Hidden Away (KGI #3)(101)

She shot him a pitying glance. “Not that there’s a whole lot to be prideful over, but still, most men would rather not do without. Though in your case, I can’t imagine it makes much difference.”

The man’s face flushed with anger and he tried to roll her off him. She rammed her fist into his nuts and brought the pistol stock down over his jaw.

“Now, let’s try this again. You tell me who you are and who you work for or I cut off your dick and make you eat it.”

“Now, P.J.,” Cole chided, “you don’t want to add it to your collection?” He shook his head at the man underneath her. “I used to think she had dick envy or something. Now I just know she’s one mean bitch. She collects dicks, you know, like trophies. Dries them out, tans them like an animal hide and then hangs them on her wall. Kind of sick, if you ask me, but everyone has their hobbies.”

“You’re lying,” the man gasped out. But sweat rolled down his face and his eyes bulged out of his head as he stared at the knife in horror.

“Well, granted yours isn’t anything to brag about, but I’m sure I have a place on my wall for it,” she said with a shrug. She made another cut to his pants and the acrid smell of piss assaulted her nose.

“Well hell, he pissed himself, Cole. That’s going to make this a little more difficult.”

“Okay, okay!” the man shouted. “Stanley Cross hired me. Wants me to take out the Daniels bitch. Doesn’t care how. He wanted me to bring back photographic evidence of her death. If I do, he pays me a mil.”

P.J. sat back and faked a look of disappointment. “Well, damn.”

“Get her off me!”

Cole chuckled. “I don’t usually mess with P.J. I’m kind of fond of my dick.”

P.J. rolled off but was careful to keep her pistol aimed at the man’s head. “Get up, ass**le.”

As P.J. walked over to where Cole stood, he murmured low enough for only her to hear. “Dick collection, Rutherford? You didn’t have to have quite so much enthusiasm.”

She chuckled. “As fond as you men are of them, I figured he’d squeal sooner if I threatened his dick.”

SARAH scrambled over to Marcus as soon as Garrett moved off her. Marcus lay partially on his side and she rolled him to his back, terrified at the copious amount of blood staining his chest.

“Marcus,” she pleaded. “Talk to me please. I’ll get you help.”

Marcus’s eyelids flickered and he trained his unfocused stare on her. “You’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

Tears slid soundlessly down her cheeks. She shut out the goings-on around them. There were men everywhere. Garrett directed most of the action while Marcus’s men were taken into custody. There were too many for it to just be Garrett’s team. Marcus was right. Garrett had used her to get to him.

“Please be all right, Marcus. You’re all I have. I love you. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have told you. I should have fought my own battles.”

Marcus raised a hand to wipe at her tears. “No, Sarah. You had to fight them for far too long. You should have had a home. Me. A father who loved you. Neither of us had that, I’m afraid. But I could have done more for you. I’m sorry. I love you, you know. You’re the only person I’ve ever loved and who loved me back.”

“We have the sniper who shot at Sarah in custody,” Garrett said.

Marcus slid his gaze sideways to Garrett. “You tried to be the one who took the bullet.”

“Yeah,” Garrett acknowledged.

“My sins are my own. Sarah shouldn’t be punished for them.”

“Yeah, I know that too.”

Marcus’s face spasmed in pain and he coughed, blood pouring from his mouth. “Take her away. She doesn’t need to see this.”

Sarah hunched over Marcus, pulling him into her arms. “No!” she said fiercely. “I won’t leave you.” She whirled, her angry gaze going to Garrett. “Are you going to let him die?”

“I’ve called in a helicopter,” Garrett said softly. “It’s hard because of the smoke. We’re going to have to meet them downriver.”

“You hear that, Marcus? You hold on. We’re going to get you help.”

Marcus shook his head. “It’s too late, Sarah.”

Hot tears poured over her cheeks. “No. No, I won’t let it be too late.” She leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek. “I love you, Marcus. I don’t care what you’ve done. I love you. Do you hear me?”

He smiled faintly and his face whitened with the effort. “You’re the best thing my father ever did. Everything ... else ... wrong. Don’t ... know ... how ... you ... turned ... out. The way you did.”

He raised a violently shaking hand to touch her cheek and then he closed his eyes, going still beneath her.

“Marcus?”

His name came out brokenly, a sound she didn’t even recognize.

“Marcus? Oh God ...”

“Sarah, honey.”

Garrett put his hands on her shoulders but she shrugged him away, unable to bear his touch. She buried her face in her hands and wept, rocking back and forth on her knees.

When men she didn’t recognize came to cover Marcus with a blanket, she went crazy. “You don’t touch him! Get away from him.”