He had no time to sympathize.
If Darling had been hurt or worse...
He crushed that thought. The private investigator was strong and clever. She wouldn’t let someone like George or Jace end her life.
Oliver pictured the two men trying to hurt her, and anger instantly filled him. It took him a few seconds to realize his phone was ringing on his lap. Not recognizing the number, he answered on the second ring.
“Darling?” he asked, hopeful.
“It’s Derrick,” the deputy replied. “I heard you’re going after her by yourself.”
“If you’re going to tell me to wait, you can—”
“I’m not,” Derrick interrupted. “You’re driving up to a house that’s three stories. There’s a front door, a side door that leads to the attached workshop from the kitchen, and a back door that leads off of a second sitting room.” Oliver didn’t stop the man as he continued to give him a quick layout summary. After detailing the rooms on the main and top floor, he said, “There’s also no cover driving up to the house. Whoever is in there will see you coming a mile away. So I suggest you go in fast and hot.”
“No problem there,” he assured the cop.
“Good luck, Oliver. Backup should be there a few minutes after you.”
They hung up without any more comments. Oliver visualized the house from the deputy’s description, already forming a plan for entry.
Crash.
A car from the opposite direction slammed into the side of the SUV.
Oliver tried to keep the vehicle from going into the ditch, but the impact was too great. The SUV went to the left just as the airbags deployed, and the SUV flipped before he could do anything to stop it. The windshield blew out and an awful metal crunching sounded before the world stilled.
Oliver gasped, trying to suck in some air while getting his bearings. His seat belt kept him upside down but still in his seat. Below him he could see the ground where the windshield should have been. He tried to look out the driver’s side window, but the door was too damaged. When he could catch his breath, he undid his belt. The fall to the car’s roof wasn’t graceful, but he was glad when he didn’t feel any broken bones. Though his left shoulder didn’t feel the best.
He tried to open the door, but it wasn’t budging. As quickly as he could, Oliver crawled to the passenger’s side door, grabbing his gun as he went. He wouldn’t have left the vehicle without it. Whoever had hit him had done it on purpose. That he was sure of, at least.
He had been hit about five minutes from his destination, which meant that on either side of the road there was nothing but open fields with trees in the distance. That meant no cover. Oliver kept that in mind as he exited the flipped SUV and moved around its side to the back to get a view of the road he had just been on.
The car that had hit him was in the middle of the road, the front right side dented but mostly intact. Oliver checked his gun, wincing at the pain in his arm. It was Darling’s car he was looking at, but it was empty.
“You’re harder to kill than I thought.”
Oliver spun around, gun raised.
George Hanley met him with his own raised gun.
“Where’s Darling?” Oliver yelled. The gate guard was bleeding from his forehead and shoulder.
“Does it really matter?” he said with a smirk.
Oliver pulled the trigger and jumped to the side before George could do the same. The bullet hit the gate guard in the shoulder, and he dropped his gun in surprise. He hadn’t expected Oliver to act that quickly.
George tried to bend down to get the gun, but Oliver wasn’t through with him. He closed the space between them and punched the sleazy man for all he was worth. George crumpled to the ground.
It was an instant knockout.
“I don’t have time for you,” Oliver said to the unconscious man. He didn’t give him any more thought before jogging back up to the road. The keys were still in the ignition of Darling’s car. He hopped into the driver’s seat and sighed in relief when the car started. Although the door didn’t shut all the way and the window was gone, it did the job of turning around and speeding down the road.
George had been dispatched to take care of him, which meant that Darling was alone with Jace. It was a thought that kept his adrenaline running high.
Derrick had been right about the house being in the middle of nothing but open space. Minutes later, Oliver was speeding up its drive. Darling’s car was quiet, but anyone looking out of the windows would see him. Pain went through his shoulder as he cut the engine and opened the dented door. He knew he’d feel more of the crash’s damage as his adrenaline wore off and he was able to rest, but for now he needed to find Darling. Thinking of losing her tightened his chest. He pushed the feeling away. He needed to focus.
He hurried to the back door and moved beside it. It was locked. Derrick had said there were two more ways to get into the house. As much as he wanted to burst through the door, he didn’t want to give up his location until he had a better handle on what was going on. If he went in, guns blazing, he might spook Jace into doing something he would seriously regret.
Oliver would make sure of that.
Following the wall closely, Oliver crept along its length until he turned the corner to see the workshop extension. He held the gun firm and listened for a beat. Nothing. He turned the knob. It opened with ease. With gun raised, he went inside.
There had been a struggle but thankfully no blood. Two chairs were knocked over and Oliver could see through the open door, down the walkway and into the kitchen. He imagined Darling running into the house and hoped his mind wasn’t inventing a wishful scenario instead of a plausible one. He moved quickly through the windowless pathway and into the kitchen. The house wasn’t as well-lit as he would have liked—shadows stuck to the corners—but Oliver was thankful the house was devoid of furniture. Only a random assortment of bottles and trash was scattered around. He sidestepped a glass bottle and moved into the adjoining room.
It was empty, and so was the room opposite.
“Here, here, little Darling,” Oliver heard Jace taunt.
Oliver pushed himself against the living room wall, looking out through the double-framed archway to the base of the stairs.
“Come out so we can get this over with,” Jace called in a singsong voice. “You can’t hide forever.”
Sweet relief swept through him. Darling was alive.
But where was she?
Oliver looped around the archway, and instead of going for the stairs, he went to the front door. He threw it open, making as much noise as he could, before retreating to the living room again. This time he positioned himself with his gun held high and steady.
Footsteps sounded against the landing and then the stairs as Jace ran down them. Oliver waited until the man was in his sights before he spoke.
“Don’t move or I’ll—”
Just as Oliver had done to George, Jace raised his gun and shot before Oliver could finish talking. The bullet hit the wall beside him, and he returned fire.
But nothing happened.
His gun jammed.
Oliver pulled back deeper into the room as another bullet struck the wall. He could hear Jace move back up the stairs in a hurry. Oliver cursed under his breath and ejected the jammed bullet from the chamber. Now that Jace knew he was in the house, he might get more desperate to find Darling. Oliver couldn’t have that.
Readying his gun, he swung around into the hallway and started to run up the stairs. He didn’t expect Jace to keep shooting blindly. Oliver had already made the judgment call that the younger Marks lacked courage unless he was confident everything was on his side. Less confidence, less control. Stepping out to gun Oliver down on the stairs would mean that he would have to put himself in a compromising position. No, Jace
was probably already setting himself up in one of the hallway’s corners, waiting for Oliver to step onto the landing. The question was, was Jace to the left or the right?
Taking a deep breath, Oliver stepped past the last stair and pointed his gun to the right. It was the wrong way. A bullet whizzed by his ear and shattered the top portion of an already broken window at the right end of the hallway. Another noise filled the air, but he didn’t have time to register it before turning and shooting to the left. Jace ducked into one of the bedrooms to avoid the hit. That’s when he realized the noise he had heard had been Darling’s scream.
He turned his head back to the now fully broken window. Standing on the outside of the house—on what must have been the workshop walkway’s roof—was his private investigator. She was bleeding across her chin and her hair was wild, but she didn’t seem to be in any major physical distress. She watched him with wide eyes as he ran over to her. Had the bullet hit her?
“I’m okay,” she answered his unasked question. “It scared me.”
Oliver looked over his shoulder, expecting Jace to pop back out. He needed to get Darling out of the way. She must have been reading his mind again. She ducked to avoid a low-hanging shard of glass. Her hands were bound, so he helped guide her through the window until she was standing inside.
“Oliver!” she yelled before he could usher her to safety. He spun around, gun raised, but it was too late.
Oliver put his body in front of Darling’s and felt an explosion of hot pain searing into his stomach. Only on reflex was he able to return fire. It put Jace back into the bedroom, giving Darling enough time to drag Oliver to the left.
“No, no, no,” Darling chanted, putting her body under his arm to help him walk. The pain was excruciating. It took all he had not to fall to the floor. The bedroom was empty save for a dark oak bed frame in the middle. Darling guided him to the side farthest from the door. They all but fell to the ground next to it. “Oh, my God, Oliver.”
He looked down at the bullet wound and winced at the sight. A bullet in the stomach wasn’t good—though most bullets anywhere weren’t—and he knew he was in a bad situation.
“You need to put pressure on it,” she whispered. “I can’t. My hands are tied.”
Oliver put down the gun and reached into one of his pockets. The movement made him see stars.
“Lucky you,” he said, pulling out his pocket knife. Darling turned and scooted toward him. He cut through the ties easily enough. As soon as her hands were free. she surprised him by taking off her jacket and putting it against his wound. He couldn’t stop the yell of pain at the pressure.
“We need to get you help,” she said, not apologizing.
“The police—” he said between his teeth “—will—will be here soon.”
“You need them now.”
Her voice shook as she said it. Oliver wanted to let her know everything was going to be okay, but the truth was, it wasn’t. He looked down at his wound again.
He was losing too much blood, too fast.
He was going to pass out soon.
He dropped the knife and picked up the gun again. “There are ten shots left,” he said, handing it to her. “Just pull the trigger if you see him.”
If Jace thought Oliver was down for the count, he wouldn’t hesitate in underestimating Darling and trying to finish her.
Oliver watched as a myriad of emotions crossed the woman’s face.
“You shouldn’t have jumped in front of me,” she said, matching his tone.
“It’s part of my job description.”
“It’s not,” she whispered, “but thank you.” Oliver didn’t miss the red in her eyes. The pain in his stomach intensified. He was sure his own eyes were starting to tear, too. He reached out and took her free hand.
She was beautiful.
“I wanted to, Darling,” he started, pausing once again to make sure he didn’t hear Jace moving around. Maybe his bullet had also found its mark. Darling raised her eyebrow. He was happy to see she kept control of the gun in her right hand. She could defend herself if push came to shove.
“You wanted to what?” she asked.
“I wanted to run away with you,” he continued. “When you asked me, there was nothing I wanted to do more, but—” Oliver sucked in a breath. Darling squeezed his hand.
“Don’t.”
The pain tripled from his wound. He couldn’t hide it. Darling’s face softened in acute concern. He needed to finally tell someone—finally tell her—the reason he had left the girl in the daisy dress all those years ago.
“I didn’t want to hold you back,” he whispered. “You would have given up everything for me, and I didn’t want you to have to do that. I’m no good for you, Darling, but —” he took his hand from hers and placed it against her cheek “—I’m no good without you, either.” His vision started to tunnel. He was on the cusp of unconsciousness. Before Darling could respond, Oliver let his hand drop. “Now focus. I can hear him coming.”
Without much furniture in the house, Jace’s attempt at stealth echoed off the walls and down to their room. Oliver half hoped he would leave them and make a run for it, but he knew the millionaire’s son had too much to lose. In his mind, Oliver and Darling were the only two people who knew about his connection to Jean. Their deaths could ensure his continued freedom, especially since two men were already in custody for it. Although if Jace really stopped to think about it, he’d realize running was his best option.
However, he didn’t.
* * *
DARLING FELT AS if she was having an out-of-body experience, watching the horrible scene unfold from somewhere else entirely. Jace was almost to the door—all caution apparently abandoned—and the life was visibly draining from Oliver. His revelation had touched a deep part of her, but it had also been terrifying. The bodyguard’s breathing had shallowed. She knew he was giving it his all just to stay conscious.
Darling could feel the urge to distance herself and wait for the inevitable to happen. Wait for Jace to make it to them and finish the job while Oliver bled out. To give up and give in. She bit down hard on her lip. She didn’t need to distance herself. Oliver needed her now.
She tightened her grip on the gun and took two deep breaths. Jace was nearly at the door.
“I love you, Oliver Quinn,” she whispered.
And then she was up and shooting.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Darling was uncomfortable but trying her best not to show it. She was sitting in the hospital hallway with her foot propped in the chair next to her, waiting for Nurse Jones to come back out.
The older woman, along with the doctor on duty, hadn’t seemed surprised when Oliver was rushed through the ER doors with Darling limping by his side hours earlier. The chief or Derrick must have given them a heads-up, which was fine by her. It had meant Oliver had gone into surgery almost immediately.
An ache had crossed her heart at seeing him go limp in the Slate House’s bedroom. His state hadn’t changed in the ambulance, either. There had been so much blood...
“I thought you might need this.”
A woman with dark red hair, wearing a smart burgundy pantsuit, took the seat to Darling’s left. She held out one of two coffee cups. Darling’s eyelids fluttered closed for a moment. The coffee smelled like heaven.
“You must be Nikki,” Darling responded once her coffee euphoria was over. The woman nodded and handed the second cup over. It warmed Darling’s hands. “You came into town to fire Oliver.”
Nikki let out a chuckle. “I’ve been warned you say what’s on your mind.” She smiled. “I have to tell you, I like that in a person. But yes, that’s why I came. I won’t apologize for it, though. I have an obligation to protect all of my agents, even if it’s from themselves from time to time.”
“Which brings me to this point,” Nikki continued, leveling her gaze with Darling’s. Her expression softened as she spoke. “Thank you for protecting him when no one else could.” It was an admission Darling hadn’t expected. She bet it was a rare show of emotion for the founder of Orion. Especially with a stranger. “Starting Orion and trying to keep it afloat have left me little time to do much else. I have few friends, and Oliver is one of them. So, thank you.”
It was Darling’s turn to smile. “I don’t know if I did the best job at protecting him. He did still get shot.”
“Don’t sell what you did short. You shot and then disarmed a man hell-bent on killing you both before the cops even got to you,” Nikki pointed out. “If that’s not protecting someone, then I don’t know what is.”
Darling replayed the moment after she had told Oliver she loved him. Jace had been right outside the door, and she hadn’t taken any chances on him getting past it. Shooting through the wall, she had hit her target. She rushed him when she heard his gun clatter to the ground. Like Oliver, Jace had passed out from his injury. Unlike Oliver, Jace’s wound hadn’t been serious. He was currently handcuffed to a hospital bed on a different floor, surrounded by cops.
“I suppose I should listen to the owner of a bodyguard service,” Darling said with a smile.
“You’ve got that right.”
They lapsed into a mutual silence as they appreciated their coffees. Darling took the moment to marvel at the past week. It would be a while before Mulligan returned to normal. The gossip alone would carry them into the new year.
“You should let Oliver come back to Orion,” Darling blurted after a minute had passed. “I can tell he really loves working there.” She expected some kind of pushback, but Nikki kept smiling.
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