Night Is Darkest by Jayne Rylon (books recommended by bts .TXT) 📕

way, along with these meddling assholes and—of course—you, sweetie, I’ll be back in business. But it pisses me off that you’ve made me break my favorite toy. I suppose it’s only fair that I break yours, too.”

“If you really think you’re going to get away with this, you’re crazier than I thought!” Lacey tempted the woman to charge her. She couldn’t flash the gun until she was sure the guys were out of range. She had to believe they were all right. She’d only heard one shot. Hadn’t she?

“Who’s going to stop me?” Gina stalked closer. When she’d reached the foot of the bed, Tyler lurched up and made a grab for her waist. Lacey raised her gun but couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t hit Ty. Her heart froze when Gina swung around and clocked him on the head again. The dull thud of metal on skull threatened to make her stomach heave.

Tyler crashed to the floor.

“Ty!” Lacey struggled to focus on Gina. It was the only real way to help him.

“You people are starting to get on my last fucking nerve.”

Before she realized the insane woman’s intent, Gina spun around then opened fire. With only one good eye, her aim wasn’t particularly accurate. Lacey dropped to the floor then scrambled beneath her bureau as a trail of splintered wood exploded behind her. She kept moving as the shots ringed the room.

One bullet pierced the wall just inches from her toes. The next struck close enough to her head that she felt the breeze. She crouched behind the hamper like a sitting duck. Lacey didn’t even realize she’d counted each shot until the tenth one shattered her mother’s antique mirror.

That pissed her off.

When the crazy bitch’s footsteps neared where Ty lay on the floor, Lacey didn’t have time to wonder at the precision of her instincts. Instead, she popped up from her meager shelter and strode straight for the lunatic.

“You know, Lacey. I think I could have liked you. Too bad that asshole got lucky and broke in on Jackson playing with you. I’d finally gotten him worked up to killing someone. You could have been his first. Too bad your brother couldn’t leave well enough alone when I called him afterward to see if he was on to me. Too bad he tempted me by falling in love with me. How could I resist that kind of power?”

They stood less than five feet apart, right arms outstretched. Identical police-issue sidearms aimed at each other’s chests.

“I’m up for a game if you are. Which one of us can pull the trigger first you think, Lacey?”

“Count to three and let’s see.”

Tyler groaned then shook his head. His eyes fluttered open. They bulged when he saw their pose. “Get down! Lacey!”

“One…”

“Lacey!” Tyler lunged for Gina but he would never make it in time.

The cheating woman cackled then squeezed the trigger on, “Two.” Lacey watched the slight motion as though the world had slowed to a crawl. She responded in kind. If nothing else, Tyler would be safe. A metallic click transformed Gina’s evil grin into a bewildered circle a moment before Lacey’s bullet destroyed her black heart.

Both Ty and Lacey ignored the crumpled body where it dropped. Together, they turned to Mason.

A rivulet of blood trickled from the cut above Ty’s temple but he refused to sit still. He shook Mason’s shoulder. “Mason! Answer me!”

“Jeremy called an ambulance but I don’t think we have that kind of time. Where was he hit, Ty?” Lacey kicked the covers the rest of the way off Mason’s limp frame then searched for his wound. The pool of blood slicking the right side of his abdomen hid the point of entry. She wadded the sheet into a compress then applied pressure to slow the bleeding.

Ty knelt near Mason’s shoulder, watching her in shock.

“Snap out of it! I need you to hold this. Please, Ty. He needs you.”

Tyler lurched for the bloody sheet, clamping it in place as she had moments ago. She leaned over Mason’s face, hoping for even the faintest whisper of breath but nothing stirred against her cheek. Sirens wailed in the background. She prayed they came from an ambulance. With calm efficiency borne of endless practice, Lacey tipped Mason’s head back then started CPR.

She inflated his chest with two quick breaths then started chest compressions. Thirty counts later, she covered his mouth once more.

Please, please be okay. Come back, Mason. We need you. Come back.

Halfway through the second set, Mason coughed then groaned as his eyes fluttered open. Though she wanted to smother him in desperate words of love, she focused on treating him. Lacey rolled him onto his side so that his blood didn’t spill as freely from his wound as she tugged him into the recovery position. From this angle, she could gather another wad of fabric to tuck against the exit wound on his back.

“You’re going to be okay, Mason.” Tyler promised things she wouldn’t. She’d seen patients in better condition slip away from them in the ER. “We’ve got you.”

Mason glanced up at her with pain-drenched eyes. He nodded when she didn’t reassure him. “Take care of each other. I love you.”

He slipped into unconsciousness as the cavalry stormed up the stairs. Jeremy flew into the room first, with paramedics two steps behind. “Christ!”

Lacey ignored his wild stare at the destroyed room, their state of undress, the noise and flashing lights. She ignored everything but the head EMT. A point by point account of Mason’s injuries and status as she knew it flew from her lips even as she assisted them in loading him onto the board for transport.

“Tyler needs attention. Blunt trauma to the right temple.” Another medic swooped to inspect the damage despite Ty’s attempts to rush to Mason’s side.

In a herd, they poured outside and piled in the ambulance for the second time this week. The police escort cleared the way as they raced to the hospital.

Please, God let us make it.

***

Tyler crushed Lacey to his