"He needs someone. He needs me." Thea let go of Tori's hair, but the gun stayed at her back.
"I do." Callum took another step forward.
"He definitely needs you." Oliver moved with him and sure enough, Thea stepped back, almost to the window.
"I love you, Callum," Thea said.
Oliver saw a glint of metal in the background. It was almost time. Could Rory align the shot? Or were they too close to the mental wench?
Thea frowned. "I'm scared. I lost the baby, Callum."
Of course she had. Oliver knew this song and dance well.
Callum shook his head. "We'll have to make another one then, won't we?"
For a moment, Thea looked utterly tortured. He could almost believe she was heartbroken. "I've already done something bad. I didn't mean to hurt him, but he was trying to make me leave."
"The solicitor? He's fine." Callum wasn't letting go. "I'm sure once we write him a nice fat check, he'll agree that it was all a misunderstanding. But I think my brother is going to have a real problem with you threatening his wife. If you'll let her go, I'm sure he won't call the police."
That gun was suddenly pointing his way. "I can make certain he doesn't call the police."
Tori chose that moment to raise her leg and kick back toward Thea. The woman shuffled at impact but managed to stay on her feet, then whirl around. She pointed the gun at Tori.
Oliver leapt forward. He didn't think about anything but that bullet coming for Tori. Thea wasn't going to take hostages. She wasn't going to put her hands up and give in. She was willing to kill Tori and possibly him. He had to give Callum the chance to save their wife.
Then Oliver heard the shot. The sound blasted through the air. He hit Tori like a freight train, and for a moment was terrified he'd hurt her. His velocity forced her against the bed and he heard a loud smack.
Then a scream. Tori yelped, screeched in terror, her lovely eyes wide. Oh, god, had she been hit?
The world seemed a little hazy, but he forced himself to move, to cover her. He caught sight of blood. God. His heart pounded. Where was she hit?
There was the sound of glass breaking and he tried to cover Tori.
More screaming. He tried to move, but his arm didn't seem to be working.
Suddenly Callum was standing over him. "Rory got her. She's gone. Tori, it's all right."
"No, it's not. He's been hit. You have to get an ambulance. He's losing blood." Tori was clutching him like she wouldn't let go.
"Who?" He looked down at her. She was getting fuzzy. "Who got hit?"
Tori stared up at him, clutched his hand tightly. "You. Please … Please don't leave me."
Well, this wasn't how he'd thought his day would end. Blood. It was his. Damn. "You all right?"
She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Fine. Oliver … "
In the part of his brain still functioning, he realized this was everything Tori feared. His wife was clearly terrified. He'd just found her. He couldn't leave her.
Oliver slumped down, his head too heavy to hold up anymore. Her warmth surrounded him, but so did the darkness.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Callum glanced over at Tori as they pulled up to the gates. She sat in the backseat with Oliver, fussing over him.
Oliver was a wimp. The bullet had barely grazed him, but he'd hit his head on the side of the bed and required an overnight stay at hospital. Callum knew all too well what concussions felt like, and he know Ollie's head was throbbing. Still, his brother was milking the injury for everything it was worth. Between the small bullet wound and the hit to his head, there had been enough blood to terrify their wife.
Actually, Tori hadn't been the only one scared. He'd seen all that blood and feared Oliver could die. Again.
Thankfully, Oliver was basking in Tori's attention like a conquering hero. Rory was the man who had saved them all with one shot. And Callum was the idiot who had gotten them all in trouble in the first place.
"More reporters." Rory sighed as he stared out the limo window.
"What did you expect?" Oliver asked. "'Brothers kill stalker in their own home is a big headline. Though I have to say some of the more offbeat tabloids are amusing. According to one, Thea was an alien and she was the leader of our sex cult."
Rory just shook his head. "Mad, I tell you."
"We're lucky Rory is a good shot," Tori murmured.
"And that Oliver's got such a thick skull," Rory replied, chuckling.
Tori's hand tensed in Oliver's. He gave it a squeeze.
They hadn't talked. He'd dealt with the doctors and the police, while Tori had stayed at Oliver's side. They still hadn't discussed what had happened. The past twenty-four hours had been a hazy mess of reports and waiting, and an aching feeling in his gut that he'd lost the love of his life.