CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“HOLY MOLY, BOYS, everyone take a deep breath,” King Bobby said, keeping a careful distance from Mike’s and Marshall’s guns.
Mike couldn’t breathe. Not until he got Amber away from that psychopath. She was a champ, and refusing to show Marshall any fear. But Mike could see it in her eyes. He could feel it in his gut. And he wanted to kill the man with his bare hands.
Marshall was a wild card. He shook like the pansy he was, which made Mike nervous he’d fire by mistake. And while Mike’s gun was trained on Marshall, Marshall’s alternated between Amber and Mike.
“Come on, Banks. Be smart,” Mike said. “Put the gun down before someone gets hurt.”
He let out a laugh. “I am smart. I’ve got the girl. You’ve got nothing.”
Mike ignored the dig. “Then do the math. You’ve got what looks like a.22 and I’ve got a.38. Anything you shoot is just going to piss me off. On the other hand,
“
“Shut up,” Mike hissed at him. He didn’t need the big Texan stirring up Marshall’s already volatile temper.
“Marshall, I was on my way home to Las Vegas. Why don’t we work out our problems there. Put the gun away,” Amber said, her voice strong despite his grip on her.
“You hear that?” he asked Mike. “She wants me, not you. We love each other. We’re going to have a good life.”
Mike stared.
Even Amber, who was trying to keep Marshall calm, looked at the man as if he’d lost his mind.
“Tell him you love me, baby, and he’ll just walk away,” Marshall said.
Amber winced. She could only do so much in the name of keeping everyone safe, and as much as she tried, the words Marshall wanted to hear wouldn’t come. Not even in a patronizing tone.
“Tell him you love me.” Marshall’s grip tightened so hard she thought her arm might break.
Amber looked from Marshall to Mike, digging down to find strength she didn’t realize she’d had. “Marshall, are you crazy? We never were more than partners. And that was only so I could pay for my father’s nursing home.”
“There’s different kinds of love. We had an understanding! Now tell him!” He waved the gun at Mike.
“I can’t! Because I don’t love you, I love
At her declaration, Mike’s throat went dry. Stars spun behind his eyes. Her words shocked him, although he should have known, should have realized it before.
At the same moment, the sound of sirens filled the air as police cars pulled up around them. In a small town, Mike was surprised they hadn’t attracted notice before.
“Damn cops. They’ll take the bastard and I’ll never get my money,” King Bobby muttered. “Of all the damn, rotten luck…”
“Drop the gun, Marshall. Before you find yourself in a situation you really can’t win,” Mike ordered.
“Marshall, please.” Amber spoke directly to her ex-partner, pleading. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Neither would my father. The worst the police have on you now is possession of an illegal weapon. That’s minor. It can still work out. Just give it up,” Amber begged him.
King Bobby groaned. “I’m goin’ back to Texas. You kin’ keep your money for when you get out of the can,” he said to Marshall, clearly fed up with the whole situation.
“Oh, hell. I’m probably safer in the joint here than in Vegas where the loan sharks can find me,” Marshall muttered. Then he lowered the gun, tossing it onto the ground.
Mike scooped up the weapon and seconds later, the local cops had surrounded them, demanding Mike’s attention, preventing him from dealing with Amber and her declaration.
OTHER THAN A FEW BRUISES where Marshall’s fingertips had dug into her skin, physically Amber was fine. Emotionally was another story. But as soon as she boarded the bus for Boston, she’d be able to put this ordeal behind her. Putting Mike there, too, though, wouldn’t be quite as easy.
When the police had arrived, one officer had taken care of Amber, steering her toward a waiting ambulance over her objections. Standard procedure, they’d said. And Mike had been occupied giving his statement.
He hadn’t looked for her at all, not that he’d had much of a chance in all the commotion.
King Bobby had disappeared, probably to avoid any possible scandal that might upset his so-called associates. And Amber knew Mike wouldn’t bring up the man’s name to the local authorities. The simpler the story, the faster this mess would all go away. Simple. Since Mike was a fellow cop, they’d taken his word for what had gone down.
A man from Amber’s past had followed her to Stewart and tried to force her to go with him at gun-point. She assumed they’d both told the same story, because the police seemed satisfied with her answers, asking only for her personal information so they could find her if they had any more questions. She supplied her Las Vegas address, home phone and cell.
A quick glance at her watch told her she could still make her bus. Another told her Mike was still busy with the local cops.
She could get on the bus and go home without a messy confrontation. He’d probably appreciate that, since her I love you declaration had gone unanswered. Besides, she hadn’t said it to him, she’d said it to Marshall.
About Mike.
After he’d shut the door on them.
Amber was many things but she wasn’t a martyr. She knew he cared for her, but he’d made it clear he could never forgive what she’d done. To stick around where she wasn’t wanted wasn’t her way. Mike had saved her and she was grateful. Beyond that, there was nothing more to say.
IT WAS OVER.
No sooner had Mike grabbed Marshall’s gun from the sidewalk than the local cops took over. They cuffed Marshall and read him his rights. The paramedics, who’d been called out along with the police, presumably by someone who’d witnessed the standoff, had reached Amber before Mike had a chance to get close to her. It was just as well. Anything they had to say to each other was best done in private.
At that moment, Mike hadn’t a clue what he was feeling beyond relief and an overwhelming desire to kiss her until she melted into him, his body joined with hers, and he forgot the fear that had consumed him watching Marshall holding her in one hand, a gun in the other. But as Amber had pointed out earlier, that was just sex. Anything physical between them had always been spectacular. He wasn’t ready to delve deeper.
So with the paramedics seeing to Amber, Mike put all his energy into making damn sure Marshall Banks didn’t slip through any procedural cracks. Although Stewart wasn’t his jurisdiction, Mike prided himself on being thorough, and he wanted the local cops to handle this booking the same way.
Only when the squad car carrying Marshall had pulled away did Mike turn to look for Amber. He glanced around, but he didn’t see her anywhere. The ambulance had left and only one cop remained, scrawling notes while he sat in his car.
“Hey, man. Do you know where Amber went?” he asked.
The guy shook his head. “No clue.” Then his radio beeped, capturing the cop’s attention.
Mike headed for the bus station. He asked a few people if they’d seen her based on description, but no one had. Finally, he walked over to the young woman selling tickets behind the counter. “Have you seen the woman who was being held hostage earlier?” he asked.
“Yep. She took the number ten.” The woman hooked her thumb toward the bus stop far from where the drama had taken place.
Mike’s heart nearly stopped. “She
“Bought a ticket before the ruckus and took the bus after.” The woman glanced around him. “I’m sorry, but you’re holding up the line.”
Mike looked over his shoulder. One person stood waiting to buy a ticket. Some line. “Sure, sorry.” He stepped
