Chapter Thirty

Alex hadn’t witnessed Trent drag Olivia down the stairs, but she had no doubt he’d find her. Until he did, she needed to buy him some time. She faked tripping and grabbed the rail with both hands to stop her fall.

“Get the hell up, bitch,” Trent snarled.

Both of their heads snapped up when the door on the next landing opened. A man in scrubs stepped out. He paused when he saw them and swept out a hand. “After you.”

Her captor threw his arm over her shoulder and yanked her close, his grip brutal. “Appreciate it,” he said to the doctor as they passed by him. The other man’s presence slowed their progress, but all too soon, they reached the door leading outside. Trent shouldered it open while the doctor continued down. She thought she heard heavy pounding on the stairs as they proceeded outside. They just cleared the building when the door burst open behind them. “Police. Freeze.”

Her captor jerked to a stop. He hauled her in front of him and slowly turned, digging the barrel of his gun against her temple. “Drop the weapons and move back or I blow her pretty little brains out.”

“You drop the weapon,” Benson insisted, taking a step forward. “You’re caught. There is no way out of this for you.”

Olivia tried scanning the area for Alex but she didn’t see him. He was here, she knew it. She felt it. But she wasn’t helpless. She’d taken self-defense classes.

Benson and Sawyer inched closer. “Stop!” her captor ordered. “Do not come any closer. I’ll kill her and then I’ll kill you. I swear it.” He moved the gun from her head to point back and forth between the two men. Olivia seized the opportunity. She drove her elbow into his solar plexus and stomped on his foot.

“Ow, bitch,” he howled. He grabbed her hair, yanking her head back. She couldn’t stop a whimper as needles pricked her scalp. She flailed around and landed a punch to his nose, causing him to release his grip. He cocked his hand back to whip her with the butt of his gun, but his arm jerked to a stop. The gun clattered to the pavement. Alex! He swept Trent’s legs out from under him and followed him down, trapping him on the ground. Trent roared and slammed his head into Alex’s face. Alex’s head snapped back and he grunted. Trent used his distraction to roll over to fight. Bad move. Alex gripped his neck and pinned him to the ground.

“Do it,” Trent ground out. “Chicken shit. Kill me, dammit. Do it.”

For a split second, Olivia was afraid Alex would take him up on his offer. There was a feral look in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. She knew it was brought on by his intense worry for her.

“I got him, Alex,” Benson said gently.

Breathing heavy, Alex rolled off of Trent, blood pouring from a cut under his eye where the man head-butted him. Red coated his sleeve, too, so he must’ve ripped the stitches. His wild gaze scanned the area and when he spotted her, he lurched to his feet, yanked her in his arms and crushed her to his chest. “Baby, I was so worried. When I realized you were gone and then I saw the gun against your head…” Tremors racked his big body.

“Alex, I’m fine.” She placed a hand against his uninjured cheek. “I knew you’d find me.”

“Here,” Sawyer handed him a handkerchief. “You don’t need to bleed all over the pretty lady.”

Alex’s brows puckered. She took the cloth from Sawyer’s hand and gently pressed it against the cut.

“You got nothing,” Trent screamed as Benson grabbed his arms and jerked him to his stomach. He slapped on cuffs and pulled out his wallet. He flipped to the driver’s license and held it up to Alex. “Trent Charles? I thought this was Ray Smith?”

“Ray’s his roommate and accomplice,” Olivia told him.

“In that case, Trent Charles, you are under arrest.”

“Do you know who my father is?” Trent fought against the bonds. “My well-paid lawyers will have your badge for this. I’ll walk out of jail in less than an hour. You’ll see. You got nothing,” he repeated.

Sawyer indicated Olivia’s purse. “May I?” She glanced down, surprised to see it was still strapped across her shoulder. At her okay, he dug around inside and withdrew a cell. She sighed in relief that his was still intact. He crouched down next to the handcuffed man.

“What…where…” Trent’s confused gaze found her. “I crushed her phone.”

Sawyer hit play and Trent Charles’ confession played loudly.

“That’s illegal,” Trent roared. “You taped me without my consent. I’ll sue you.” A police car arrived and killed the siren, the red and blue lights reflecting off the limestone façade of the hospital. Two men got out and they hauled Charles to his feet. He fought against their hold, kicking and screaming. Somehow he managed to wrestle one of the officer’s guns from the holster even with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Time slowed and sound ceased. Trent spun around, the gun behind his back. His grin was malevolent. He aimed at Olivia and fired. She didn’t have time to react. One minute, she was standing in Alex’s embrace, the next she was stumbling across the blacktop to land on her hands and knees in the grass. She twisted around and watched in horror as the bullet slammed into Alex’s chest. His arms flew out and he staggered backwards a few steps before his knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.