A Billionaire's Redemption - By Cindy Dees Page 0,94

Willa.

His arms were starting to tire, however, and Ward was showing no signs of weakening in his insanity.

Both of Ward’s arms were stretched high over his head now. In desperation, Gabe dropped one hand away from Ward’s wrist and smashed his fist into Ward’s broken nose as hard as he could. The guy screamed and dropped the gun, grabbing at his face.

Gabe scrambled off him and leaped for the gun. He snatched it up while Ward screamed curses, but he wasn’t fast enough. Ward rolled to his knees and got an arm around Willa’s throat by the time Gabe turned, brandishing the pistol. Ward laughed, a hyena-like bray that made his blood run cold.

“Take the shot,” Willa begged. “I trust you.”

“Are you sure?” Gabe asked her gently.

“I’m sure. I love you.”

Gabe took careful aim and squeezed the trigger.

Chapter 20

Willa felt James tense as Gabe aimed the pistol. Ward was going to throw her in front of the shot. But she was okay with that. Once she was dead, Gabe would kill this monster. Gabe would be safe, and her students would be safe. Funny how, when she loved a person, she was willing to sacrifice herself for them, no questions asked. No one had ever told her that was part of love. Live and learn.

Or in her case, learn and die.

A pair of gunshots exploded deafeningly, one so close after the other that she barely could tell them apart. Warmth and wetness exploded across her face as the impact jolted her. But she didn’t feel anything else. That was nice. She’d hoped death would be like this. Peaceful. Painless.

But then sounds intruded on the moment. Commotion. Someone—no. Many someones—rushed toward her. Man-shaped shadows shouting. Hands grabbing at her. Tearing ropes and broken wood away from her. Really. She didn’t care if they buried her still tied to the chair she’d died in.

“Willa? Can you hear me?”

The voice was familiar. Beloved. Gabe. Oh, no. He hadn’t died, too, had he? “Are you coming with me?” she asked tentatively. “We can go to Heaven together. I was hoping you’d survive. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

“Honey, what are you talking about? Open your eyes.”

She thought they already were open. She concentrated on her eyelids and was surprised that they moved. Gabe’s beautiful, worried face swam in front of her.

“It’s all right,” she murmured. “I’m not in any pain. This isn’t so bad, really.”

“Baby, you’re alive. I didn’t shoot you. I shot James in the face. I knew he would move at the last second, so I shot wide the first time, and then, after he’d jerked in reaction, I adjusted and took the second shot.”

“What?” She blinked up at him, not understanding.

“James is dead. You’re alive. We’re both alive. You’re safe now.”

Hands, many hands, lifted her to her feet. But then Gabe’s arms went around her, crushing her against him and suddenly, her world righted itself. This was home. She knew where she was now.

“Oh, God, I thought you were going to die,” she sobbed against his chest. “And James was going to kill my students—”

“Shhh. It’s all over now. He’s not going to hurt anyone else. I’ve got you.”

“Don’t ever let me go, Gabe,” she whispered.

“I’m not planning on it, baby.”

From the safety of his embrace, she looked around at the dozen men around them. They wore all-black, military-style clothes and were toting all kinds of fancy gear and guns. She didn’t recognize any of them. These weren’t her security guards.

“Who are you?” she asked the nearest one of the strange men.

“That’s a damned good question,” Cade McGrath, the leader of her security team, growled from across the space.

She glanced over at Cade, surprised to see him restrained in plastic handcuffs and guarded by two of the black-clad men.

A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties stepped forward. “Senator Merris?”

“Yes. That’s me,” she answered cautiously.

“Your father leased this facility to us some months ago. We’ve been using the Vacarro Operations base to launch various, umm, missions, south of the border. I’m afraid this is a highly classified military operation.”

“You’re from the Committee for Miscellaneous Affairs, aren’t you?” she exclaimed.

The man’s eyes narrowed. “You were never supposed to find out about that.”

Gabe piped up. “John Merris was reporting the payments from you guys as income from his oil wells, wasn’t he?”

“I don’t know,” the spokesman answered. “I suppose he could have done that.”

“I knew it!” Gabe exclaimed. “There was no way this field was still producing any oil. I