Sarah turned. Finally, the police. Her lungs flattened with relief.
A woman dressed all in black stepped into the studio. She stopped short and pointed a pistol at Leonard. “Who the fuck are you?”
Sarah started at the sound of Morgan’s voice.
Leonard jumped, swung his gun around, and aimed at Morgan.
Sarah sucked in a breath as her gaze dashed over Morgan. She had dark hair and held a pistol. None of it made sense, but all that mattered now was staying alive. “Be careful, Morgan. He’s dangerous.”
Morgan shot a glance at her. “Who is this prick?”
Leonard tapped his foot on the floor and addressed Morgan. “You again.” His face twisted in disgust. “Why do you keep showing up places you shouldn’t be? You can’t be here right now. You’re in-ter-rup-ting my speech.”
Morgan strutted farther into the room. They formed a triangle now, Leonard to Sarah’s left and Morgan to her right. Neither within reach. Both with their weapons aimed at each other.
Sweat dripped into Sarah’s eyes, distorting her vision. She squinted at Morgan. “Why are you dressed like that and carrying a gun?”
Morgan scoffed. “I came to settle a little score. But it looks like he almost beat me to it.”
“I should have taken care of you before. Leave. I need to finish this speech,” Leonard said.
“Are you for real?” Morgan laughed. A deep, throaty sound. “You must be the fucking stalker. Oh, the irony. I can’t take it.” She laughed harder and held her stomach with her free hand. “You’re here. All the shit I’ve done to make this Baker bitch think you were here, and you actually fucking are here.”
Sarah blinked. Her pulse accelerated, thudding in her neck. Somehow, Morgan knew about the stalker.
“Baker?” Leonard cocked his head.
“Oh, that’s right. I meant Cooper. Sorry.” Morgan snickered. “Baker’s her alias. Anything else you need to know about, little man?”
Cooper. Her real name. A shiver of apprehension crawled up Sarah’s spine. Morgan wasn’t here to help. She’d come with a gun and seemed surprised to find Leonard in the studio. Not to mention calling Sarah a bitch. Oh God. She had two crazy people out to do her harm. Yanking harder on the ribbons, she struggled to free her hands.
Leonard took a step toward Morgan. “I know plenty. After I saw you sneak into Sarah’s house, I followed you. I know where you live, what you do, and the kind of car you drive. What were you doing in her place?”
Morgan’s mouth curved. “Your job. Stealing her license and underwear, messing with her stuff, spraying cologne around the place. I even wrote a letter to her family to scare the shit out of everyone. I’m a better stalker than you are. You should be fucking kissing my feet right now. What have you been doing? Hanging around spying on her and jerking off? You’re the most pitiful stalker ever.”
Sarah stiffened. So she hadn’t forgotten about cleaning the dishes and locking the door. Morgan had been in her suite. But why would she do all those things? Sarah should have trusted her instincts more and known someone had been in her home.
Leonard’s hand shook as his eyes reduced to slits behind his glasses. “I’m not a stalker. She was my true love until she betrayed me. Now you’re spoiling everything. Leave, or else.”
“Or else what? Please.” Morgan rolled her eyes. “You owe me. I just saved your miserable scrawny ass. What do you think would have happened to you if I hadn’t texted Sarah’s phone to send Bruce on a wild goose chase?”
“That was you?” The words escaped before Sarah could stop them. Shit. She hadn’t meant to draw their attention.
“Yes, dear.” Morgan swaggered closer. “I got your number when I borrowed his phone to check the map for directions on our trip from hell.”
Leonard straightened. “I owe you nothing. I had this all planned out. The man always left a few minutes after dropping her off. This is the last time I’m going to ask you to please vacate the premises so I can finish my speech.”
Sarah twisted her wrists together and tucked her thumbs in. Leonard probably didn’t know she was double jointed. Many dancers were. The ribbons loosened, and her stomach vaulted.
Morgan kept the gun trained on Leonard. “The man? You don’t even know his name? Let me clue you in. It’s Bruce Murphy, and he’s a big freaking force to be reckoned with. Used to be a Navy SEAL. You ever heard of them?”
Leonard shrugged. “Yes. So what? I’m the one with the power. I can hack into any computer system.”
“Oh good.” Morgan nodded. “That’s great, you little nerd. Only, I don’t see a laptop in the room, and if you had taken one step in here with that peashooter of yours, he’d have shoved it down your skinny throat and shot it out your uptight ass. Seeing that would be worth the price of admission.”
“You’re crass, rude, and disrespectful. How did you even get in here?”
“Twinkle Toes isn’t too careful with her keys.” Morgan snorted. “Twice I stole and copied them. First the suite key, and then the studio. I hired someone to keep tabs on her. What did you do, sit in poison ivy and scratch your ass while staring at her from the woods?”
Jesus. Sarah’s ears burned. Morgan had it out for her from the beginning, for no reason Sarah could come up with. She’d run from one raving whacko right into another.
Leonard blinked rapidly, and his eyebrow ticked. “I want you to leave now. I must deliver my speech before I kill her. This is very disruptive.”
Morgan took a step back and waved a hand at Sarah. “Go ahead. I’d love to hear this speech of yours. I hadn’t expected such entertainment. But when you’re done, it’s my turn to have a say, and then I’m going to kill her.”
Sarah’s mouth went dry. Why would Morgan want to kill her?
Leonard shook his head. “No. She needs to be punished by me. And you can’t shoot her. It would be too messy.”
Morgan looked at Sarah. “Where’d you get this whack-a-mole? I wish I’d met him earlier so we could have really had some fun with you.”
Sarah said nothing and kept the appearance of her body in submission. Behind her back, she forced her knuckles together and one hand slid out of the ribbons. Her heart leaped.
Leonard’s mouth pursed. “This simply won’t do. I planned this and you are—”
“Boring me now.” Morgan’s finger twitched on the trigger. “She’s mine to kill. My revenge. No one’s taking that from me. I’m giving you one second to go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, or you’ll die with her.”
Sarah’s chest compressed to the point she couldn’t breathe.
“Die with her?” Leonard frowned and cocked his head as if considering it. “Would I still get to say my speech?”
Morgan smacked her forehead with her palm. “Is it that fucking important to you?”
“I spent considerable time writing and memorizing it.”
Sarah swept her head back and forth between the two of them as if watching a tennis match. She followed the insane conversation and waited for a chance to make a move. The police had to be coming. Unless she’d hung up too soon.
“Fine. Then, go ahead.” Morgan blew out a breath.
Leonard opened his mouth, then closed it before shaking his head. “No. This is not how I planned it. You need to—”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Morgan stamped a foot.
With neither of them looking at her, this was Sarah’s chance. She whipped her hands out from behind her and lunged for Morgan’s gun.
Morgan spun and kept a grip on it, trying to turn it on Sarah.
Sarah smashed her wrist against Morgan’s, and the pistol fired.