Second Time's the Charm

by Knight, Vanessa

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Allison ran to Dale when he fell on the floor. Another discharge of the gun stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes, which must have been the size of cymbals, stared Adam up and down. No injuries. She looked to Dale again, who was lying lifelessly, blood seeping out onto the floor.

  “Stop!” Edward yelled. “Where is the bank information?”

  “I put the paperwork in the safe,” she stammered past the piercing thump of her heart. The fear engulfed her lungs as she forced them to expand and contract.

  Edward waved the gun toward the master bedroom, following a few feet behind Adam and Allison as they trekked through the living room. Nerves, fear, inability to concentrate with a gun pointed at her—whatever the reason, Allison found herself tripping over her feet as she walked down the hallway. Adam gripped her arm before she hit the floor. He leaned into her and whispered in a low, commanding voice, “Run into the bedroom and lock the door.”

  She looked into his eyes, the heat from his chest radiating down her arm. She wanted to shake her head, say no, do anything to stop this. If she ran into the bedroom, he would be alone with this psychopath.

  “Do it. I’ll be fine.” He must have seen the indecision that haunted her. He pushed her forward and pled, “Please.”

  He slowed his pace, which also slowed Edward’s progress toward the bedroom. Allison quickened her pace, putting her at the master bedroom two full strides ahead of the men. Allison stepped into the master bedroom just as Adam reached the table in the hall. She saw him stumble into the table and knock the crystal vase to the floor. The loud noise diverted Edward’s attention long enough for Adam to throw his elbow back into the raised gun.

  Allison screamed as a loud bang resonated through the hallway, the gun discharging into the ceiling. Plaster spilled from the dime-sized hole onto Adam’s head as he pushed Edward to the wall. Edward’s hands remained frozen in place as Adam tried to peel his fingers from the stock. Frustrated, Adam punched Edward in the face and the gun wobbled in Edward’s hand.

  Adam tried to grab the weapon as the two men struggled, bouncing from wall to wall. Allison stared as Edward twisted the gun and fired. A bright explosion was propelled from the handgun and then Adam slumped to the floor.

  “No!” Allison screamed, and ran toward Adam. “No,” she sobbed. The tears blocked her view as she dove to his side. Not Adam. She got within inches when her head snapped back, her hair follicles screaming in protest. Edward’s hand was still wound in her hair as he tossed her against the opposite wall.

  She landed on her broken arm, tears falling from her eyes as the pain radiated up the busted appendage. She cradled her arm, pulling it into her chest as Edward moved toward her, anger apparent in his eyes.

  “Enough of this. Open the safe!” Spittle flew from his lips with the force of his demand.

  Sobs hitched in her chest as she looked over at Adam. He lay there, unmoving, blood flowing down the front of his shirt.

  Her body moved on autopilot, her broken arm hanging lifeless at her side. She stumbled to her feet and ungracefully skittered to the floor safe. She fell to her knees and entered her birthdate. Nothing. The safe wouldn’t open.

  She wiped the moisture from her eyes. With trembling hands she pressed the numbers again. Nothing. Panic welled. Her focus moved to the gun. He will kill me. Terror pushed her attention back to the safe. She fumbled with the keypad. Nothing.

  Her head bounced forward as a hard object hit the back of her skull. Stars danced in her vision as she grabbed her head. She felt warm, sticky liquid seep through her hair.

  “Hurry up! I don’t have all day.”

  Allison removed her blood-soaked hand from her head and returned her shaking fingers to the keys of the keypad. Dark spots danced in front of her eyes. Pain flew down her neck. What am I doing? She looked at the floor safe through the hazy edges of her vision.

  Safe. Lock. Password.

  When the hell is my birthday?

  Zero. Six. One. Zero. Her fingers trembled, but she still managed to punch in the next four numbers.

  The safe finally popped open and the shelves rose from the floor. Edward took her by the shoulders and pushed her out of the way. He yanked the papers from the safe and tore through the documents, mumbling.

  Allison scooted backward toward the bathroom, getting as far away as possible. Now that Edward had what he wanted, there was no telling what he’d do to her. Her stomach lurched. She edged backward.

  She slid over the threshold of the bathroom and kicked the door closed with her foot. She gripped the counter and trembled to her feet. Darkness pulsed before her eyes. Through the fog, she saw the door—the only way into the bathroom—the only barrier between her and Edward. Falling toward the door, she turned the feeble lock.

  She leaned against the wall. Pain throbbed in her arm, her head… hell, everything hurt. The high-pitched whine that she’d heard since Edward hit her in the head crescendoed in her ears.

  She needed to find a phone, and fast, or even better, an escape. A window hung over the hot tub along the west wall. She unlocked the latch and threw the window open as the door handle jingled outside the room.

  “Allison,” Edward said. “If I have to chase you it will just make me angry. You don’t want me to be angry. I don’t want me to be angry. Come on out. I’m just interested in talking.”

  Allison ignored the words spoken in the creepy, melodious tone. She’d seen horror movies. She knew how sweet words from crazy people ended— usually with the non-virgin butchered. She looked out the window, but a heavy screen and fifty floors separated her from the ground below. She heaved the vanity drawers open, looking for something she could use as a weapon. Desperate, she grabbed the porcelain tank lid and pressed back into the space beside the door.

  A series of loud cracks made her jump, and splinters flew from the wood around the door handle as bullets came through the door and lodged in the bathroom wall. Then the door shuddered under the force of a kick, and Allison jumped out of the way as the door flew open. She lifted her makeshift weapon over her head and slammed the tank lid into his temple.

  The gun fell to the ground when Edward curled his arms around his head in self-defense. Allison lunged for the gun, but her dive was cut short by a hand grabbing the back of her jeans. She gasped, unforgiving denim digging into her stomach.

  Edward climbed over her body, inching his way to the gun. Her elbow cracked into his bleeding head. He stilled as she reached for the gun and wrapped her fingers around the hard, cold handle. She pushed her body against the cabinets behind her. She had to get away. She had to stop him. The heavy firearm jiggled as she raised the muzzle and pointed it at Edward.

  Tears streamed down her face as he got on his knees. He staggered to his feet, and with a shake of his head he lunged toward her. Terror slithered down her spine as she pulled the trigger.

  Crack!

  Time stilled. Edward stumbled.

  Horror, fear, and disbelief ghosted through his widening eyes. He looked down at the river of red spreading down the side of his body. He covered the gushing breach with his hand, falling to his knees again.

  She watched, realization dawning. She’d shot him. Her eyes moved to the gun in her hand. Shit. She wanted to toss the smoking monstrosity away. She wanted to run, but a soft moan echoed from the hallway. She’d done the right thing. It was the only way to stop Edward.

  Adam. She bobbled through the bedroom and found Adam lying against the hallway wall. She knelt on the shattered pieces of vase and put the gun down beside him.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, and stared at the red pool soaking his shirt.

  Adam gasped between sputtering breaths. “I love you,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

  “I love you, too.” She kissed his forehead. “Adam? Adam? You hold on.” Tears ran down her cheek as his head fell forward.

  His chest. She swore people on TV lived after a bullet to the chest. Didn’t they? There was
so much blood.

  She needed to control the bleeding. That much she knew. She pulled off her sweatshirt. She rolled the fabric into a ball and used her left hand to apply pressure to the wound. She arched her arm to feel his neck for a pulse, and a stabbing pain shot through the useless limb. A faint heartbeat thrummed through her fingertips.

  The police. She had to call the police. She patted her jean pockets. No phone. Dammit. She must have left her lifeline in her purse. Where the heck was her purse? She couldn’t remember.

  She needed another phone. She reached in Adam’s pocket and found his cell phone. She tried to extract it without significantly moving him around. If she’d learned anything from watching cop movies, it’s that you don’t want to cause additional damage by shifting the body. Thank God for cop shows, or she’d be clueless.

  She managed to wiggle the phone from his pocket and dialed 911. “Please help me.” She stayed on the line with the operator, pressing on Adam's shoulder.

  The woman on the line calmly took her information. “Allison, you're doing great. I've called the Chicago police and the ambulance. They should be there shortly,” she soothed. “Are you hanging in there? Your friend’s name is Adam, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “How is his breathing?” the operator asked.

  Allison leaned in to feel his breath. A loud noise sounded as something struck her shoulder blade. Darkness dashed across her eyes as she soared onto her stomach

  Stars. Pain. Enough.

  She lay dumbstruck as Edward spun her onto her back and jumped on top of her, wrapping his hands around her neck. She covered them with her own, grasping at his fingers. But even though this time there were no gloves, she still couldn't gain purchase.

  Terror sizzled in her chest as hopelessness overwhelmed her. Not again. She kicked and squirmed, but his legs pressed her to the ground. Blood moistened her fingers. She grappled at his arms, but her hands were slippery with blood. She needed a weapon.

  She pawed the ground until she found a large shard of glass. She aimed the serrated edge at Edward and lodged it in his arm.

  Her airway opened. She turned on her side and gasped for air, while Edward removed the glass with a trembling hand.

  “You bitch,” he screamed. “I’m going to kill you!”

  He wobbled to his feet and reached for the gun on the floor.

  * * *

  As Joe and Shay sped down Superior, the radio bellowed, “Shots fired at fifty West Superior Street. Suspect is a white male, Edward Connolly. He is armed and dangerous. Ambulance ETA is five minutes.”

  “Detectives Washington and Perretti on scene,” Joe called into the handset. “Ten-four.”

  Joe and Shay eyed each other as she put the vehicle in Park. They ran for the lobby, where a doorman stood just inside the door. He saw the detectives and came toward them. “Hey, officers. We met the other day.”

  “I remember. Matt, we need to get up to the penthouse.” They entered the empty elevator with Matt, who entered the code to access the fiftieth floor.

  “Stay here,” Shay barked at Matt, “and let the paramedics up when they get here.”

  Matt nodded as the doors closed.

  Joe tried to focus on the numbers speeding by as they flew past the lower floors, but the fight reflex had taken over his body. He pulled out his service revolver.

  “Be prepared.” Shay checked her gun. “This doesn’t sound good.”

  Joe nodded and waited for the doors to open. They entered the condo, peering over their drawn guns. The first thing they found was Dale passed out on the floor. Joe leaned over and checked his pulse. Blood oozed from a bullet graze to his shoulder, but his pulse was strong.

  They could hear a male voice spewing venom from down the hall. “You, bitch,” he said. “Why. Couldn’t. You. Just. Let. It. Go?”

  Edward hovered over Allison. She was locked in a fetal position, her spaghetti arms covering her head. She looked so tired, so defeated. Edward was hunched over, gun pointed at the wounded woman as he delivered soccer-worthy kicks against her body.

  “Stop, Connolly!” Joe commanded. “Drop the gun!”

  Edward looked at the officers with a mixture of astonishment and anger, but he kept the gun leveled at Allison.

  “Don’t do anything stupid, Connolly. We have you surrounded. Throw the gun down!” Shay reiterated.

  Edward’s eyes flew back and forth between the woman on the floor and the detectives.

  “Last chance!” Joe pledged. He would have no problem taking this guy down if he didn’t start cooperating.

  Edward smirked and aimed the gun at Shay. Joe pulled the trigger, hitting Edward in the shoulder. The gun flew across the room as the lawyer screamed in pain.

  “Shit!” Edward yelled as the hole in his shoulder gushed. He fell to his knees and cradled his affected limb.

  “You're under arrest.” Shay pulled the cuffs from her belt. She pushed Edward into the wall and yanked his arms behind his back.

  Joe dropped down and placed his fingers on Adam’s neck. He sighed in relief when he felt a heartbeat. He picked up Adam's cell phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Is everything okay? Where is Allison? Who am I speaking to?” the operator asked.

  “This is Detective Joseph Perretti with the Chicago PD.” “This is Emergency Services.”

  “What's the ETA on the ambulance? We have multiple injuries.” “They're in the lobby. They should be up in a minute.”

  “Thanks,” he said and sprinted over to Allison. She was lifting herself from the ground, clutching the back of her head. Shay ran to the bedroom and returned holding a stack of towels. She handed a few to Joe and pulled one for Edward. She wrapped his shoulder and chest as best as she could with his hands shackled behind his back.

  “Adam's over there!” Joe barked as Allison tripped over to Adam’s side. Why the hell was Shay focused on that scumbag, when one of their own was bleeding out?

  “I know, but I'll be damned if this piece of shit is going to say we didn't take care of him. He's a slimy enough lawyer that he'll get the charges dropped over something stupid like that.”

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” A stiff smile spread across Allison’s face as Adam’s eyes fluttered open. He tried to get up, but Allison pushed on his shoulder. “No. Wait for the EMTs.”

  “Dale?” Adam mumbled.

  “He’s okay,” Shay called from the other side of the room. “The bullet just grazed his arm.”

  She finished Edward’s makeshift bandage and brought towels over to Adam. Allison reached for the stack and used one to apply pressure to Adam’s oozing wound.

  As if on cue, Matt entered the condo, trailed by the EMTs and additional police officers. The officers helped Edward off the floor, while a medic verified that his injuries weren't life-threatening. When they established that he'd make it safely to the hospital, the cops turned to Joe.

  “We're taking this one in. Do you need him for anything?”

  “No we're done with him.” Joe smirked. “And if he accidentally walks into a few walls, I wouldn't be upset about it.”

  Epilogue

  Allison sat at her desk poring over the numbers before her. If they followed Herb’s expansion plan, they just might come out ahead this year. The door to her office swung open and Adam peered inside.

  “Hey,” he said and strolled over to the couch. He sat down and rested his ankle on his bent knee.

  Allison continued to study the financials, ignoring the tap-tap-tap of the foot across the room.

  “Apparently you are not taking the hint. I’m hungry. Feed me.”

  “It’s not time to leave yet,” she said reasonably. Well, she tried to reason with the man. They were flying out to Phoenix tomorrow to pack up his house, and he’d been impossible ever since they booked the flight.

  Adam stood up and walked behind her to massage her shoulders. Her eyes closed as his touch erased all the stresses of the day. She sighed as the tension
gradually dissipated.

  “I have some things to do before I can go for the weekend...” She moaned when he hit a good spot. How was it the man knew all the good spots—on Allison, anyway?

  “You know, we still have to pack, so we should probably head out early. If we don’t leave soon, we won’t have time to eat, pack, and have mind-blowing sex,” he whispered as he continued to work on her neck muscles.

  “Heaven forbid we not have time for sex.” Allison laughed.

  “Who said there wasn’t time for sex? There’s always time for sex. I just figured you’d want mind-blowing sex over the quickie kind. I’m thinking of you.”

  “How generous of you.”

  “That’s how I roll, always giving. So let’s get out of here. You know, I'm still healing. I almost died. You don't want me to starve.” He clutched his arm in mock terror.

  Allison rolled her eyes. “It's been over a month. Last time I checked, your shoulder had healed just fine. Besides, I don’t think the CPD would have taken you if you were still injured. Anyway, you know, the owner and boss might not like you fondling the staff.”

  “I have a feeling you’d enjoy my fondling of you. Of course, I hear the woman running this place is a hard-ass, so we just won’t tell her what we’re doing.” Adam moved his hands back to Allison’s shoulders.

  Allison tilted her head back and attempted to glare at him. “There is nothing wrong with my ass. It’s is neither too hard nor too soft.”

  “You’re absolutely right. Your ass is perfect. Let’s go.” He kissed her cheek and straightened up. He held out his hand.

  “I’ll make a deal with you.” She stood up and linked her arm with his as she walked him toward her office door. “If you will give me ten minutes of uninterrupted work time, I will not only feed you, I won’t get you in trouble with the boss.”

  “If I were to get in trouble, what types of things might happen to me?” he asked. She tapped his chest and rolled her eyes again as he added, “Because I really think I need to be punished. I have been bad.”