Tinsel In A Tangle

...a startled Sedarno dropping the briefcase, sending the diamonds all over the floor

...Jess flying in front of him, then falling to the floor...blood spreading from her upper chest to the pink carpet.

Before he could do anything other than shout her name, Sedarno’s bodyguard grabbed a clutch piece from his ankle and shot Knoll in the shoulder. Knoll screamed and dropped the gun. He fell backward, bashing his head into the wall and knocking himself unconscious.

“Jesus Christ,” Sedarno said, glaring at his bodyguard. The clutch piece had not had a suppressor attached and the shot was loud. Adam could hear murmurs and cries from the party downstairs.

Not that he cared one fuck about that. He dropped to his knees, still frantically calling her name. “Jess! Oh my God. Jess!”

She’d fallen on her face. Gently, he rolled her onto her back, gasping when he saw the blood on her chest and neck. “No, baby,” he whispered. “Please no.” This couldn’t be happening. He’d come up here to save her. What the fuck was she doing, jumping in front of him like that?

He could feel a pulse in her neck, thank Christ. Her chest was rising with shallow breaths. But for how long? She needed an ambulance. She needed help.

Sedarno knelt next to him. He gripped Jess’s shoulder to pull her closer and examine the wound. “Looks like an in and out,” he said. “She’ll probably be fine.”

Adam cut his eyes to the man’s face. “Really?”

“Doesn’t look like it nicked her lung,” Sedarno said. “Might fuck up her golf swing a little.”

He turned and his eyes shot daggers at his bodyguard. “What the hell are you waiting for? Put the diamonds back in the briefcase. The cops will be here any minute.”

As if on cue, the sounds of sirens echoed in the distance. Adam wondered if they were the cavalry Jess tried to call in earlier or if they were just responding to sounds of shots fired.

He knelt over her again, resting his cheek against hers. “I’m here. Help is on its way.”

Against his cheek, he felt her eyes open, felt the brush of her those thick eyelashes against his skin. It was the best damned thing he’d felt in his entire life.

“Ow,” she said. “Wow. That hurts so much.” She exhaled and a tear ran down her face.

His throat burned; he didn’t trust himself to speak. He just stroked her face again and again, pushing the tears away.

“We’re gone,” Sedarno announced.

Adam forced himself to look up. “Our deal stands?”

Sedarno flicked a disgusted glance at the unconscious Knoll. “Yes.”

“You know Venchetti in Miami?” Adam asked. “He’s ready for what’s in that briefcase if you want to work with him. He’ll move quickly, if you’re worried about Knoll talking to the Feds.”

Sedarno absorbed the statement. “I know Venchetti,” he said, finally. “Thanks. But if Maurice is stupid enough to talk about me, he’ll be in even more trouble than he is now.”

“Let’s go.” Sedarno and his bodyguard disappeared through the door. Adam wondered where their car was parked. He had no doubt they’d manage to escape, but it might be close. The sirens were very loud now. The cars couldn’t be more than a couple of blocks away.

“You need to leave too,” Jess whispered.

He stared at her. “How hard did you hit your head? I’m not leaving you. For God’s sake, you just jumped in front of a bullet for me.” He kissed her lips. Hard. “You took a decade off my life,

Blondie.”

“Another one,” she demanded, wincing and smiling at the same time. He took his time with the next kiss, made it softer, sweeter. “More,” she whispered, and he kissed her again and again. He tasted tears on her lips and sent up a prayer of thanks. Christ, she could have died. He could have lost her.”Now you have to leave,” she said. “Don’t argue, Adam. I called about smuggled diamonds. You have a history with jewel theft. Sedarno’s not here. There’s a million different things Knoll could say—he could say you shot him, that you had the diamonds to begin with, anything. Leave, now!”

She looked around wildly. “God, with the shootings, they’ll fingerprint everything. They might get yours. You need to run. Get out of town. Now.”

Adam’s heart flipped over. The woman took a shot intended for him and now she was trying to save him—again. “No. Jess, I’m not leaving you here, lying and bleeding on the floor. Forget it.”

“You saved my life,” she said. “You gave up Tony’s future for me.” She raised a bloody hand to his face. “Leave.” When he didn’t move, she started to cry. “Adam, please.”

He couldn’t take more of her tears. “Jesus, don’t cry,” he begged.