Their Virgin Secretary (Masters of Ménage #6)(137)

They only had Gates to contend with, but the fucker had a gun and he wouldn't hesitate to use it. Kellan was fairly certain the only reason he hadn't killed Tate yet was that he'd chosen the big guy as a scapegoat. He was likely going to make it look like a murder-suicide. Belle and Tate would need to die in the proper order for that. As a lawyer, Gates would know what the forensics guys would be looking for.



       
         
       
        

As he moved up the next set of stairs, Kellan envisioned how he would plan it. He would keep Belle alive, searching for whatever he was looking for. Then he would make sure her prints were on the gun, residue found on her hands when they killed Tate. He'd force her to write a suicide note and hang her himself, just like the house legends.

Or they could do the opposite, and have Tate "kill" Belle in a fit of jealousy.

Either scenario was logical, but that plan wasn't going to work.

He was on the stairs to the third floor when Gates started talking again. "Maybe I don't need such an elaborate setup. I can kill you and the one downstairs and make it look as if one of your other lovers couldn't take the jealousy. Your freaky living arrangements will play in my favor."

Kellan picked up the pace because he didn't like the sound of that. He took the rest of the stairs at a jog. Then it happened.

A crack split the air. Gunfire. It was so loud. It made Kellan's blood run cold.

He took the final steps at a dead run because surprise didn't matter anymore. He had to get to her, had to find her, save her.

He heard someone on the stairs behind him. Eric, who apparently refused to wait either. Kellan couldn't expect him to stand around when someone was firing a gun at Belle. At least he would have some form of backup. If Gates shot him, perhaps Eric could finish the job and save their girl.

It felt damn good to know he wouldn't be alone. No matter what happened to him, someone would take care of their family.

He shouldered into the room with the full force of his body and darted right past Gates, who never saw his face.

"Mike?"

Thank god he and the electrician were roughly the same size and had the same coloring. Kellan had just one shot.

He turned, raised his gun, and fired in one move.

He wasn't a cop. He wasn't a damn sharpshooter. He'd barely handled a gun before and instead of hitting the asshole's chest, he only managed to get Gates's left arm-not even the one holding the gun.

Gates gasped but lifted that weapon and fired.

Kellan felt something shove him. Someone. Just as the bullet would have hit his chest, someone he couldn't see threw him, and he fell to the side and hit the ground on one knee, pain exploding along his leg.

"Kellan!" a feminine voice screamed.

Belle. He whirled to the sound of her voice. She looked terrified and worried, but she was alive. And that made her so beautiful to him.

Kellan lifted the gun again and fired, aiming at Gates. He could see Eric moving through the door, trying to sneak up behind the bastard. Just a few seconds more.

As he fired, he felt something hit his shoulder. There was a burst of pure fire across his skin before an odd numbness settled into his bones and the gun clattered from his hand. 

"Stupid fuck." Gates was bleeding but still on his feet. "I'm going to kill you all."

He stood over Kellan, pointing the gun straight at his heart. Kellan swallowed, couldn't breathe. It felt like there was a hundred pound weight sitting on his chest.

"I already called the cops." He forced the words out. He couldn't move his damn hand, but he could buy Eric a second or two. All that mattered was Belle.

The sirens were growing closer, the wail distinct now.

Gates's eyes narrowed. "Fuck. You stupid son of a bitch! Now I just have to kill you faster. Mike!"

"He's dead. And Helena is passed out. You're alone," Kellan warned.

Gates leveled the gun. Then suddenly, his head snapped forward, his eyes glazing over.

Eric stood behind him, the umbrella in his hand. He might have been a football player before, but the man could bat like a fucking pro.

His partner. His friend.

Gates fell to the side, and Eric kicked both of the guns out of the way and raced toward him.

Suddenly, Belle was there too, tears in her gorgeous eyes. "Oh, god, Gates shot his lung. What do we do?"

Kell could hear the panic in her voice, but the world seemed to be retreating. Darkness started at the edge of his peripheral vision and began clouding his sight.

And that was when he saw them. Three women. They stood behind Eric. One was older, but still incredibly beautiful. She wore a pretty white dress and a delicate straw hat on her head. Belle would look like this woman one day, when age had matured her, giving her a countenance of beautiful wisdom. Two younger women stood beside her. They were also dressed in white, though they seemed to be wearing clothing from an earlier decade. They looked like sisters.