Page 102 of Love Me Gently

My head spun with the news. The reminder of my conversation with Valerie. I knew they’d been working on something, but this?

“Mrs. Wolf,” Jonathan clipped and yanked me even closer to him until my entire body was pressed against his. “And they’re lies. Aren’t they, Katrina. You know I wouldn’t do that.”

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. We’d been married for almost nine years in all those years there’d beenwomen? He’d cheated on me. The entire time. It was a punch I hadn’t seen coming. I’d truly meantnothingto him. And how messed up was it that that hurt? After all the other things he’d done…he still had the power to hurt me.

“I hate you,” I seethed, unable to stop the bile rising in my throat. Assaulting women… the fact he could say he’d never do that…

What was wrong with him? He was so much worse than I already believed him to be.

“I hate you with every fiber of my being.” I twisted, because screw him. Screw being trapped by him again. It wouldneverhappen. Not again. I was done living in fear.

Cole’s voice rang out as I struggled, and I froze as something round and cold pressed to my temple.

“Keep moving and you’ll end with your brains splattered on the pavement.”

“Doubtful,” I snapped back. “You need me to portray your perfect little image, don’t you? You’re sick.”

“And you were the broken and used and desperate little girl that fell for me, weren’t you?”

His words hurt, but the impact was dulled as he grabbed me tighter around the throat with his gun to my head.

“Now, if none of you want to see her brains on the ground, I suggest you all stop moving.” He swung out his gun and then brought it back to my temple.

None of the men stopped, but their movements slowed.

We were almost to the end of the parking lot. At some point, he’d have to let me go. I’d move then. Or the men would. I just had to stay calm.

There was no way he was going to get away with this.

I shoved what Brock said out of my mind. I’d have time to deal with it later.

“Freeze! Police! Hands up!”

A cacophony of voices erupted, and lights exploded behind us.

Jonathan froze and then swung us around. Our backs were now to Cole and Brock and Rocco and I wasn’t thinking that was such a great thing, but I wasn’t sure that mattered anymore either, because in front of us, was what had to be the entire Deer Creek police department. Fully decked out in gear, guns drawn. How they’d arrived without anyone hearing them was a miracle.

But they were here.

Jonathan swung again, and this time didn’t get far.

“I wouldn’t move,” Rocco said. Based on his tone, there had to be a smile on his face even though I couldn’t see him, but he was sounding like he was enjoying this.

Somehow, the lightness in his tone helped me relax.

He did something, and Jonathan jerked as he barked out a cuss word, and then his arm from my throat was gone. The gun at my temple gone with him.

I collapsed onto the pavement and gasped for breath, and then two strong arms I’d recognize anywhere were wrapping around me.

“It’s okay,” Cole said. “It’s okay. We’ll get you out of here, and I’ll explain everything, okay?”

“He hurt other women,” I rasped. My throat burned, and the bile that had seared my throat earlier returned except this time there wasn’t any forcing it down.

I threw up all over gravel and pavement, on my hands and knees, and while I was certain there was still shouting, still noise and mayhem and madness all around me, all I heard was the ringing in my ears and the softly spoken words from Cole while he gathered my hair.

“It’s okay, Trina. Get it all out.” One of his hands rubbed up and down on my back. “It’s okay. You’re safe now, Trina. And that monster is going to go to jail for a very long time.”

“I wish you would have shot him,” I admitted.

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