He reached into a pocket of his suitcoat and pulled out a set of pointe shoe ribbons.
Her insides quivered. She clamped her teeth together to keep them from chattering. If he planned to strangle her with the ribbons, he couldn’t hold the pistol and do that at the same time. She’d have a fighting chance. Bruce had taught her some basics on disarming a person.
“Walk over to the barre and put your hands behind your back.” He pointed to the wall.
Damn it. She’d have to move away from him. “Why? We can talk right here. I—”
“Do as I said. Now.” He aimed the gun at her head.
She flinched and retreated to the barre.
After she did as asked, he crossed the room and stood to the side of her.
“Move one muscle, and I’ll shoot you.” His voice was calm and his hand steady on the gun.
Shit. She couldn’t chance lunging at him.
He kept the pistol trained on her head, slipped the shoe ribbon over her wrists, and cinched her to the barre. He’d thought of everything, including how to do it one-handed. After a hard yank, he stepped back. Whatever he’d done with the knot worked because she had no wiggle room. Pins and needles ran up her arm.
Drawing a longer ribbon shaped like a noose from his pocket, he came closer. “Hold still, or I’ll end this now.”
She gasped for air as he slipped the satin string over her head and tugged it snug against her neck, still holding the gun on her with his other hand. The thread cut and scratched her skin. Holy shit, he did intend to strangle her.
“Now it’s time for you to hear my speech.” He cleared his throat. “Over a year ago I went to the ballet—”
“Please, you—” She tried to slip her clammy hands out of the hold.
“Don’t interrupt me.”
A noise came from the door down the back hall, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Chapter 41
Sarah turned. Finally, the police. Her lungs flattened with relief.
A woman dressed all in black stepped into the studio. She stopped short and pointed a pistol at Leonard. “Who the fuck are you?”
Sarah started at the sound of Morgan’s voice.
Leonard jumped, swung his gun around, and aimed at Morgan.
Sarah sucked in a breath as her gaze dashed over Morgan. She had dark hair and held a pistol. None of it made sense, but all that mattered now was staying alive. “Be careful, Morgan. He’s dangerous.”
Morgan shot a glance at her. “Who is this prick?”
Leonard tapped his foot on the floor and addressed Morgan. “You again.” His face twisted in disgust. “Why do you keep showing up places you shouldn’t be? You can’t be here right now. You’re in-ter-rup-ting my speech.”
Morgan strutted farther into the room. They formed a triangle now, Leonard to Sarah’s left and Morgan to her right. Neither within reach. Both with their weapons aimed at each other.
Sweat dripped into Sarah’s eyes, distorting her vision. She squinted at Morgan. “Why are you dressed like that and carrying a gun?”
Morgan scoffed. “I came to settle a little score. But it looks like he almost beat me to it.”
“I should have taken care of you before. Leave. I need to finish this speech,” Leonard said.
“Are you for real?” Morgan laughed. A deep, throaty sound. “You must be the fucking stalker. Oh, the irony. I can’t take it.” She laughed harder and held her stomach with her free hand. “You’re here. All the shit I’ve done to make this Baker bitch think you were here, and you actually fucking are here.”
Sarah blinked. Her pulse accelerated, thudding in her neck. Somehow, Morgan knew about the stalker.
“Baker?” Leonard cocked his head.
“Oh, that’s right. I meant Cooper. Sorry.” Morgan snickered. “Baker’s her alias. Anything else you need to know about, little man?”
Cooper. Her real name. A shiver of apprehension crawled up Sarah’s spine. Morgan wasn’t here to help. She’d come with a gun and seemed surprised to find Leonard in the studio. Not to mention calling Sarah a bitch. Oh God. She had two crazy people out to do her harm. Yanking harder on the ribbons, she struggled to free her hands.
Leonard took a step toward Morgan. “I know plenty. After I saw you sneak into Sarah’s house, I followed you. I know where you live, what you do, and the kind of car you drive. What were you doing in her place?”
Morgan’s mouth curved. “Your job. Stealing her license and underwear, messing with her stuff, spraying cologne around the place. I even wrote a letter to her family to scare the shit out of everyone. I’m a better stalker than you are. You should be fucking kissing my feet right now. What have you been doing? Hanging around spying on her and jerking off? You’re the most pitiful stalker ever.”
Sarah stiffened. So she hadn’t forgotten about cleaning the dishes and locking the door. Morgan had been in her suite. But why would she do all those things? Sarah should have trusted her instincts more and known someone had been in her home.
Leonard’s hand shook as his eyes reduced to slits behind his glasses. “I’m not a stalker. She was my true love until she betrayed me. Now you’re spoiling everything. Leave, or else.”
“Or else what? Please.” Morgan rolled her eyes. “You owe me. I just saved your miserable scrawny ass. What do you think would have happened to you if I hadn’t texted Sarah’s phone to send Bruce on a wild goose chase?”
“That was you?” The words escaped before Sarah could stop them. Shit. She hadn’t meant to draw their attention.
“Yes, dear.” Morgan swaggered closer. “I got your number when I borrowed his phone to check the map for directions on our trip from hell.”
Leonard straightened. “I owe you nothing. I had this all planned out. The man always left a few minutes after dropping her off. This is the last time I’m going to ask you to please vacate the premises so I can finish my speech.”
Sarah twisted her wrists together and tucked her thumbs in. Leonard probably didn’t know she was double jointed. Many dancers were. The ribbons loosened, and her stomach vaulted.
Morgan kept the gun trained on Leonard. “The man? You don’t even know his name? Let me clue you in. It’s Bruce Murphy, and he’s a big freaking force to be reckoned with. Used to be a Navy SEAL. You ever heard of them?”
Leonard shrugged. “Yes. So what? I’m the one with the power. I can hack into any computer system.”
“Oh good.” Morgan nodded. “That’s great, you little nerd. Only, I don’t see a laptop in the room, and if you had taken one step in here with that peashooter of yours, he’d have shoved it down your skinny throat and shot it out your uptight ass. Seeing that would be worth the price of admission.”
“You’re crass, rude, and disrespectful. How did you even get in here?”
“Twinkle Toes isn’t too careful with her keys.” Morgan snorted. “Twice I stole and copied them. First the suite key, and then the studio. I hired someone to keep tabs on her. What did you do, sit in poison ivy and scratch your ass while staring at her from the woods?”
Jesus. Sarah’s ears burned. Morgan had it out for her from the beginning, for no reason Sarah could come up with. She’d run from one raving whacko right into another.
Leonard blinked rapidly, and his eyebrow ticked. “I want you to leave now. I must deliver my speech before I kill her. This is very disruptive.”
Morgan took a step back and waved a hand at Sarah. “Go ahead. I’d love to hear this speech of yours. I hadn’t expected such entertainment. But when you’re done, it’s my turn to have a say, and then I’m going to kill her.”
Sarah’s mouth went dry. Why would Morgan want to kill her?
Leonard shook his head. “No. She needs to be punished by me. And you can’t shoot her. It would be too messy.”
Morgan looked at Sarah. “Where’d you get this whack-a-mole? I wish I’d met him earlier so we could have really had some fun with you.”
Sarah said nothing and kept the
appearance of her body in submission. Behind her back, she forced her knuckles together and one hand slid out of the ribbons. Her heart leaped.
Leonard’s mouth pursed. “This simply won’t do. I planned this and you are—”
“Boring me now.” Morgan’s finger twitched on the trigger. “She’s mine to kill. My revenge. No one’s taking that from me. I’m giving you one second to go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, or you’ll die with her.”
Sarah’s chest compressed to the point she couldn’t breathe.
“Die with her?” Leonard frowned and cocked his head as if considering it. “Would I still get to say my speech?”
Morgan smacked her forehead with her palm. “Is it that fucking important to you?”
“I spent considerable time writing and memorizing it.”
Sarah swept her head back and forth between the two of them as if watching a tennis match. She followed the insane conversation and waited for a chance to make a move. The police had to be coming. Unless she’d hung up too soon.
“Fine. Then, go ahead.” Morgan blew out a breath.
Leonard opened his mouth, then closed it before shaking his head. “No. This is not how I planned it. You need to—”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Morgan stamped a foot.
With neither of them looking at her, this was Sarah’s chance. She whipped her hands out from behind her and lunged for Morgan’s gun.
Morgan spun and kept a grip on it, trying to turn it on Sarah.
Sarah smashed her wrist against Morgan’s, and the pistol fired.
Chapter 42
Bruce slammed the gas pedal. The train had taken forever to pass. He parked in the back of the studio and sprinted to the entrance. When he slid the key into the steel door lock, it turned freely, which meant it hadn’t been locked. Something was wrong. His heart bucked against his ribs like a bronco. He yanked the door open, bolted in two steps, and then stopped at the sound of yelling.
“He’s dead,” Sarah yelled.
“Shut up. You’re next.”
Morgan? From the dim hall, Bruce peered into the bright studio lights and flinched. A dark-haired woman had a gun pointed at Sarah, and a man’s body lay on the ground beyond her. Blood pooled around him and spread across the floor.
Shit!
Adrenaline flooded Bruce’s system. He flattened himself against the wall and crept toward the opening.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you, bitch.” Morgan’s voice rang out.
Definitely her in a disguise. God, the woman was completely insane. And holding a gun on Sarah for some reason.
He inched closer.
“It’s finally time for my revenge. And how sweet it will be. Poor Bruce. Losing a second love. I don’t think he’ll survive this one.”
“Bruce? What does he have to do with this?” Sarah’s head turned in Morgan’s direction.
“I’ve been planning this for years. This was never about you. You’re just a pawn in this game. In the wrong place at the wrong time. I would have had him to myself and destroyed him by now if not for you.”
Bruce’s nerves fired under his skin. Morgan must blame Sarah for his rejection of her in the hotel. But taking it to this level was insanity.
“Oh, he has no idea.” Morgan strolled across the room, waving the gun around, apparently enjoying herself. “I can’t wait to tell him the little secret I’ve been keeping.”
Bruce squinted at Morgan’s diabolical grin as he ticked through the options to disarm her.
She took another step toward Sarah, who backed up.
“You see, I was adopted, and my life wasn’t so bad until my parents had a daughter of their own. My new sister ruined everything. A real pain in the ass. I left home at eighteen and headed to Hollywood to get away from all of them.” She paced in front of Sarah. “I wasn’t born with this body. Got a boob job, plastic surgery, died my hair, changed my name, and landed a job on the soap opera.”
“Morgan, please—”
“Shut up. I’m not done.” Morgan stopped in front of Sarah. “I still hated my sister and was going to make her pay for all she cost me growing up, but I couldn’t because she died first.” She aimed the gun at Sarah. “Guess what her name was?”
Sarah shook her head. “I have no idea. Please, don’t do this.”
“Okay, you’re no fun. I’ll just tell you.” She took a step closer. “Emily. That name mean anything to you?”
Bruce sucked in a breath, and his heart stopped. Emily had an adopted sister who’d run away from home. He’d never even seen a picture of her. Christ, it was Morgan.
Sarah gasped. “Bruce’s wife?”
“Bingo. See, I had it all worked out. Precious Emily. I wanted her to pay for everything she took from me. And then Prince Charming came along and sat her in the lap of luxury.” Morgan sneered. “I was looking forward to fucking my sister’s husband, but you spoiled that. It would have been the ultimate revenge, having what Emily cherished most.”
Bruce’s blood screamed through his veins. He shook his head. Morgan was batshit crazy. He had to save Sarah. His gaze locked on a fire extinguisher hung near the opening to the studio. He lifted it off the bracket, stilled, and focused.
His body, full of adrenaline, revved into high-alert mode. Block the emotions. Another mission. The most important one of his life. Save Sarah. He pulled out the pin.
“Too bad he found another love and will lose you too. Enough talking now. Time to finish this.” Morgan aimed the gun. “Bye-bye, ballerina.”
Bruce squeezed the handle on the extinguisher and burst into the room spraying a white, blinding cloud.
Morgan whirled around and fired wildly at it as Sarah dove to the floor, grabbed the gun next to the man’s body, and in one fluid motion came back to her feet. She swung the pistol hard, cracking the butt against Morgan’s head.
Morgan slumped to the ground.
Bruce ran out from the cloud and snatched up Morgan’s gun.
“Bruce! Oh my God. Oh my God.” Sarah shook her head and brought a hand to her mouth. “He’s dead. The stalker. The gun went off and I—”
“Get behind me and stay close in case there’s someone else in the building.” He grabbed her arm and shoved her behind him.
“She was going to kill me.”
“I know.” He backed her against the nearest wall and dialed 911 as he scanned the upstairs window and corridor for any possible threats. His muscles twitched, ready to react. He kept his body in front of her as a shield, the gun in his hand aimed at Morgan. The dispatcher told him the cops were already on the way.
“Hang in there, baby. Just stay put until the place is secure.”
Her body pressed against his back, and she reached her arms around his waist. He squeezed her hands with his free one. God, he’d almost lost her to lunatics. Either one of them could have taken her out. His heart thundered in his chest.
The sound of sirens grew louder, and in minutes, police flooded into the room.
An EMT examined Sarah, and two cops questioned her in another room while others talked to Bruce. He told them about the recording he’d set up. Everything should be on it unless someone had turned the machine off.
Morgan left in an ambulance.
When the police finally let Sarah go, she ran into Bruce’s arms for a crushing hug. He rocked her back and forth, kissing her hair and holding her tight. His voice cracked as he squeezed her hard. “It’s over. You’re safe.”
Chapter 43
Sarah leaned against the rail of Bruce’s deck as the first rays of the sun lit the sky. The humidity hung thick in the air. Another steamy day. She yawned and rubbed her tired eyes. At the sound of the slider opening, she turned. Bruce came out with two mugs of steaming coffee. He crossed to her and held one out.
“Thanks.” She wrapped her hands around the warm cup and took a sip.
“You okay?” He brushed back a strand of her hair and caressed her cheek.
“I am now.” She leaned into his touch. Neither of them had slept. Procedures, questions, most of the night spent at the police station. At last, they were home.
His lips thinned. “Your stalker was obsessed. The police found framed pictures of you covering every inch of his bedroom. And he had an incriminating photo of Audrey in his safe. At last, they know who killed her and can close the case.”
Sarah shuddered.
Bruce took their mugs, placed them on the railing, and wrapped his arms around her in a vise grip. “If anything had happened to you…”
Bruce. Strong, safe, her rock. She inhaled his scent, love for him streaming through her body. She leaned back. “What about Morgan? Is she—”
“Done.” Bruce gazed down at her. “It’s not official yet, but I have connections, and I’m assured she will be put away for a long, long time.”
Sarah let out a breath. And then the doubts set in. “How are you doing? I mean, this has to be a lot to take in. Morgan being Emily’s sister. The plots she had. I mean—”
“Shh.” Bruce pulled her back into his embrace. “Nothing matters now except that you’re safe.”
“But if you hadn’t come back, I—”
“No. Stop it.”
He clasped her tight and kissed her hair. “The irony of the whole thing is instead of killing you, in the end, Morgan freed you.” He shook his head. “That should piss her off. She’ll have a long time to think about it locked up in jail.”
“I won’t be sending a thank-you card.” Sarah nuzzled into his chest. “It’s over. No more hiding or running.”
“The only question left to answer is about your last name.” He stroked her back.
She swallowed hard and raised her gaze to his. “What about it?”
His beautiful blue eyes, filled with emotion, stared down at her. “Are you willing to change it again?” He threaded his fingers through her hair. “To Murphy?”
Epilogue
Sarah took a sip of champagne and smoothed a hand down the front of her wedding gown. A year since she’d run for her life, she never dreamed in that short time she’d be married and dance for the Baltimore Ballet Company. Bubbles tickled her belly as she grinned at her sisters.
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