Squeezing the trigger—in the same way he would later squeeze her nipple or her clit—the SIG responded in the same way, doing precisely as he wanted, the sound of the two bullets making no more than a quiet spitting sound. The first caught the assassin in the side of the head, his hands loosening their hold as the impact spun the killer toward him, the second bullet catching him between the eyes.
He ran forward, pocketing his gun as Sage slid down the wall. He ran to her, sliding to try to catch her before she hit the dirt. She couldn’t be dead… not his Sage. He’d come too far, endured too much to be with her. He would not allow her to die. He’d made love to her in her dreams just the night before. Now, when he was so close, he would not allow her to leave him. She was his, and he would have her.
“Don’t you die on me, Sage. Come back, do you hear me? Holmes was right, you know, you need someone to look after you, but I’m here, Pet. Daddy’s here.”
After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, he saw her chest rise and fall—slowly at first, then more steadily as she gasped for air. He dragged her into his arms. He had to get her back to the Savoy. He gently pulled her leggings back up and placed her on her side for just a moment as he rifled through the man’s pockets. No ID—no surprise there. He had a large roll of bills and nothing else. He pocketed the money and rolled the body over the edge into the icy water before returning to Sage.
Cradling her to his chest, he stood and came out of the darkness from under the bridge. He scanned the area, finding no one around. He got his bearings and began walking back to the Savoy, carrying her as if her weight was nothing. He slipped in the back entrance, using the key card in Sage’s purse, accessing the elevator, and finally entering her room. He stripped her and pulled back the covers of the bed, laying her gently on her back, then retrieved a cold, wet washcloth from the bath and pressed it against the growing weal.
He called down to the front desk and asked that ice be brought to his room. He waited by the door, gun readily available in his pocket, answering just as there was a knock.
“Good evening, Mr. Samuels. Would you like me to set this up?” the butler asked.
“No, thank you, Simmons. I can take it from here. Would you please cancel the alarm or breakfast Ms. Matthews had arranged for tomorrow? I’m afraid she overindulged, and I’d like to let her sleep in. Once she’s awake, we’ll see how she’s feeling and take it from there.”
“Very good, Sir.”
He closed the door, locked it, then turned back to Sage. She was a vision lying sprawled on her back, her auburn hair splayed out all around her. He grinned. He really was a rotten bastard. She’d almost died, and all he could think about was getting her healed and fucking her silly. He looked at the soft curls nestling at the apex of her thighs. He’d take care of that in the next day or two. He wanted her bare and available for his use whenever he wanted her.
He wrapped the wet washcloth around several ice cubes and pressed it against her neck. She started to fuss but quieted when he soothed her. Once she was settled and sleeping, he used her mobile and called Holmes.
“You’re through… for good?” the DSI answered.
“What made you think it was me?” he asked.
“Had to be you. That’s Sage’s mobile number, and she doesn’t have mine.” He chuckled. “If you’re calling me, either you’re losing your touch, or you’ve worn the poor girl out.”
“Neither. You fucked up, Holmes. Someone tried to kill her.”
“What?” The DSI’s tone changed from bantering to serious and concerned in an instant.
“I was drawn to a place under a bridge. There was a man with a garrote around her neck. I put two bullets in him, then dumped the body in the Thames.”
“Are the two of you all right? Does she need medical assistance?”
“Her throat is bruised, but nothing I can’t handle. The oddest thing… they moved her to the room she used as the basis for my lodgings here at the Savoy. I called down to the Butler Service here in the hotel and asked for ice. When the guy came to the door, he greeted me by name. Interesting thing is, I knew his as well. Do me a favor and call Felix in the morning. Let him know what’s happened, and that Sage and I are not to be disturbed.”
“Are you feeling any pull to go back behind the veil?”
“None at all. In fact, the longer I’m here, the stronger I feel in general. Don’t worry about it, Holmes. We’ll figure it out… Is it odd to be walking around?
“At first, but the feeling fades, and being here feels normal as though I’ve always been here. At first, I worried about somehow being sucked back without warning… especially the first time I was intimate with a woman, but even that concern has lessened.”
“Good to know. It’ll be good to see you and Felix. What about the security guy?”
“Gabe? He’s a good man... very concerned about your girl. He knew there wasn’t enough to get me officially involved but also knew this was beyond his ability to figure it out and
