The One Who Got Away (Wilde Ways #12) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,65

had heard the faint scrape of metal an instant before the shot had been fired. A low sound, grating. From the right. He hadn’t wasted a moment. He’d grabbed Ella and pushed her to the floor. He fully believed the bullet had been meant for her.

Because you want me alive, don’t you? You want me and my money. The fucking bastard who’d fired the shot didn’t get it.

When you take aim at her, you’re the one who will die.

He made no sound as he tracked his prey. Antony wanted to glance back, though, to make sure Ella was covered. He was normally so damn good about compartmentalizing. He could go on a mission, get the job done, and not even break a sweat. This was different, though. This was Ella.

The darkness around him seemed to deepen. The flickers of light from the second floor had grown weaker. The machine behind him wasn’t pumping any longer. Someone must have activated it earlier. Probably as a way of covering up the sounds of movement. Probably part of the SOB’s plan.

Did you know I was following Cal back to you? Were you waiting, thinking you could get to me here? But first, first the bastard had wanted to get Ella out of the way—

Light. A bright flash of light in the darkness. To the left. The kind of light that had come from Ella’s phone moments before.

Her phone.

No, no, Ella! She was giving away her location again. “No, Ella!” Antony yelled.

It was too late.

A gunshot roared. The sound came from about five feet away. The sonofabitch was aiming for the light. Aiming for Ella. The shooter knew it had to be Ella. Antony had just yelled and given up his own location in order to protect her. But the shooter wasn’t coming for him. He wants to kill Ella.

Something broke inside of Antony. He surged toward the shooter. Slammed his body into the bastard’s even as the shooter’s gun exploded again. The blast was close to Antony’s ears, and after it fired, he couldn’t hear a thing. He could feel his fist driving into the man’s face, over and over again. He could feel the wetness of blood on his knuckles and fingers. The jerk beneath him tried to swipe at Antony, but he just pounded him harder, harder.

Antony had been armed with a gun when he launched at the guy. But when they hit the dirty floor, Antony had started pounding him. He’d used his fists. Not bullets. Brutal savagery rained as he attacked the man who’d tried to kill Ella.

The silence faded. A dull ringing filled his head.

He was shooting at Ella. He wanted to hurt Ella. He wanted to hurt my Ella. Antony drew back his fist again.

Light flew into Antony’s face. “Stop!”

He looked up and snarled into the light even as his stayed fist poised to pound down again.

“Antony, he’s not fighting back.” Ella’s voice. The ringing still filled his head, but he could hear her voice. He’d know her anywhere.

Ella.

“Damn, I did not expect…this. Someone fights hard and plays rough.” A harder voice. Rumbling. Jacob? When had Jacob gotten there? And did it fucking look as if Antony was playing?

A groan came from the man sprawled beneath Antony. He looked back down at the guy. Now that the light was on the jerk, Antony expected to know him. He fully expected to find out someone familiar had been behind this mess but…

Antony didn’t recognize him. He was staring down at a stranger. A stranger whose face was covered in blood.

“How about you ease off him?” Jacob suggested. “He’s not fighting back, and I don’t think we want to watch you beat him to death.”

Beat him to death. Antony shook his head as he tried to get that damn ringing to vanish. “He was…going to shoot Ella.” He looked back at her. Rage and fear twisted in him. Filled him. Seemed to consume him. Antony wanted to grab for his control, but it just wasn’t there.

It had broken. Broken when the light from her phone flashed on and the bullet had fired at her.

He shoved to his feet. Stalked to Ella. “What…the…fuck?”

“Antony?” She sucked in a quick breath and shoved her phone—and its bright light—into Jacob’s hand. Jacob focused the light on the man flopped on the floor.

Antony reached out to grab Ella. Stopped when he became aware of how wet with blood his fingers were. He froze with his fingers probably an inch from her shoulders. “You turned