Head Honcho nodded, eyeing Tuck as he thought over his options. “So we let you three go with the girl and you leave James for me to deal with? How do I know you won’t call the police the second you leave?”
“You don’t. I’d suggest you move your operation.”
“Killing you seems easier.”
“Not if I kill you first.” Tucker’s finger rested on the trigger.
“Good point. Did you find the packages at James’ apartment?” he asked the guy next to Beck.
“No. There was nothing there.”
“What!” James screamed out. “They’re there. I promise you.”
“Quiet!” Head Honcho commanded. He held up a hand and peered out the door.
Maryn noticed the red and blue flashing lights. Head Honcho raised his pistol. The guy pointing the gun at Beck spun around to see what his boss was looking at.
“Down, Beck!” Johnson screamed.
Beck dropped to the floor kicking at the feet of the guy with the gun. Johnson fired, his shot hitting the other drug dealer and throwing him against the wall. Tucker pushed Maryn to the ground then turned and shot at Head Honcho, but the guy had disappeared.
James fell to the ground, covering his head and shrieking. Beck was wrestling with the gunman.
“Stay down,” Tuck told Maryn.
She nodded, too afraid to move.
He sprinted toward Beck and the gunman while Johnson took off for the back of the warehouse where Head Honcho had disappeared. Tuck dove and knocked the guy off Beck. He pinned him to the ground as police filtered into the room. Tuck hauled the guy up then handed him over to the police. Johnson dragged Head Honcho out of the back of the warehouse, grinning and telling the guy to stop whining.
Maryn saw a flash of silver in Head Honcho’s hand. Tucker was quicker than her ability to even scream a warning to Johnson, running at Head Honcho and knocking away the knife that almost speared into Johnson’s abdomen. The knife clattered to the floor as the police ran to wrench Head Honcho from Johnson’s clasp.
Johnson heaved a sigh of relief. “I didn’t even see that coming. Thanks, man.”
Tucker nodded. Maryn could see that his hands were trembling slightly.
James stood, looking around with wild eyes.
“Don’t do it, James,” Maryn said, standing to face him. “Don’t run. They’ll catch you and it’ll be much worse.”
James focused on her and shook his head. “I can’t go to prison, Maryn, I can’t.”
Tuck came past Maryn on her right and plowed into James, knocking him to the ground with one punch. James screamed and rolled into a ball. Tucker jumped up and yanked James to his feet. “But you’d let me go to prison? The police know all about you, James. It’s called falsifying evidence.”
“No,” James whined. “It wasn’t like that. I thought it was you in that video. I was just trying to protect Maryn.”
“How could you?” Maryn muttered to James. He wasn’t the person she thought he was and because of his warped sense of love for her, he’d turned into a drug dealer and had Tucker thrown in prison. It was too awful to comprehend.
“I did it for you,” he said.
“No, you didn’t.” She glared at him. “You did it for yourself.”
He dropped his gaze and didn’t respond.
The redhead police officer that arrested Tuck came and grabbed James’ arm. “Well, this is a reversal.” He tipped his chin down to Maryn. “Ma’am. You okay?”
“Yes,” Maryn whispered. Not really sure at the moment. James had set Tuck up? Had gotten him arrested? An acrylic taste in her mouth warned her she was going to be sick. She fell to her knees and vomited. Strong hands wrapped around her and held her hair back. When she was finished, she spit and felt disgusting and embarrassed, but mostly angry at James. How could he do all of this to her when he claimed to love her?
Tucker helped her to her feet and tenderly wiped her lips clean then wiped his hand on his pants. “You okay?”