in his heart.
Victor stood in the corner. Talking fiercely into his phone. Probably checking with his FBI buddies.
They d find Case s body. Drake hadn t missed his mark.
He swallowed and just tasted his own sick fear. He was at the launch pad. I thought-I thought we d
beat him to the mountains, but he made it here ahead of us.
Noah just watched him with an unblinking stare.
That bastard& he killed Quincy. He d seen the man s body near the chopper. And he just waited
for me. He forced himself to keep looking into Noah s eyes. I led her straight to him. He d been so
certain he could keep her safe.
So wrong.
I fucked up.
Noah clamped a hand over his shoulder.
Drake tried to choke down his fear. I don t want to lose her.
Noah s hold tightened. Me, either, man. Me, either.
Helpless, lost, Drake could only stand there& and wait.
***
Jasmine opened her eyes. I want& Drake.
Machines beeped around her. Her body hurt. And she remembered everything that had happened to
her. Well, everything up until the moment she d passed out in the helicopter.
He s gone, baby.
Victor s voice. Her head turned. Victor was beside her bed. Holding her hand. Looking as if he d
been to hell and back.
Gone? Fear whipped through her and the machines around Jasmine began to beep frantically.
Dammit, look what you did. Saxon stepped closer to the bed. He s not dead, Jazz. Maxwell
didn t get him. He gave a low whistle. Your boyfriend pretty much carved that guy s heart out. You
don t have to worry about any threats from Maxwell ever again.
She pulled in a deep breath.
As for Drake& Vic here got the guy taken into custody. Some BS about obstructing a federal
investigation. Anger hummed in Saxon s words. He had your man dragged out of here in
handcuffs.
Jasmine tried to sit up and failed. You& didn t.
Victor s hold tightened on her hand. I think I went a little crazy, his confession was hushed, when I
saw you in the OR.
You went into the operating room?
He gave a slow nod. I thought you were dying on the table. I was so furious
Scared, Saxon tossed out.
It was Drake s fault. Victor s gaze slowly lifted to meet her stare. He took you out of the safe
house. He s dangerous. A threat that I couldn t allow to stand near you anymore.
She could only shake her head. Let him go.
Saxon rocked forward onto the balls of his feet. I told you, Vic, you were losing your mind. A
pause. What little you had left of it.
Drake saved me! Her throat hurt. Burned. Had they put a tube down her throat? Oh, jeez, she hated
those tubes. And& what about her stomach? The gunshot? She didn t want to look at the damage to
the rest of her body. Let him& go!
Victor rose to his feet. You re& going back to him?
Always.
But then Victor gave a hard shake of his head. You can t.
He wasn t going to stop her.
It s not safe. You had& other cases, Jazz. Other enemies. We have to make sure that all the threats
facing you have been eliminated.
Once more, she tried to rise in the bed. Moving hurt like a bitch, so she didn t get very far. Maybe a
precious inch.
You re not getting out of this hospital any time soon, Victor s voice dropped. And I can t let you
go to him. I can t put you in the line of fire again.
Victor&
Saxon cut his stare toward his friend. Get her lover out of FBI custody. Do it now, so that Drake can
have time to cool down and not want to kick your ass.
Oh, Jasmine was pretty sure Drake wouldn t forget an ass kicking.
And he won t forget me.
He gave you some free hits, Saxon continued, voice flat, but you know that shit will be over.
What free hits? Jasmine shook her head. I think I love him.
Victor stumbled back as his mouth gaped. Him? Him? No! We talked about this! You were supposed
to fall for an accountant, a doctor. Someone
Safe.
He nodded.
Get him out of custody, Jasmine ordered or tried to order. Talking seemed to be such an effort,
and her eyelids wanted to sag closed. Stupid drugs. She hated them. Let him know& I m all right.
I will. It was Saxon who gave that promise.
But you can t go to him. Victor was adamant. Not until it s safe. His voice roughened. Because I
can t handle seeing you hurt like this, baby. I can t.
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