Page 105 of Nanny for the Bodyguard
Hell, I think she'sstillcrying, but Jade’s just too dried out to produce tears.
“It's okay. It's okay. We're going to go get her, we're going to get Hazel, and we're all going to go home.”
Another officer rushes up to us and takes Jade in her arms. “Okay, honey, let's get you to the EMTs. They're outside, they're going to look you over, and they're going to make sure you're alright.”
I allow the woman to pull Jade away.
“It's okay,” I whisper back at Jade as she fights against the detective who's trying to get her to go outside. “It's okay, honey. I'm going to get Hazel, and I'm going to come right back.”
She nods. Jade has no choice but to believe me right now, but I think she does.
When she's out of the building and we can think straight again, the cops and I progress forward toward the back ofthe building. Built into this larger warehouse, there’s a smaller room.
It must be some type of office where management would sit when it was still a running business.
At that point, time does something strange, stretching out into this thin line that I have to precariously walk on in order to get to Hazel.
If I tip this way or that, I will fall off, and something will go wrong, and I’ll lose her.
Sound becomes a muted thing in the background, and I remember this focus from when I was in the military. I have an objective that I have to meet, and nothing matters besides getting into this room and getting Hazel out.
Iwillget her to safety and make sure Neil winds up behind bars.
The police stand at the door to the office with a mobile battering ram positioned between two of them. Everybody makes eye contact, waiting for the right moment, and Detective Kowalski counts it down on his fingers.
Three, two, one. Smash.
The door breaks in, and one of the other officers kicks it the rest of the way down. We rush up towards it, getting inside the office.
Everything moves quickly, but in the mad dash, I see Neil has Hazel pinned to the floor, about to punch her in the face, but he's up on his feet quickly, dragging Hazel behind him.
He holds her in front of him as he digs in his pocket and pulls out a knife. The blade goes to Hazel's throat, and my stomach drops clean through the earth.
“Let her go, you piece of shit!” I scream, and Neil's eyes find mine.
A nasty snarl lifts the corner of his mouth, and I glare back at him. “Ah, yes, the boyfriend.”
“Mr. James,” Detective Kowalski stands in front of me, putting a hand on my chest, “let her go. Your time is up; we have the building surrounded, and there's no way out of this. If you let her go now, you free yourself up from a much worse charge.”
They're negotiating with him because this is a fuckinghostagesituation now. Neil James has the woman I love hostage in his arms with a knife pressed to her throat, and all I can do is meet her eyes and see the terror that is lingering there.
Neil doesn't give a shit about worse charges. He's in trouble as it is. This feels completely futile.
“I'm not going anywhere. You come a step closer, and I'm going to slit this girl's throat. I have no problem doing it. You're all going to back off, and you're going to let me get out of here.”
My body surges forward on instinct, but Kowalski keeps me back. I can't get closer to that asshole, but I know I'd be able to outpower him if I could get my hands around him.
“Mr. James, this isn't the way you want to do this. Just put the weapon down. You're in a room with four officers and one really pisssed off ex-military man. You really want to risk those odds? I wouldn't.”
I'll hand it to Kowalski with that one. He has a point.
Neil meets my eyes, probably looking to see some type of mercy or leniency or just some proof that I wouldn't go through with it.
He won't find anything. He's hurt the woman I love, and there is absolutely nothing in this world that I wouldn't do to him right now to get her back.
Fear and panic start to worm through his eyes. I knew he was a coward, just some fucker who likes to push girls around. I knew he didn't have the balls to stick to his guns against people who could actually put up a fight.
“Mr. James, drop the knife, and wewillget out of here. You can come to a secured cell with us, and you'll stay in a nice andcozy prison for a long, long time. Don't do something stupid and make yourself the victim of Montana's justice system.”
