No Good Deed - Marie Sexton Page 0,82

drugs, they’ll let you go,” Charlie said. “But the cops are on the way, if they aren’t here already. You’re not getting out of here with a hostage.”

“Yes, I will. They won’t shoot me if I have him in front of me.”

“I won’t let you take him.”

“Then I’ll shoot you first! I’ll shoot your friends too.”

His logic was awful, but Gray had often said criminals were seldom smart. Jeremy had clearly envisioned walking into Charlie’s house, finding a huge stash of drugs, then getting out again before anybody was the wiser. Now, faced with multiple obstacles, he was grasping at straws, probably going for something he’d seen on a television show somewhere along the way. And if he wanted a hostage, Jonas was the logical choice, being by far the smallest of the group.

“Just walk out now,” Charlie said, “and nobody has to get hurt.”

Jeremy backed into the hallway, looking both ways. The gun swung from one side to the other as he came face-to-face with Warren and Gray. “Get away! Get back!”

“I’m moving,” Warren said. “You can go right past me.”

Jeremy looked past Warren. He must have seen out the window, because he suddenly cursed. “God dammit! The fucking cops are here!”

“They’re setting up a perimeter right now,” Gray said, calm and rational. “They’re busy trying to figure out how many people are in the house, trying to get a hostage negotiator on site. But I’m telling you right now, the only way to walk out of here alive is to put the gun away and go now.”

“What the fuck do you know?” Spittle flew from Jeremy’s mouth as he spun around, unsure who to aim the gun at.

“Trust me,” Gray said. “You’re not—”

“Fuck you!” The gun in Jeremy’s hand found its focus—on Charlie, and Jonas, huddled behind him. “I’m taking him with me.”

“No, you’re not.”

Jonas touched Charlie’s elbow. “I’ll go with him. If the cops are outside—”

“Like hell,” Charlie growled, keeping Jonas pinned behind him. Sure, the police would do their best, but all he could picture was Jonas in the middle of a circle of guns held by twitchy cops, all while a drug-crazed nutjob pointed another one at his head.

“Get out from behind him.” Jeremy waved the gun wildly at Jonas. “I’m not going to tell you again. You’re going with me!” He took half a step into the room.

And Charlie moved.

He rushed straight at Jeremy.

Charlie was no hero. His only plan was to distract Jeremy long enough for Warren or Gray to make a move. Jeremy was mostly in the hallway, his hand with the gun crossing the threshold into the bedroom. If Charlie could knock Jeremy’s gun arm aside, it would hit the doorframe. The gun would go flying. Warren and Gray could take over from there.

It all made sense, in some crazy part of his brain.

Right up until the gun went off.

Charlie rammed into him, falling to the ground as he knocked Jeremy backward into the hallway. Warren and Gray were on him instantly, kicking his gun away, pinning him to the ground.

“You could have at least tossed me some cuffs out of your cabinet first,” Gray said, trying to hold Jeremy down.

“River,” Warren yelled. “Charlie’s hit.”

“No, I’m not.” Charlie tried to sit up, wanting to go to Jonas, wanting to make sure he was okay, but the pain brought him up short, shooting through him from his abdomen.

Pain like nothing else he’d ever felt.

“Oh, shit.” Charlie looked down in surprise at the blood soaking the side of his Harley Davison hoodie. “Damnit. I love this shirt.”

“Oh my God, Charlie.” Jonas was suddenly leaning over him on one side. River knelt on the other and lifted Charlie’s shirt to check the source of the fire burning in Charlie’s gut.

Charlie still couldn’t believe he’d been shot. The plan had been so clear in his head. The gun should have been knocked sideways. How the hell had he been hit in the side?

“Warren,” Gray said. “Get the cops in here. Let them know the coast is clear.”

“On it.”

“Charlie.” Jonas clutched his hand, crying. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking about you. Are you okay?” Charlie asked him.

Jonas halfway laughed through his tears. “Of course I’m okay. You’re the one who’s been shot. River? Oh my God, is he going to be all right?”

“It went straight through,” River said. He pulled off his shirt and used it to apply pressure. Charlie screamed. He’d never felt pain like that. “We’ll have to make sure the bullet didn’t