“Don’t,” Remy continued as he pressed one hand to his thigh but whipped his head up to glare at Preston, “ever call her names.And you will not hurt her.” He grabbed for Preston’s legs. A hard dive that had Preston stumbling and waving the gun as he prepared to shoot.
“No!”Jacqueline yelled. She lunged and drove her screwdriver at Preston. Preston twisted, and the screwdriver sank into his shoulder. He roared in pain and slammed out with the gun in a wild blow. It hit her near the temple, and for a moment, the world swirled in a sickening fog of gray. As her body trembled, Jacqueline feared she might pass out.
***
“Open the damn safe or he dies. Once he’s dead, if you’re still being a bitch, then I’ll hurt you until you open it. I will hurt you until you beg to do everything I want.”
Constantine heard the words through his comm link even as he drove his fist at some creep in his way. He had to get to Remy and Jacqueline, and even as smoke billowed around him, he grabbed a chair and slammed it at the other goon who wanted to stop him.
“Need a hand?” A mild voice inquired from behind him.
He whirled with the chair up, ready to take another jerk down.
“Easy.” The man lifted his hands. “I’m on your side. At least, if my assumption that you are Constantine is correct, then I am.”
Smoke billowed, making it hard to see the guy’s features. “Who the hell are you?”
“Ty Crenshaw. We spoke on the phone. Thanks for telling me where you’d be. When I arrived early, I came to join the party.”
Hell, yes. “We need to get to Remy.” He could no longer hear anything in his comm link, and Constantine wouldn’t think about what that meant. Originally, his job had been to watch the building and bring in all the bags so they could haul out cashonce Jacqueline had opened the safe. Now, his only goal was to make sure Remy and Jacqueline were alive.
“I thought you Wilde agents always worked with partners.”
He did have backup from Wilde on scene. The other agent was taking care of the jerks who’d tried to bust in the back of the bar. But beyond Wilde… “Remy is my partner.” Always had been. “And he needs us.Now.” Spinning away, he ran toward the main office. He’d studied the building plans with Remy, and he knew where the safe should be located. Remy should be there, too.
And his best friend had better be alive.
***
The sonofabitch had just hit Jacqueline. She staggered back, then fell to her knees. Her head tipped forward.
“Open the fucking safe!”Preston bellowed. He slammed the gun down on the desk, and he curled his fingers around the handle of the screwdriver that Jacqueline had driven into him. “You have one purpose, one small bit of usefulness. Youopenthe safe for me, and you do it now!”
Ignoring the fire in his thigh, Remy slowly rose. Preston wasn’t looking at him. The SOB was too busy snarling at Jacqueline.I warned you about that.“Sweetness?”
Her head lifted. Her gaze was dazed, and her temple and cheek were bright red.
You are a dead man, Preston.
“Open it!” Preston screamed.
“I-I…” Her hand feathered around her temple. “I don’t…feel well.”
I will rip his heart from his chest.
“I had one m-more number…”
Remy hated the weakness in her voice. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold tight.
Preston had yanked the screwdriver out.Bad move. You should have left it in.Now blood soakedhisclothes. Preston slapped the screwdriver down on the desk and immediately scooped up the gun. He pointed it at Remy, then Jacqueline, weaving it back and forth.
“Remember what I said would happen if you couldn’t open the safe,” Remy told her. He ignored the gun. Ignored Preston. He needed Jacqueline to get this message.
“I think I’m gonna be sick.” Her head sagged forward again.
His hands fisted.Sweetness, stay strong, just a moment longer.
Jacqueline turned toward the safe. “I remember.” A whisper.