Chapter 11 - THE SHOT
The bullet hit the wall.
Elena threw herself down.
Preston screamed.
Vanessa ran.
“Elena!”
So much for hiding.
Preston looked toward the doorway.
“There you are.”
Elena ran.
Vanessa caught up beside her.
“You could’ve stayed quiet!”
“You screamed my name!”
“I panicked!”
“Great timing!”
They sprinted through the service corridor.
A second gunshot echoed behind them.
Stone exploded near Elena’s shoulder.
“Left!” she shouted.
Vanessa followed.
“How do you know this place?”
“I clean it!”
They reached the laundry passage.
Elena slammed a metal door behind them.
Vanessa pushed a cart in front of it.
Both women stood panting.
Then Elena turned and slapped her.
Hard.
Vanessa stumbled.
“What the hell?”
“That was for my daughter.”
Vanessa touched her cheek.
“You’re insane.”
“And that was only one thing.”
The door shook behind them.
Preston hit it.
Vanessa grabbed Elena’s arm.
“We can fight later.”
Elena jerked free.
“We are not fighting. You framed me for eighty-seven million dollars.”
“I know.”
“You planted cameras in my house.”
“I know.”
“You tried to destroy my life.”
“I know!”
For the first time Vanessa’s voice cracked.
She looked frightened.
Not polished.
Not superior.
Just frightened.
“I know what I did.”
Elena stared at her.
“Why?”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“You think there’s one good answer?”
“I think you owe me one.”
Another hit against the door.
Vanessa whispered, “Money.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
“And?”
“Fear.”
“Of Preston?”
“Of being poor again.”
Elena almost laughed.
“You mocked my daughter because you were afraid of being poor?”
Vanessa looked away.
“My father died owing millions. Everything people thought we owned was debt.”
“So you found Damian.”
“Yes.”
“You loved him?”
Vanessa didn’t answer.
That answer was worse than no.
Then the metal door bent inward.
Elena grabbed Vanessa.
“Move!”
They ran.
At the end of the passage, they crashed into Damian.
He raised a gun, then immediately lowered it.
“Elena!”
Relief crossed his face.
Then he saw Vanessa.
“What is she doing here?”
“Long story.”
Preston appeared behind them.
“Damian!”
Everyone turned.
Preston fired.
Damian pushed Elena aside.
The bullet struck him.
He went down.
Elena screamed.
“DAMIAN!”
She dropped beside him.
Blood spread across his shirt near the shoulder.
Vanessa grabbed a brass fire extinguisher and swung it at Preston.
He ducked.
Harris came from the opposite corridor.
“Police! Drop it!”
Preston fired again.
Harris returned fire.
Preston disappeared through a service door.
Vanessa sank against the wall.
Elena pressed both hands against Damian’s wound.
“Stay with me.”
He grimaced.
“I’m not dying.”
“Shut up.”
“That’s encouraging.”
“Damian!”
His face went pale.
Elena’s hands were covered in blood.
He looked up at her.
“Mia?”
“Safe.”
“Good.”
“Stop talking.”
He smiled weakly.
“You’re very bossy for an employee.”
She stared at him.
“Seriously?”
“Bad timing?”
“The worst.”
His eyes started closing.
Elena slapped his cheek lightly.
“Hey. No. Look at me.”
He opened them again.
“There you go.”
Then Damian whispered something she almost didn’t hear.
“If I don’t—”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“No.”
“Take care of—”
“You are not giving me a dying billionaire speech in a basement.”
He gave a weak laugh.
May you like
Then lost consciousness.
And somewhere beyond the corridor, Mia screamed for her mother.
