Say I Do (Wilde Ways #10) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,66
She’d teach Dex Ryan. She’d show Roman. They’d both pay.
Lacey is right there.
Smiling, Heather darted for her prey.
***
The body fell. Just tumbled down right in front of him as Dex ran forward. He’d been trying to get Lacey on her phone, but she hadn’t answered him.
Then the body hurtled down. He had a quick flash of dark hair. A woman’s body flew from the second floor. Then a terrible, bone-breaking thud.
For an instant, he froze.
She fell from the second level. The Whisper Floor. Dark hair. And…that was Lacey’s puffy coat. She’d worn it that morning when she’d been shot by Heather.
Blood bloomed beneath the figure on the floor. There were screams and shouts from all around him. The woman—she’d been tossed right in front of him.
Don’t be…Can’t be…
Dark hair. Lacey’s coat. Lacey was on the Whisper Floor.
He didn’t remember falling to his knees beside the woman. Didn’t remember roaring her name. Her right arm was twisted, broken. Dark hair and a loose cap covered her face. A scarf was getting soaked in her blood.
“Baby?” Dex breathed the endearment as he reached out with fingers that shook. Everything in the world had slowed down. Almost stopped. He was focused entirely on the woman before him.
She wasn’t moving. Didn’t appear to be breathing. Her neck…God, no. No.
He brushed back the hair. Slid back the cap.
And stared at Heather Madding’s still face.
It took a long moment for her identity to register for him. The lodge’s doctor raced to Dex’s side as Dex crouched beside the fallen woman. Unfortunately, there wasn’t going to be anything that the doc could do. Not with the way she’d landed and…
Why is there so much blood?
His hand slid under the thick coat. Lacey’s coat. His fingers touched Heather’s back.
Lacey’s coat, but not Lacey. Not Lacey.
As he touched Heather’s back, he felt the wet warmth of blood. Shit. Dex yanked up the coat so he could see her body.
“I need you to step back,” the doctor ordered.
She’d been shot in the back. He hadn’t heard the shot, so he knew the shooter must have used a silencer on his weapon. For the first time, Dex looked up now. He should have looked up at that second floor sooner, but he’d been out of control. Fixated and lost.
Because he’d thought Lacey was before him. Because he’d thought it was Lacey’s blood. Because he’d thought she was dead.
Now he looked up and caught sight of Roman staring down with wide, horrified eyes.
Fucking Roman.
“Dex?” Lacey’s voice. Lacey’s shaking, beautiful voice. He lurched to his feet. Saw her near the stairs. Dex ran to her, shoving people out of his way because he had to get to Lacey.
Fear flashed on her face. “What’s happening? Dex—”
He dragged her into his arms. Held her in a grip that he knew was too tight and too fierce. A grip that he knew might hurt because he was holding her too hard, but he couldn’t let go.
I can never let her go.
“Dex, I can’t breathe. Ease up!”
He lifted his head. Eased his hold. And kissed her. Deep. Wild. Desperate.
She’s alive. It wasn’t Lacey. She’s alive.
In that moment, as the fear settled in his very bones, he understood a truth he hadn’t wanted to face. A truth that would change everything.
Her hands pressed against his shoulders. She pulled her mouth from his. “Dex?” Her breath heaved out. “What happened? What’s going on?”
He stared down at her. Her beautiful face. Her dark eyes. “You aren’t leaving my side,” he swore.
Her eyelids flickered. “What is happening?” She stood on her toes and tried to look over his shoulder.
He turned with her and saw that a crowd had gathered around the body.
“Dex.” Now her voice was lower. “What happened here?”
He curled his arm around her body. Can’t let her go. Won’t lose her. “Heather Madding is dead.”
“What?”
“Roman was on the second floor. Come on.” He took off, but he made sure he didn’t let her go. They raced together for the stairs. The hotel’s security was scrambling, and Dex saw Larry rushing toward him, too. Dex motioned with a curt jerk of his head for Larry to meet them on the second floor.
When they reached that level, Roman was standing next to the railing. He had his hands up and a gun—equipped with a silencer—was on the floor near him.
Dex whipped out his own weapon. “Turn around. Slowly.”
“I know this looks really bad…” Roman began as he turned. “But I didn’t fucking do it.”