Page 71 of Idol Lives
Seong Hyeon tucked the thumb drive into his jacket as Jason slammed his laptop closed. “Back to the hospital, sir?”
Jason grimly nodded. “You’re goddamn right.”
The pair rushed back outside and climbed into the SUV. Seong Hyeon pressed the start button, and the engine roared to life. But he paused before putting it into drive, glancing at Jason.
“Open the glove box, sir.”
Jason frowned but did as he was told. Nestled in among the paperwork and other items inside lay a matte black handgun tucked into a leather holster. “Is that for me?”
Seong Hyeon nodded. “You claimed to know how to handle a firearm, sir. I hope you weren’t exaggerating.”
Jason shook his head. He’d handled many guns on set, especially in his last film, and the prop masters had always required that he receive proper training beforehand. He quickly checked the weapon, ensuring it was loaded and ready, before returning the gun to the holster. “Do you really think I’ll need this?”
Seong Hyeon quietly huffed. “Normally, I’d never allow it. But I don’t want to take any chances with my men out of contact. Don’t use it unless you absolutely have to.”
“Of course.” Truthfully, Jason wasn’t sure he even wanted it. He was much more comfortable using his fists. But Seong Hyeon would never have offered it if he didn’t think there was a chance it could be necessary.
Jason removed his jacket as they pulled away, slipping into his gun’s shoulder holster before putting his jacket back on. It was the second time in his life Jason had sped across town to rescue someone in danger. He really hoped he wouldn’t make a habit of it.
The truck’s tires squealed against the smooth pavement as Seong Hyeon expertly steered them through the hospital’s parking garage. Jason’s heart pounded with a rich cocktail ofadrenaline and rage. He was out of the vehicle before it had fully stopped, sprinting towards the nearest hospital entrance with Seong Hyeon hot on his heels.
“Should we alert hospital security?” Jason asked, huffing as he ran.
“We’ll secure Ms. Bell first, sir,” Seong Hyeon replied, his voice steady despite the urgency of their pace. “Then assess the situation.”
Jason nodded, adrenaline sharpening his focus. He ducked into a nearby stairwell, taking the steps two at a time as he hurried. He quickly reached the next floor without even breaking a sweat and ran down the corridor toward Naomi’s room. A quick glance confirmed what he’d feared. The door to her room stood ajar, with her guards nowhere in sight.
“Damn it!” Jason hissed, pushing through the doorway. The commotion startled the figure in blue scrubs and a surgical mask who hovered beside Naomi’s bed, an IV line in one hand, a syringe in the other. But something about the doctor’s eyes seemed familiar. Then Jason knew. It had to be David.
Jason tugged his gun free without thinking, pointing it at the supposed doctor. “Get the fuck away from her,” he growled. “Right fucking now!”
The doctor froze, his eyes widening in shock. But his hand remained on the IV line, the syringe poised dangerously close to piercing it. Jason watched the gears turning in his mind, weighing his options, perhaps calculating the odds of escape. But he made no move to back away. Maybe he’d noticed that Jason had left the gun’s safety on. There was no way he’d fire a weapon that close to Naomi.
Then, Seong Hyeon charged past Jason in a blur of motion, his shoulder aimed squarely at the doctor’s chest. The doctoryelped, scrambling onto the bed as the syringe clattered to the floor. Seong Hyeon flew past him, slowing but unable to stop before he slammed into the far wall.
The room erupted into chaos. Jason lowered the gun and lunged forward, desperately grabbing for the doctor, but the man was slippery and agile. He still managed to snag the doctor’s mask, tearing it away to reveal David’s contorted face, a snarl of fury twisting his features. Then David leaped from the bed, narrowly avoiding Jason’s second grasp, and bolted out the door. Jason spun on his heel and took off after him, tucking his gun away as his footsteps pounded down the corridor.
“Wait, sir!” Seong Hyeon shouted.
But Jason was already in pursuit. He was fixated on David, who’d already tried to kill Naomi once and was about to try again. David, who’d been secretly funneling Brightstar’s money into his pockets, trying to bring the company down. No, there was no way that asshole was getting away.
Jason locked his gaze on David’s retreating figure, his rage charging every step. David was a cornered animal, desperate and dangerous. But Jason was fueled by something more powerful–a primal need to protect and a fierce loyalty to the woman who’d become his family.
David reached the stairwell first, flinging the door open and disappearing into the darkness. Jason, not far behind, briefly hesitated at the landing. Then David’s footsteps echoed through the concrete stairwell from above. David was heading up. With no time to guess why, Jason took off, fury surging through his veins as he charged up the winding staircase.
David showed no signs of stopping as Jason rounded the eighth-floor landing. That could only mean he was headedfor the roof. With an angry growl, Jason took the stairs two at a time again, his legs burning from the exertion. But he was closing the distance, just a handful of stairs behind David’s frantic footsteps pounding above him. He gritted his teeth against the pain. He wasn’t about to let the man get away with what he’d done.
Then David burst through the rooftop door, a silhouette against the moonlit sky. Jason quickly followed, the wind whipping at his hair as he dashed out to the open roof.
“That’s far enough,” David’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
Gravel loudly crunched under Jason’s feet as he quickly skidded to a halt. David stood several feet away, his hand steady as he aimed a pistol directly at Jason’s chest. A cold shiver ran down his spine. Of course. The asshole had come prepared.
“What are you gonna do, David?” Jason calmly asked, ignoring the sudden fear that twisted in his stomach. “Shoot me?”
David’s lips twisted into a chilling grin. “If I have to,” he replied, eerily calm as he took a careful step backward. “Now, slowly take your gun out and toss it away from you.”
Jason cursed under his breath but complied. He was no fool. Even super-ninja Kenji Shoda would know when he was outgunned. He gently removed his gun from its holster under his arm and tossed it aside. “We already know everything, David. It’s over. There’s nowhere else to go.”
