“This time I will win.” Ackerman holds the remote detonator high, flipping the cap on the trigger with his thumb. “This time you will be the one who loses everything.”
Slowly, I shake my head while keeping my eyes trained on the detonator. “I don’t think so.”
“Clearly, thinking’s not your strong suit,” he says.
“Bugger off, you elitist snob.” Quickly taking aim, I shoot him in the middle of the forehead, the bullet opening the back of his head as it exits. Nasty buggers, these bullets.
But they do the job.
His body stands in suspended animation for far longer than I like, so I shoot him again in the chest. Finally he goes down, hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
I move to Ackerman and stand over him.
He stares up at me with sightless eyes. Blood trickles from the side of his mouth. Most of his brain is spattered on the wall behind his body, a grotesque Rorschach blot in which all I see is victory.
I kick at his arm, but he doesn’t move. “That’s right, you bastard, you better stay dead.” Unfortunately, bad guys keep turning up like a bad penny, as the Americans like to say. I raise my gun to shoot him again.
“Max!” Philippa screams, stopping me. “It’s not stopped.”
My eyes widen in horror. Only two minutes to go.
“Oh fuck.”
Dropping my gun, I rush to her, grabbing her hands to keep her from clawing at the vest. Kneeling on the hard ground before her so she focuses on me, I say, “Stop. It will go off, remember?”
Her fingers freeze and I kiss each one before moving them out of my way. “I’m sorry, Max,” she whimpers. “I wasn’t thinking.”
Looking up at her, I wink. “You’re forgiven.”
Her smile is watery.
“Now,” I begin confidently, “all I have to do is take a single wire out and we’re done here. I’ll have you home in time for tea.”
“I hate tea,” she whispers.
“Forever our secret.” Fixing my eyes on the detonator, I set to taking it apart.
“What can I do to help?” she asks.
My brave Pippa, always the lady for the job. I glance up at her. “Tell me your memory of the day we met.”
A laugh escapes her. “Are you serious?”
I force a grin. “Quite.”
She licks her lips. “It was spring. I was leaving class and you bumped into me.”
I turn my attention back to the task at hand, my fingers shaking as I pry open the outer case. “Not how I remember it.”
“Concentrate, Maxim,” she orders. “As I was saying, we bumped into one another, and all my things scattered.”
“Naturally, I helped you pick them up.”
“Naturally,” she agrees. “At one time, I thought you the most perfect gentleman.”
I grin, even as my heart pounds and my chest tightens. “Which is why you didn’t give me a second look once I rescued your precious papers.”
“The motorcycle did help,” she murmurs.
“The leather jacket and sneer as well?”
“Your confidence is what attracted me the most.”
“And the fact that your parents couldn’t stand me.” Three wires are all that stand in my way: blue, green, or red. “Your dear mother was horrified you’d thrown over a proper gent like Prince Deo.”
Pippa’s legs begin to tremble, then her teeth start to chatter. “I didn’t want to marry him. He wasn’t my choice.”
“Almost done, love. Down to three wires.” I peer at her from beneath my brows. “Brave woman, it’s almost over.”
The timer hits the fifty second mark.
A sharp gasp leaves her.
My heart slams against my chest.
“Stop looking at the timer, Pippa. Tell me the exact moment you fell in love with me.”
“I’d rather face the timer,” she says dryly before clearing her throat.
“Fine, then I’ll tell you my exact moment. It was at Cotton House.”
“In the Maldives?”
“Yes.”
“But we weren’t together, then. I’d sent you away.”
“Like that was going to stop me. I knew you only did so to be the dutiful daughter.” I snap the green wire in half and nothing happens. “In any case, you were wearing your mother’s sari. It was dyed the color of the ocean and threaded with gold. Your beautiful hands were covered in henna and gold bangles adorned your wrists.” I glance up at her. “We made good use of those later that night.”
She blushes. “You fell in love with me on the night of my wedding to another man?”
“Wasn’t I there to stop said wedding?” I ask, then continue taking apart the blasted detonator. Sweat gathers at the small of my back. “I took one look at you and saw my future.”
“Those are very lovely words.”
“Very true words.”
“I’m trying to be brave, Maxim. Trying very hard, but time is running out.”
“I know, my love, but we’re on our own again.”
“Please.”
“Blue or red,” I mutter, my fingers wrapped around the red wire.
Ten.
Nine.
“Just pull a bloody wire,” Philippa screams. Tears stream down her cheeks as our eyes meet. This could be the last time I ever see her in this life. “Do it, Maxim. I trust you.”
Five.
Four.
Blue, like the color of her sari… Blue is our future. “Blue.” Letting go of the red wire, I rip out the blue one and pull her into my embrace. If she goes, we both go.
The countdown stops at two seconds.
I open one eye and look around. We’re still in one piece.
“Hell, yes!” I shout at the rafters of the church.
A couple of birds take flight, squawking their displeasure.
“Oh, thank God.” Philippa’s knees buckle and she starts to fall. I go down with her, easing her landing before working at the vest secured around her.
“It’s okay, my love. It’s over.”
“I knew you would save me, Maxim.” She cups my cheek. “I never lost faith in you.”
Easing the vest off her shoulders, I place it carefully beside her. Once it’s off, she launches herself into my arms. “Please take me home with you,” Philippa pleads, sagging against me.
Hope surges inside of me. “There’s nothing I want more, but you need to be examined.”
“I’m fine,” she insists. “Please, Maxim. I can’t take another minute of this place. Call whomever you need to clean up, but for the love of God, take me home.”
I brush a kiss over her trembling lips. “Right this minute,” I agree and take her hand in mine.
Together, we walk out of the church and into a perfectly rainy London afternoon.