Constantine peeked out the nearby window, edging the curtain a bit to the side. “I’m sure there is an obvious answer to this question, but I’ll ask it anyway.” He looked back over at Jacqueline. “Why didn’t you just go to the cops?”
She opened her mouth—
“Really?” Remy drawled. “That question is gonna come from you? Of all people,you?”
“Yeah. I know. Crazy, right? But I still needed to ask it.”
“Preston is well respected in New Orleans.” She didn’t think Remy and Constantine understood just how powerful her enemy was. “No one there will think he’s a criminal. He has the police on his side—”
“Working for him,” Remy translated.
“AndIwas the one to break into the safes.”
Constantine let the curtain drop. “Excuse me? You’ve been doing some safe cracking? How did I miss that part before?”
Easy. She hadn’t mentioned that part to him yet. Her hands were still in the back pockets of her jeans. “I thought the firstsafe was his. He told me that his dad had left something inside for him, and he just needed my help…” Yes, she’d been naive. Too trusting.
“A test.” Constantine nodded. “I’m assuming you passed with flying colors.”
She bit her lower lip. “Yes.” She’d even felt a crazy rush of euphoric satisfaction when the safe swung open. Now didn’t seem like the time to admit that fact. That she’d enjoyed the safe cracking. Especially since the act had led to her current nightmare.
“That safe was empty,” Remy picked up the story. “The next one had a ring inside it. One he put on her finger right in front of a room full of people as the bastard told everyone they were getting married.”
Constantine blinked. “That’s…different.”
“She’s not fucking marrying him,” Remy snarled.
Constantine held up his hands. “I already figured that part out. How can she marry him when she’s sleeping with you?”
Heat poured into her cheeks. Not poured, wrong description. More like burned.
“Aw, damn,” Constantine muttered. “Thought I might be wrong but guess not, huh?”
Remy grabbed Constantine’s shoulders and pushed him back against the wall. “Watch the hell what you say to—”
Bam.
Glass shattered even as the blast of gunfire seemed to echo in the den. For a minute, Jacqueline stood there, utterly stunned. She could see chunks of broken glass on the floor, and, about four feet away, a lamp had shattered, too.
Why did the lamp shatter?Her mind was too slow. Things were processing too slowly and—
“Shooter!”Remy bellowed. He surged across the room, grabbed her, and slammed her down behind the couch.
Chapter Nine
He covered her with his body even as the echo of the gunfire slowly died away. A small shudder worked over Jacqueline as she peered fearfully up at him.
“Are you hurt?” Remy asked, heart racing.Fucking sonofabitch.Some bastard had shot into the cabin. Remy hadn’t thought those jerks wouldshoot.They needed Jacqueline alive. A dead woman couldn’t open a safe, but…
But they don’t need me alive.Remy or Constantine. His best friend was back in his life for all of five minutes, and the guy was already dodging bullets.Thiswas why Constantine needed to get the hell away from him. The guy wasn’t gonna have any chance of living, not if he kept hanging around with Remy.
“I’m not hurt,” Jacqueline whispered back as she gazed up at him with her wide, stunned eyes. “No one has evershotat me before! I-I didn’t even realize what was happening—”
Yes, he knew. Because she’d just been standing there, his heart had been bursting out of his chest, and he hadn’t thought that he could get to her fast enough.What if another shot had been fired before I reached her?
“Stay here,” he ordered her because he was going after the shooter. He’d break the fingers that had pulled that trigger.Youdon’t aim at my best friend. You don’t ever try to hurt the people who matter to me.
“Two of them,” Constantine rasped. “They’re separating. One is trying to circle around the back of the cabin. One fool is coming straight for the front door.”