Dangerous Place For Love(12)

“Please,” she screamed.

“Daughter, I’m giving you a nice death. Believe me. Any other snatch would have been dealt with far differently. Come, Erik, show me your loyalty.”

Erik pointed the gun at her head and allowed the concentrated calm to settle over him. He gazed into her eyes and saw the love shining out. If he got this wrong, he wouldn’t live long enough for her to admit her feelings for him.

Swallowing down his nerves, his hand settled and he pulled the trigger. In the split second of his reaction, he charged at Roger taking him to the ground and forcing his weapon from his dying fingers.

Kelly lay on the ground grabbing her shoulder.

Without taking the extra time to look her over, he landed a shot at the guard drawing his weapon. Arthur and the pilot were the only two left. Arthur got off a shot but Erik, pumping on adrenaline, barely felt the sting.

“So my thoughts about you were right. You’re not one of us, Mr. Coldwell. A former Army Ranger and special agent.”

Erik didn’t allow his surprise to show. He kept the gun trained on the man. Arthur reached into his pocket and withdrew another weapon. Before he had chance to fire, Erik landed two bullets. One in each leg.

He walked to the fallen man, keeping his eyes trained on the pilot, kicking away the gun as he passed.

The pilot surrendered. Erik lowered his gun as another helicopter, one he recognised and trusted whirled in the sky and started to lower.

He turned back and went to where Kelly started to sit up. “Are you okay, baby?”

She gazed at him. “I thought you were going to kill me.”

“Never. Let me have a look at that wound,” he said, pulling her hand away. While assessing his chances, he realised the only way he could get to the man holding Kelly had been to graze her body. Kelly moving and struggling meant the bullet grazed her shoulder. Blood pooled on and around the area but it was nothing to worry about.

“It stings but it doesn’t hurt all that much,” she said.

“That’s good.”

“What about you? Are you hurt?” she asked, concern filling her face and voice.

“I’m as hard as a rock, darling.” As the words left his mouth and the adrenaline flowing through his system began to mellow, he became aware of the pain in his stomach. Glancing down, he noticed a red stain on his stomach.

“Oh my God, I should have seen this. Erik, you’ve been shot.” He heard her panic but it didn’t register. Men were piling out of the police helicopter as he collapsed to the ground. Kelly was over him, her lips moving but he couldn’t hear the words.

A light buzzing pounded between his eyes and filled his ears with the sound of static.

Stray strands of hair escaped her pony tail. His arm as heavy as lead, he lifted it up and tucked a few hairs behind her ears before he couldn’t stop his eyes from closing and the sweet sense of dreamland to consume him.





Chapter Eight





Kelly watched as the special agents left her hospital room. They refused to tell her anything about Erik or how he was doing. The guy she loved took a bullet for her and still managed to get them home, yet they wouldn’t tell her if he was even alive. After everything she’d done for them, their treatment of her was nothing short of appalling. She wasn’t a criminal and she’d helped them bring her father down.

Her shoulder ached a little but nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

Trying to contain her sob, she turned her head away from the door. She wouldn’t be getting visitors anytime soon. On her bedside unit lay a tray with a cheese and pickle sandwich, a small clear glass, a jug which held some water and a plastic cup containing three pills. Two pills for her pain relief and the third the morning after pill. The tablet that would prevent any children forming from her time spent with Erik on the island. In the time they’d been there, she’d come to see it as their island.

The unfairness of her decision lay heavily on her. Her nurse had been very discrete when asking the more personal questions.

Could she do it? Kill any potential unborn child?

What if Erik died and she decided to take the pill? She’d have killed off her one possible connection to the man she loved. But what happened if after the haze of the island wore off, Erik realised he didn’t love her? She would be left with a child that did nothing but leave a bitter reminder of the magnitude of feelings she felt for the father.

Raising a baby was such a hard and long responsibility and after being under the thumb of her father, Kelly wasn’t sure if she was ready for the commitment to another human being.

She placed a hand over her belly. The small round which Erik loved playing with while they lay on the sand gazing up at the stars. Did a baby rest there? Tears formed and fell from her eyes.