The One Who Got Away (Wilde Ways #12) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,84

just like Carson’s. He was lifting it up in response to Carson’s order.

Ella could feel each hard thud of her heart. She remembered Carson saying that all he had to do was hire a few people to help him out when he’d hatched his big plan.

George must have been one of those people.

“Don’t—” Ella heard herself say.

But George’s jaw had hardened. The muscles in his arm had tightened. He was going to pull the trigger.

She was too far away to grab his gun. Not enough time.

Not enough time.

Ella tried to leap to the side.

A gunshot blasted.

But…she wasn’t hurt. Ella glanced down, dazed, just to make sure. But, no, she was fine. Her head flew up.

George’s lips were parted. The hard intensity of his face had given way to shock. Blood pulsed from his side. He still had the grip on his gun, though, and he was struggling to bring that gun up and around. Trying to aim it at the man who’d shot him.

Antony.

Antony fired again. Another hit, this one to George’s shoulder. George stumbled back and slammed into the now closed elevator doors. His body began to fall. Blood streaked on the elevator door behind him.

Ella snatched the gun from his hand. Aimed it down at him even as her chest heaved. That had all been too close.

“Aaaah!” A guttural yell. The stairwell door flew open, and Jacob yelled as he erupted into the hallway. The broken door swung back and thudded into the wall. Jacob rushed forward like a one-man cavalry, only to come to a jarring halt when he saw Ella—with a gun trained on the bleeding security guard. And Antony—his gun locked on Carson.

“Are there any bad guys left for me?” Jacob finally asked.

“There’d damn well better not be any more,” Antony snapped back.

Ella couldn’t have agreed more.

Chapter Twenty

There were no other bad guys. No one else involved in Carson’s scheme to kidnap Antony. Once the cops had arrived on the scene, the building had been thoroughly searched. No one else had been there. No other threats lurking in the dark. Ross had been drifting in and out of consciousness because of his concussion, but Antony had learned that he’d come in late to do some paperwork before heading to Asheville, only to overhear Carson plotting with the new hire, George. Ross had tried to run, and he’d gotten his ass shoved down the stairwell by Carson.

George was wounded, but alive. Lucky bastard. Every time that Antony thought about the man nearly shooting Ella…

“Antony?” Ella’s soft voice had him jerking around toward her.

They were back at his place. The day had been a non-stop buzz of questions, interrogations, and endless cop scenes. Night had fallen, and they’d finally been able to slip away. Now they were back at his home. Just the two of them. No extra agents hiding in the dark, watching for threats.

Because the danger was over.

“I’m sorry,” he told her gruffly as his hold tightened on the glass in his hand. He’d needed a drink after the nightmare of seeing Ella nearly get shot. That would haunt him for, oh, ever.

“Why are you apologizing?” Her head tilted.

She’d changed into soft jeans. A cozy sweatshirt. She looked so insanely sexy to him. But then, Ella always looked that way.

“What have you done now?” Her lips curled. Did humor light her eyes? Humor, after everything that had happened? He must be mistaken.

“I’m sorry that I wasted two years and didn’t immediately tell you…” He put down the drink. Crossed to her. He swallowed. “I’m sorry I didn’t immediately tell you… Ella Webb, you’re incredible. I don’t want to spend a day of my life without you. I love you.” The gun had been about to fire on her. First Carson had threatened to kill her, then that jackass George had joined the fray. When Carson had been threatening her, Antony had been helpless. His body had kept shuddering and jolting, and he’d just wanted to be able to get up. To run to her.

To freaking take a bullet to save her. Or to kill to protect her.

But he hadn’t been able to move. He’d had to wait until he could control himself again.

Control…completely stripped away.

In those terrifying moments, Antony had realized that he couldn’t hold back with Ella. Life was too short. She was too precious. He would never, ever hold back again.

Ella gazed up at him. Her lips were parted in surprise.

“I knew I wanted to be with you,” he told her gruffly. “Didn’t