Scarlett grunted as she struggled to get free. But Vic was on top of her, and he was far too strong.
“You’ll pay for that!”
Vic’s warning came half a second before the bastard shoved the blade of that knife straight into her left side.
“Ah!” she cried out in pain.
Fire burned inside her, but still, she refused to give up.
“No!” a different male voice called out.
“Olly!” Scarlett yelled out his name.
“Leave her alone, you son of a bitch!” His voice was getting closer.
But was he close enough to save her? That was the million dollar question.
Vic turned, the look of shock priceless on his evil face. But then he looked back down at her with an expression she knew meant her imminent death. Because that look was the same one her mom had that last day at the hospital.
It was a look of acceptance when someone knew what they were about to do. Only Vic wasn’t planning on going alone. He was raising that knife, preparing to stab her again.
Because he knew he was going to Hell…and he planned to take her with him.
“Fucking no!”
Vic started to swing the blade down, straight over her heart. A shot rang out. Then another. And then a third.
The man holding her down jerked. Once. Twice. Three separate times.
It was the third and final bullet—the one that went straight through the monster’s head—that ended the bloody battle once and for all. And then…
“Scarlett!”
Olly was there, tossing her would-be killer’s body lifeless body from hers. A heartbeat later, she found herself being pulled into the warmth and safety and comfort of his arms.
“Olly!” She grabbed onto him with all she had.
Her side burned, but she somehow knew he hadn’t gone deep enough to cause any life-threatening damage. So she ignored it and held onto the man she loved with every bit of strength she had left.
“Are you okay?” Olly pulled back just enough to assess the damage. Rage filled his entire being when he saw her swollen jaw…and then the blood seeping from the wound at her side.
“I-I’m okay,” she lied.
Physically, she’d heal as good as new. But emotionally…
Agents Killion and Crenshaw joined them, along with Grady. Seeing Grady reminded her?—
“Izzy!” Scarlett practically yelled the other woman’s name. “Is she?—”
“She’s fine,” Grady assured her. “She has a concussion, and she’s a little banged up, but she’s going to be fine.”
Almost as if she were afraid to believe the good news, Scarlett looked to Olly for confirmation. He nodded his head, cupping the uninjured side of her face. “She really is okay, baby. Izzy’s good. And thank Christ, so are you.”
And then, the amazing, wonderful, surprising man blurted out the last words she ever expected to hear.
“I love you, Scarlett,” Olly whispered. “I think I fell in love with you the minute I first laid eyes on you.”
Her eyes spilled with tears. Both from residual fear…and from joy.