“We did nothing,” I reply. “If you harm us, you’re going to end up in prison.”
“I don’t care where I end up,” he seethes, pointing the gun at my head. “My father found out about what happened and he cut me off. He’s embarrassed. And it’s all your fault, Natalie. I never even touched you!”
“You’re fucking delusional—”
“Natalie,” Jaxon warns, keeping his tone even. “Cole, please let her go. Hurting either of us isn’t going to change anything. You don’t want to do this. This isn’t who you are.”
Cole doesn’t move the gun off me. “He told me all about you. I know you’re family of the Wind Dragons. That makes you his enemy. And imagine how they will all feel if you died? I would feel better, and so would he. Two birds with one stone.”
“Who is he?” Jaxon asks, picking up on that. “Who are you talking about?”
“She knows.”
I know what I have to do. I have to Taser the shit out of Cole and then set Jaxon free, and I need to do it before Cole gets trigger-happy.
“My new friend. I suppose I should thank Natalie for being too incompetent to represent him alone.”
This guy needs to be admitted to a psych ward. I’m not even saying that to be funny. There is something seriously wrong with him and if he weren’t holding me hostage, I’d be concerned about his well-being.
“You’re right,” I say as I scoot my chair closer to Cole and away from Jaxon. Cole was too distracted to tie me up, so I’m able to slip my hand in my pocket, getting a good grip on the Taser. “I didn’t know what to do with Marko, so I asked Jaxon to assign me someone to work with me. You’re the better lawyer.”
His red eyes widen. “That’s right, I am. I am the one who should be running this firm. I am the one who should be getting the attention.” Each time he saysIhe points the gun to himself.
Amateur. If I learned anything, it’s that you never take your gun off your target. You never drop your guard. I need to keep him talking.
“I’m sure Jaxon will take you back. Right, Jaxon?” I turn slightly to him. He looks between me to Cole, and I can see the realization click.
“We can work something out. Maybe I acted a bit prematurely.”
“Damn right you did.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I need you to call my father. Tell him this bitch—” he points the gun back to me before turning it back to himself “—was threatened by—”
Right then I see the gun turn away from me and I lunge forward, tasering him in the kidney.
After that everything happens in a split second. Jaxon is standing, still tied to the chair, but rams into Cole. Cole goes flying and the gun fires, hitting the ceiling. Plaster rains down on us all. Cole is on the floor trying to stand back up, and I kick the gun out of his hand. It sails through the air, but I’m tasering the bastard again before it even hits the ground. Cole falls to the floor, and I rush to pick up the gun and aim it at him.
Next time he should talk less, because then he might actually accomplish something.
“Are you okay?” I ask Jaxon, keeping my eyes on Cole.
“Yeah,” he says, staring up at me like he doesn’t know me.
The cops arrive, entering the office and arresting Cole, with Atlas and Aries appearing just after that. The cops take the gun from me and untie Jaxon, while Atlas holds me tightly against his hard chest, whispering sweet nothings.
“I’m okay,” I promise, my body still pumping with adrenaline. I can’t believe what just happened. “I think Marko encouraged Cole to do this. Cole knew about my ties to the Wind Dragons. He knew.”
Atlas scowls, and grips onto me harder. “Come on, I’m taking you home.”
“I have to speak to the police first.”
I give them my account of things, then walk outside. Jaxon comes over to me and gives me a hug. “I’m so sorry, Jaxon—”
“Don’t you dare apologize, because none of that was your fault. You saved us today. Thank you,” he says, letting go of me.
“Thanks, Jaxon.”