Protect Me by Selma Wolfe

Author:Selma Wolfe
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-08-16T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

There was a moment of shocked silence before the ballroom exploded into pandemonium. I never can catch a break, Hope thought with something close to resigned amusement, while the majority of her mind occupied itself trying to figure out if that was the noise of a bomb or of gunshots. It was remarkably difficult to tell the difference in close quarters, even if you had experience with the damned things.

“Do you think that perhaps your resignation can wait?” Rick inquired politely. It was admittedly impressive that he was able to accomplish this and still sound casual about it while Hope was bodily dragging him underneath a table.

“Let’s consider it officially on hold,” Hope said grimly. She crouched down behind the table and stared out over the crumbs and scattered plates. “Stay here; if you move, there will be violence, and it will come from me.”

Without taking her eyes off the door - there was a lot of dust, low visibility, and still lots of people flailing and running in no one clear direction - Hope yanked her sleek little black purse off its thin chain and dumped out its contents on the floor.

Rick spluttered quietly. “Do most women keep arsenals in their purses?” he whispered.

Hope felt blindly along the floor. After a moment of consideration she flicked her flat knife open and pushed it over to Rick, handle-first.

“Oh, definitely,” she told him as she picked up a small gun and cocked it with practiced hands.

“Should that be hot?” Rick asked. Hope had to bite down a laugh.

“You should be quiet,” she chided. She clicked the safety off, her hands perfectly steady.

The haze of smoke started to clear from the front of the room. Hope forced her eyes to unfocus; after a moment she picked out the pattern of slow movement as a few shadowy figures wove their way between tables.

Heading straight for them. Of course.

Hope ducked down and stared into Rick’s eyes, very close and very bright. The adrenaline made things look different, more vivid, so that she noticed every sharp line of his face, the slightly olive tone of his skin. She knew unquestioningly that in forty years she would be able to recall the precise shade of gray of his tuxedo, and the melting brown of his eyes.

“Incoming,” she told him, and he nodded. Rick pulled the flat knife off the ground, fumbling with it a little, but wholly game.

“What now?” he murmured.

Hope jerked her head to indicate the mirrors. Rick made a face, which meant that he understood what she meant.

It only took Hope a second to yank off the strappy stilettos. Then the two of them were moving, winding their way between chairs and under tables. Luckily the room was still loud with the sounds of panic and scuffing feet, and though Hope listened intently for any sharp cries or cut-off screams, none came.

If she hadn’t been in love with Rick before, this might have done it all on its own. The journey from the

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.