Page 82 of Carved in Ice (Made of Steel 3)

He slammed my back down against the table. “Do you think you can fool me? Do you think you can try to run from me and suddenly I’ll believe that you missed me this whole time?”

I tried to shake my head, but his hand was holding me in place. I never thought he was stupid. I had always just thought he was a monster.

He tightened his grip.

I had learned one very important thing in my training with Miles. When in doubt, kick your assailant where it hurts. I lifted my knee but Don’s legs were closed.

He smiled. “When in doubt, go for my nuts, huh?”

My eyes bulged. How did he know?

“I’ve been keeping you away from prying eyes this whole time. Did you ever think about why it was so easy to rent your new place? Why the cops haven’t caught you yet? Did you ever think about any of it? You’ve never left my sight. I’ve been listening to you. Watching you.”

I was starting to feel light headed.

“I own you. And you’re not getting away from me this time, doll.”

Chapter 36

Tuesday

The sound of wood splitting made me think the table was about to collapse beneath me. Don was finally going to do it. I’d never be able to pretend to love him. This was how it was always meant to end, with one of our hands wrapped around the other’s throat. I had just hoped it was me.

There was distant shouting. Screaming. But I couldn’t look away from Don. It was supposed to be you struggling to breathe. It should have been you.

We just stared at each other. Maybe he was thinking this was finally the end too. As soon as I was dead, the past that haunted him would be obliterated. My mother’s bloodline would be completely gone. I thought that I couldn’t live until his heart stopped beating. Had it been the same for him?

The splintering of wood sounded in my ears again. The noise pulsed with the blood trying to pump to my head. Everything was muffled, but it sounded like the door had swung open.

Don’s gaze finally left mine, but his fingers didn’t loosen around my neck.

“Get away from her!” someone yelled.

A loud bang echoed in the room. It sounded like a gunshot. I started to close my eyes. I had never been so sleepy before. The room started to blur and tilt in front of me.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Don growled as his hand finally fell from my neck.

I slid off the table, landing on my knees. My fingers clutched my neck as I took in huge gulps of air. The spinning started to subside and I saw Liza and Kins standing in the doorway. There were two men in suits writhing on the ground behind them.

“Walk away and no one has to get hurt,” Don said. He lifted his hands.

No one moved.

“You have to get closer to tase me.”

Still no one moved.

“Why don’t you just drop it?” He sounded so calm. “We can work something out.” He started to walk toward them.

This time I knew it was a gunshot that rang out. Kins was standing there with the gun shaking in her hands and a shocked looked on her face.

“Fucking bitch!” Don yelled as his knee buckled and he fell to the ground. Blood seeped into his pant leg. A second later Liza tased him and his body started to convulse like the guards outside.

“Take that you dirty…pig!” Liza said and kicked Don’s stomach.

“Oh my God, I just shot someone,” Kins said. Her hand was shaking even more as she lowered the gun by her side.

“We have to go,” Liza said and helped me to my feet. She let go of the trigger of her taser and Don’s body slowly started to stop shaking.

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