Hard As Ice (Fortis Series 1) (29 page)

Nia turned to look at him.

“Nigel, you don’t have to do this. It’s not too late to stop.”

“Do you think I’m stupid, Nia? I know you’re trying to stall,” he declared with a smug look on his face. “It’s not going to work. That security guard of yours is out cold in the bathroom, and the blond chick is lying right next to him. And if anyone else shows up, I’ll just shoot them. Do you understand? So, shut up and open the safe.”

Nia gasped, her brain racing. Maybe she should just attack him, she thought. Put some of the kickboxing to use. Maybe she could at least knock the gun out of his hands, make a run for it.

But his grip on the weapon and the look in his eyes said he wouldn’t hesitate to stop her in any way necessary.

“Okay, okay. I’ll do it. Just don’t hurt anyone else, Nigel. It’s not worth it,” Nia pleaded.

“I’m glad you finally understand.”

She turned back to the safe, her fingers ready to press the buttons.

“Did you know they were going to kill me?” she whispered, suddenly turning back to him. “Was that part of you big master plan? My life for a million dollars?”

If she was going to die, she wanted to know the truth. She wanted to see just how much he had betrayed her.

He had the decency to look away.

“Of course not, Nia. I didn’t mean for it to come to this,” he explained. “But the other guys panicked when they heard you asking questions and trying to figure things out. So they decided to get rid of you, like that security guard, Flannigan. I didn’t even know about it until it was too late.”

Nia let out a sob, so heartbroken she couldn’t breathe.

“But you have no one to blame but yourself, Nia,” he continued with renewed frustration. “I warned you. I warned you, but you didn’t listen.”

“Nigel, please,” she begged.

“Now open the safe! Or I swear to God, I’m going to shoot you. Somewhere soft and painful, Nia. Don’t think I won’t do it.”

Nia swallowed, turning to face the large vault built into the wall of the building. She punched in the six-digit digital code that only she knew as part of the new system implemented by Fortis. The light on the access pad blinked red, and beeped. It didn’t open.

“What did you do?” he demanded, pulling on the safe door to test it. “What did you do?”

“Nothing!” Nia insisted. “I must have made a mistake.”

“Do it again. This is your last chance, Nia.”

Nia punched the numbers in again, her hand shaking from nervous fear. The pad beeped red twice, then green. The safe was unlocked. She almost collapsed with relief. Nigel shoved her out of the way to swing the door open and Nia stumbled, hitting her back against the wall.

It was over, Nigel had what he wanted. And now Evan would know that she had been responsible for the robbery after all. Not once, but twice.

“I’m sorry, Nia. But I can’t leave you to lead them straight to me again,” he was saying, his voice sounding tired, but his aim was firm and sure. “I wish I didn’t have to do this, but there is no other way. I’m not going to prison again.”

Nia closed her eyes and held her breath. She was out of time.

The deafening
pop
was the last thing Nia heard before being enveloped in black nothingness.

Three minutes. That’s how long it took Evan to get to the gallery. The limo driver did his best to rush through the evening traffic, shaving off crucial seconds in the route. They pulled into the alley behind the building, stopping in front of the loading bay to the warehouse. Lucas was still on the phone, talking to Evan through a wireless earpiece the whole time, providing all the details he could from his surveillance and security access.

There was a first attempt to unlock the safe, but it didn’t work.

Evan jumped out of the backseat of the car before the tires stopped rolling. Gun drawn, he ran up to the building and was inside the rear entrance to the warehouse within seconds. With a sharp focus, he crept his way silently against the wall toward where he knew the safe was located.

His breathing was hard, but everything else was crystal clear.

“Nia has opened the safe,” Lucas stated in his ear.

Evan heard a voice echoing through the big space. The words were chilling. He ran faster, turned a corner, and had both people in his line of sight. His subconscious took in everything. Nia pressed against the wall next to the safe. Nigel St. Clair standing in front of the unlocked safe with a gun pointed from a straight arm. Driven by experience, training, and instinct, Evan fired one shot even as he was running full speed at them.

Nigel’s gun also went off just as he screamed and dropped the weapon. Evan’s bullet had torn into his shoulder. Evan ignored him as he slid up to Nia, catching her by the shoulder as she fell to the floor. The side of her skull was slick with blood, oozing against his palm as he cradled her head.

His brain froze, his breathing stopped. He was too late. Nigel had shot her.

“Nia?” he whispered hoarsely. “Nia!”

She didn’t respond.

Evan gasped, looking down at the woman he loved, still, lifeless. The pain that cut through him was staggering, immobilizing. He swept his eyes over her prone form, desperate for a sign of life. Somewhere behind him, he heard Nigel moaning and sirens approaching. The local police were then finally on-site, securing the scene.

How bad is the bullet wound?
Evan examined Nia again, his eyes sharper, more focused. He gently pulled her body to him, searched her other side and back. His hands shook with the effort to stay calm. He inspected the nasty gash that ran along the right side of her head, behind her ear. It was from the graze of a bullet, fired at close range.

Evan wanted to feel relieved, to have hope that she would be okay. But the wound looked deep and there was so much blood. It now coated his hands and was smeared on his clothes. It was too much. She was so still.

The ambulance arrived moments later. Evan pulled it together enough to show his credentials and give a statement. The next few hours were a blur.

His team arrived at the hospital with Lucas and Sam sometime later that evening. Nia was in surgery, and they found Evan sitting in the waiting room.

“Any news?” Sam asked as the five men surrounded his slouched form.

Evan only shook his head. The words were stuck in his throat, chocked by the giant growth lodged in his trachea.

“The police found the bullet. He had only fired the one round, and it looks like it grazed Nia before lodging in the wall.”

They all absorbed the words, understanding the significance. Nia had been a hairbreadth away from certain death.

“What about Emma and the security guard?” Lucas asked.

“They’ll be okay. A little bruised from the ordeal. Looks like St. Clair pistol-whipped them both when he arrived.”

“I’ll get us some drinks,” stated Tony as the others took seats or standing positions to continue the silent vigil.

As another hour passed, Evan started pacing. The wait was excruciating. He tried to use every technique he knew to remain calm, clear his mind, empty his brain, but nothing worked. His thoughts were filled with every image of Nia. The first time he looked at her picture, noting the dark, chocolate brown eyes. The moment she passed in front of his car with traffic stopping around her. The electrical charge that shot through him when he touched her hand to shake it.

The fireworks when he kissed her that first time, out on the hotel-room terrace.

That yellow dress, draping her body with perfection, hugging every wonderful curve. The sight of it falling to the ground, revealing her naked flesh.

Her laugh, full and unabashed. The cute snort she sometimes gave.

Red lipstick, and dark lined eyes. Gorgeous firm legs, in sexy-as-hell shoes. Her hair, loose and wavy around her shoulders.

The feel of her climaxing over the thrust of his flesh. The soft moans from her throat.

He couldn’t stop the thoughts, the memories, the details from clogging his mind until he couldn’t think of anything but her. She was all there was for him, the only thing he knew to be truly meaningful. She was his life. And without her, he would be lost.

Evan paced some more, holding back the need to scream at the pain, destroy everything in reach, or curl into a ball like a baby.

At some point, he felt Lucas stop beside him. His friend rested an assuring hand on his shoulder, as though trying to share the burden.

“She’s going to be okay, man. Nia’s strong, she’s a fighter. You know she won’t give up.”

Evan nodded. That’s what he hoped.

“I can’t lose her, Luc,” he whispered hoarsely.

“You won’t,” assured Lucas.

“It would destroy me,” Evan finally confessed, blinking back the wetness that filled his eyes. “She’s . . .”

He couldn’t say it. It was too hard. Lucas just patted his shoulder, nodding. The two friends stood like that for long moments.

“Mr. DaCosta?

Evan turned to face the doctor.

“How is she?” Lucas asked for him. The rest of the team stepped forward like a line of giant sentinels.

“Ms. James is through surgery, and is now in stable condition. We stopped the bleeding and closed the laceration. The MRI showed no sign of traumatic brain injury. But she has more swelling than I’d like and has lost a lot of blood. The next few hours will be critical to her prognosis,” the doctor explained. “We’ve just moved her to an observation room.”

“Can I see her?” Evan asked, his hands thrust deep in his front pockets.

“Briefly. Due to her injury, it’s uncertain if she’ll wake up when the anesthesia wears off. She’ll need as much rest as possible to allow the swelling to reduce. We’ll do some additional tests once she’s awake.”

Evan nodded.

“Thanks, Doc,” Lucas replied.

The six men followed the physician down the hall until they reached Nia’s room. Only Evan went in. It was dark. The beeping heart monitor reminded him of the last time they were in that same hospital, waiting for her to awaken. It felt like so long ago, like he’d already loved her for a lifetime. And it was not nearly enough.

He walked to the side of the hospital bed to look down at her sleeping form. Her head was wrapped with a thick, white bandage, underscoring the seriousness of her condition. There was so much he wanted to say to her.

“Nia,” he whispered, brushing his thumb over the curve of her cheek. “I should never have left. You needed me and I should have been here, with you, protecting you. I’ll never forgive myself. You’re the most precious thing I’ve ever had, and I failed to keep you safe.”

Evan squeezed his eyes closed, clenching his jaw tight, then bent down and brushed his lips over her forehead. Turning away with his head bent low, he took another minute to get it together. A nurse entered the room, signaling that it was time for him to leave. He lowered his head to hers again, until he was close enough to whisper in her ear.

“I’ll be right here when you wake up. I’m staying for as long as you need me.”

Nia heard the soft promise, somewhere in the cushioned subconsciousness of anesthesia. His other words swirled around her, creating a comforting haven in a gray void. She tried to blink, move, acknowledge his words, but the tired, sleepy darkness pulled her back down into its depth.

Her next moment of awareness was dominated by mechanical sounds. Beeping monitors, muffled alarms, and electronic voices over a dated intercom system. Nia managed to crack her eyes open. The room was dark, still, and empty except for a tall, large figure standing next to the bed, looking out the window. She tried to move, but it was too hard. Her limbs wouldn’t cooperate, her mouth couldn’t move. She sighed, and the figure turned. But sleepiness overtook her again until it carried her away.

“Nia? Nia, are you awake?”

She blinked at the urgent sound. Light filtered into her vision, almost too bright to handle. Nia tried to lift her hand to shield her eyes, but her arms could barely move. She moaned in surprise.

“It’s okay, don’t try to move,” instructed the female voice.

“Lianne,” she croaked through a dry throat and cracked lips.

“It’s me, I’m here. Don’t move, okay? I’m going to get the nurse.”

Nia nodded, closing her eyes again. Why did everything take such an effort?

“Hi, Ms. James, how are you feeling?” asked a nurse as she approached the bed. This time, Nia was able to see more clearly, getting used to the light.

“Hmmm,” was all she could manage in response.

“Have something to drink, Nia,” Lianne offered from the other side of the bed. She had a large cup of water in her hand, a bent straw sticking out of it. Nia sipped the cool liquid as instructed. It was heaven.

“We’re happy to see you awake,” the nurse added as she looked at the various monitors and inspected the IV drip. “The doctor will be in shortly to have a look at you.”

Nia turned to look at her friend when they were alone. Every move felt like it was through thick mud.

“What happened?” she managed to ask.

“You don’t remember anything?” Lianne questioned back.

“Nigel. Shot me?”

Nia’s eyes opened wide with realization.

“Yes,” replied Lianne. “It was only a graze. But Evan took him down.”

“Evan? How? I heard the gun go off . . .” Nia mumbled. Evan saved her? “Where is he?”

“He went to take a shower, change his clothes. Those partners of his almost had to remove him by force,” Lianne explained. “How do you feel? You’ve been in and out for almost twenty-four hours. We were starting to get worried.”

“What? What time is it?”

“Almost four o’clock. It’s Wednesday.”

Nia closed her eyes shocked that she’d lost a whole day of her life.

“Are you in pain?” continued Lianne. “Does your head hurt?”

Nia suddenly noticed the numb sensation at the side of her skull. She reached up slowly, feeling the thick bandage that seemed to wrap completely around her head.

“They repaired the gash from the bullet in surgery,” added Lianne. “I was so worried about you, Nia! Why do you keep getting yourself in these messes?”

It was meant to be a teasing comment, but Nia could now see the bruising under her friend’s red eyes. She had been crying.

“I promise it won’t happen again,” Nia replied, doing her best to lighten the mood.

“Good! Because, it’s just too much drama for me to handle.”

Nia closed her eyes, just breathing, feeling her body, getting used to being alive and lucid.

“Do you know what happened to Nigel?” she finally asked.

“I heard that Evan shot him in the shoulder. He’ll live, apparently, but he’s in police custody. The official charge is armed robbery. It was all over the news.”

“Oh, no! After everything we did to keep this quiet,” Nia moaned.

“Well, it sounded like a good news story to me. The reporter said the robbery was foiled by you and the private security firm Worthington had hired in advance of the much anticipated auction in August.”

“Really? Wow. That’s not so bad, I guess,” conceded Nia.

“Not bad! It’s publicity gold. They even had a follow-up piece on the Crimson Amazon, showing pictures of Lady Di wearing it with Dodi before her death. If I didn’t know better, I would think you had planned the whole clever thing.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not that good.”

They smiled at each other.

“Drink some more water,” Lianne instructed, and Nia obeyed.

Evan returned less than an hour later, wearing fresh clothes and smelling like soap and aftershave. Nia drank in the sight of him, including the tired look in his eyes.

He nodded at Lianne before looking down at Nia.

“The doctor says you’re progressing well,” he stated in a deep voice, stiff and formal. “That’s good news.”

Nia smiled tightly, confused by his aloofness. Disappointment gripped her stomach. Had she imagined his words? Was it only a dream? Wishful thinking while under drugs?

“Yes,” she replied simply, tongue-tied for anything else to say.

“Good. You gave us all a scare.”

“That’s what I told her,” Lianne threw in as she collected her things. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll check in on you later this evening, Nia.”

The slim blonde leaned over and gave Nia a kiss on the cheek.

“Bye, Lianne.”

Then she was alone with Evan.

“How are Emma and the security guard, Stan, doing? Are they okay?” she asked first.

“They’ll be fine. The doctors checked them out last night,” he told her.

“Lianne told me what happened. That you saved me from Nigel.” Evan clenched his jaw but was otherwise stoic, his expression hard as ice. “How did you know? How did you get there so fast?”

“We still had admin access to the security system. You triggered an alarm when you and Nigel were still in the warehouse after six o’clock without using an authorization code. And I was already on my way to the gallery. I knew you would never leave me waiting for you without calling, unless there was a problem.”