It also left her chin exposed, which she soon learned was the bastard’s intent.
Shoving the barrel of his gun beneath her chin, Emma cried out as the cold metal cut into her skin. A stream of warm blood began a slow descent down the side of her neck.
“Ah!” Emma winced as he pushed the gun against her even harder.
“You son of a bitch.” Trace took a menacing step forward. In a low, lethal tone she’d never heard him use, flames of warning burned behind his deadly gaze. “Hurt her again, and I swear to God, I will shoot you where you stand.”
“No you won’t,” the cocky asshole taunted him. “Like you said, she’s my only way out.”
I have to get free. If I don’t, he’ll kill us both.
Emma’s mind raced as the two men remained in the deadly standoff. She thought about the crime shows she’d watched, both fiction and real-life.
It didn’t take long for her to devise a plan.
The move was one she’d seen countless times on TV. She had no earthly idea if it actually worked, but she knew she had to try.
“Trace, take the shot!” She tried bringing his attention back to her.
But his eyes never left the man holding her hostage.
Think, Ems. Think! You have to say something to make him look at you.
Only one thing came to mind. It was crazy and made absolutely no sense. Which was exactly what she needed.
Heart pounding painfully inside her chest, Emma held off the urge to vomit as she prayed her plan would work.
With a deep breath, Emma stared back at Trace and blurted, “I love you!”
His eyes shot to hers. “What?”
“Ah, isn’t that sweet?” The man behind her mocked.
It’s now or never.
“I said, I love you.” Emma sent Trace a hard look down and to the side. “So...I really,reallyneed you to... take...the...shot!”
Everything began moving in slow motion.
Emma lifted her right foot up. She then slammed the heel of her dress shoe into the top of her attacker’s foot with as much force as she possibly could.
The asshole cried out, his gun sliding away from her chin as his body buckled in pain.
Using the move to her advantage, Emma then pushed the man’s hand to the side, the tight grip on her hair loosening enough she could ducked her body slightly to the left.
His gun went off, the bullet flying wild into the TV mounted on her wall.
Another loud bang immediately followed as Trace fired his weapon.Thatbullet hit its target with perfection.
Her attacker jerked behind her as a light shower of warm blood splattered across the right side of Emma’s face. And then she was falling.
“Emma!” Trace yelled for her as she was pulled to the floor by a dead man.
She landed on top of him, sprawled awkwardly across his body. Needing to get as far away from him as possible, she shot to her knees and scrambled away.
“Oh, my god!” She fell on her ass, leaning her back against the nearest wall.
Her entire body trembled, her chest heaving with rough, uneven breaths. As she sat there, unable to truly process what had just happened, Emma was certain she was about to either pass out or throw up. Maybe both.