Page 47 of A Ranger for Christmas
Brody Winchester approached, carrying a cell phone. “You might be interested in this.”
“What?”
“This is a phone from one of the guys we arrested. Someone called in just before we raided the place. He left a message warning of the raid.”
“Who would know?”
Winchester grinned. “It’s got me curious, as well.” He held up the phone. “Do you recognize the number?”
Lucas glanced at it. “No.”
“Does the name Kyle Stone mean anything?”
“Marisa Thompson’s assistant’s name is Kyle.”
All traces of humor vanished. “Kyle’s made a lot of calls to this group.”
“Shit.”
Lucas reached for his phone and dialed Marisa’s number. She didn’t answer. “I don’t like this. I left her at home hours ago.”
Kyle’s gun trained on Marisa, she drove through the Hyde Park neighborhood, past several homes with children playing in the front yards. He dialed a number and when there was no answer, cursed. “So what’s next, Kyle? What happens? Do I just disappear, and you keep working at the university?”
“No one is answering my calls. That’s bad. It tells me that the Rangers did a lot of damage.”
She laughed as she gripped the wheel and turned the corner that led out of the neighborhood. “You really believe your drug dealing friends will forgive this?”
“I can make another code if I have to. And with you gone, there will be no one to break it.”
“Bradley might be able to.”
Kyle shook his head and almost looked amused. “He’s nowhere near the scholar you are. Without you his work has suffered.”
Up ahead, she spotted a Christmas tree lot on the side of the road. This close to Christmas it looked almost deserted because most anyone wanting a tree by now would have gotten it. Before she stopped to think, she slammed her foot on the accelerator and the car zoomed forward. Kyle couldn’t react fast enough as she twisted the wheel hard and drove straight for the trees. They plowed through several rows before slamming into the side of a small concrete building. At the moment of impact, the airbags deployed. She braced, remembering the feel of the impact.
Kyle grunted when his airbag hit him in the face.
Stunned, Marisa felt for her door handle, and unclicking her belt, rolled out of the car as her bruised body groaned and screamed from old and new injuries. She stumbled several steps, nearly tripped and fell, but caught herself and kept going.
“Marisa!” Kyle screamed her name as if it had been ripped from his chest. She didn’t look back. Kept running.
In the corner of her eye, she spotted the flash of lights. The squeal of sirens pierced her fear, but she didn’t dare stop, not knowing who else had arrived. She ran along the side alley of a Mexican restaurant. A dog barked. Her heart felt as if it would explode out of her chest. And as she rounded a corner, she stumbled to a stop when she saw the dead end. She had nowhere to go. Trapped.
She turned, fingers fisted, ready to run toward Kyle. When he appeared at the lip of the alley, he bore a red welt on the side of his face. Rage darkened his bloodshot eyes.
Kyle leveled the gun. “Bitch.”
Screaming, she ran toward him. She would die trying to stop him.
And then, a shot fired. Adrenaline kept her moving forward, and she didn’t stop until she saw Kyle fall to the ground. He dropped his gun and gripped his thigh, which had been torn and mangled by a bullet.
Sweat dripping from her brow, she looked around until she spotted him. Lucas. He’d held his gun outstretched, trained on Kyle, ready to fire again.
She stopped, her heart pulsing, her hands now trembling.
Lucas kept his gaze and gun on Kyle, who lay on the ground screaming. He kicked the gun away and cuffed Kyle seconds before more cops and Rangers arrived. When the Ranger had control of Kyle, Lucas lowered his weapon and holstered it.
Tears welled in her eyes. She wanted to touch Lucas and hold him. When his gaze locked on her, he crossed to her in three quick strides and wrapped her neatly in his arms. “I thought I’d lost you.”
