now. Not later. Now.
He pressed the emergency signal button in his pocket. If all went right, the FBI would be there in moments. But it could still be too late.
Elias eased his gun from the holster under his jacket and twisted the doorknob with his left hand.
“You’re making a mistake!”
That was Jo.
Elias shoved the door open and brought his gun up. He side-stepped the door and grabbed the man closest to him.
Giovanni sputtered, but the man had no fight in him.
Jo lay face down on the ground while a man knelt over her, one knee on her back while he pointed a gun at her.
Two other younger men were focused on Elias, hands frozen halfway to their weapons while an elderly man by the fire simply frowned at them all.
“Let her go,” Elias demanded.
Jo turned her head. Her hair partially obscured her face, but she knew he was there. She knew she wasn’t alone.
The man restraining her was another matter. He stared at Elias with a cool disdain.
“Put the gun down, you idiot,” Giovanni snapped.
“I don’t work for you,” the gunman said.
Shit.
It was time to bargain.
“The FBI is going to be here any second. You can either get your revenge—or whatever—on her, or you can clear out of here and save your own skin.” Elias embraced the coolness spreading through him. The ice made it easier to deal with seeing Jo in trouble. “Your pick.”
“I fucking told you something was wrong,” the man behind the desk said.
The gunman threatening Jo didn’t flinch.
“Shut up,” Giovanni roared. He thrust his elbow back.
Elias swung his gun, cracking Giovanni across the back of his head. The man went down like a sack of potatoes leaving Elias exposed.
The other two men jumped to action, drawing their guns.
Elias squeezed off a single shot, aiming wildly at the man restraining Jo before throwing himself to the floor. The leather sofa took the brunt of the firing.
He rolled just in time to catch sight of one of the bodyguards rounding the end of the sofa. Elias fired, hitting the man’s leg first. He cried out and pitched forward. Elias fired again and the man’s strangled cries cut off.
Jo roared something, he couldn’t make out words, but he knew she was fighting for her life.
The sound of yelling and feet pounding the floor resounded through the house.
Elias and Jo weren’t going to have the upper hand for long.
He scrambled to his knees.
Jo was on her feet, grappling with her attacker. She rammed her knee into the man’s stomach while digging her nails into the bandages on his arm.
Elias swung his gun toward the other man as he straightened from behind the desk. Elias fired first, the first shot going wide and hitting the large window behind his target. His second found its mark. The would-be shooter staggered back and hit the already broken window. His weight caused the rest of the glass to shatter and he pitched backward out of the opening.
Elias dove at the door, slamming it shut. A moment later someone pounded on it.
“Jo!” He dug his heels in while she continued to grapple with the other man.
She delivered a hard punch to the guys face and got some distance between them.
The old man surged to his feet, wielding a fire poker. Elias didn’t have time to react or call out before the old guy smacked the back of her thighs. Jo went to her knees, howling in pain.
Fuck this.
Elias lifted the gun.
The injured man dodged just as Elias fired, resulting in maybe a graze.
Jo roared and surged to her feet, turning and decking the old guy with an uppercut.
“Go, get out of here,” Elias shouted.
She whirled, eyes wide, hair everywhere.
God, she was beautiful. Like some mythic thing he didn’t have a name for.
The gunman rose from the shadows, but Elias was faster. He squeezed the trigger.
The man pitched backward just as something heavy slammed into the door behind Elias.
“Go, run!” he yelled.
Jo turned, wobbling on her feet.
They weren’t going to get out of here. Not with an angry mob on the other side of the door.
Elias vaulted over the sofa and scooped Jo up in his arms as angry men poured in. He sprinted for the open window, ignoring the protest in his knee and hip.
He heard the gunshot and grit his teeth.
The bullet tore through his arm. He dropped Jo’s legs, unable to keep his grip on her.
“Elias!” She grabbed his arm as she pitched sideways.
They both fell through the window into the bush below.