He met her eyes, and the weight of his words hit her. He loved her. She struggled down tears.
Ethan turned back to Craig. “You saw that. You were the only person on my security team to look out for all my interests,” Ethan told him. “You're willing to go the distance. You saw what I needed, and you did it. I need you, Craig. You've proven yourself.”
Craig considered Ethan's words. Laura's heart was an out of control freight train in her chest. This was the moment of truth. If Craig didn't believe Ethan, then she was dead. If he didn't believe that Ethan was going to hire him back on and that all was forgiven, she would never see Ivy and Dallas again.
Craig pulled the pocketknife from his pocket. Laura closed her eyes. If this was the end, she didn't want to see it coming. She was just glad she'd gotten to see Ethan again and know that he loved her.
“I“m glad you've seen reason,” Craig announced. He crossed the remainder of the room in six quick steps. Laura winced as the knife came close, but he only cut the ropes holding her to the chair. The ropes fell to the floor, and she opened her eyes. She was free.
“Go to the door, Laura,” Ethan told her, helping her stand. Her legs wobbled, and she nearly fell. Her feet were both asleep from either the binding or sitting too long, or possibly both. She took a small, wobbly step of freedom.
The knife clicked shut as Craig put it back into his pocket. He grinned proudly at Ethan like he had done a good thing. Ethan held out his hand to him, and Craig happily took it.
“Thank you, Craig,” Ethan said, pulling the man into a hug. Craig's face split into a broad smile, and he happily closed his eyes. It was then that Ethan plunged a needle into Craig's neck and pushed in the syringe.
Chapter 39
Laura
She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her lungs didn't seem to work. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Craig looked up at Ethan with the biggest, saddest eyes. They were full of the ultimate betrayal as he collapsed to the floor. Laura even thought she heard a soft whimper come from the strong man.
Ethan caught him, guiding him down as gently as possible. Craig's eyelids fluttered as his knees buckled and the drugs took hold. Ethan lay Craig's head on the floor like he was tucking Craig into bed rather than knocking him out for the count.
“He's down,” Ethan said to no one in particular. He sighed as he made sure Craig was safe on the floor.
Laura was such a mess of adrenaline and fatigue that she was having a hard time understanding what was going on. Things seemed to be going faster than she could track and her head still hurt from being roofied. She was afraid she might be hallucinating all of this and that she'd wake up still tied to the chair with Craig flicking his knife at her. This didn't feel real.
It didn't help when four doors all opened at the same time, and armed men ran inside. There were people in police uniforms, people in all black with SWAT stamped on the back, and unfamiliar faces of a security team. She stared at them as they ran past her, guns in hand to secure the room.
Two sets of EMT's came in through the door Ethan had entered once the police shouted an all clear. Each pair had a gurney and an oversized medical bag. One set went to Craig's fallen body and the other to her. She pushed them away and went to Ethan instead.
He hugged her to him, pressing his face into her shoulder. She, in turn, held onto him like she might float away at any moment. After the day's events, she felt like it was certainly possible. She closed her eyes and felt the tears of relief start to flow. He felt real.
Ethan held her tighter, his own breathing choppy. He was shaking in her arms, and she was holding him up as much as he was holding her. He repeated her name into her hair, keeping her safe in his arms. She felt safe for the first time since he'd left her house.
“Sir, we need to check her,” one of the EMTs said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Slowly, Ethan relaxed his grip on her. He wiped his cheeks with his shirtsleeve as they took her hand and had her sit down on the gurney. Her legs still didn't work right, but at least the pins and needles sensation was gone. Ethan hovered beside her, watching their every move to make sure she was being taken care of appropriately.
The EMTs did their best to work around him as they took her blood pressure and shined lights into her eyes.
“What just happened, Ethan?” she asked, blinking as the EMT removed the bright light. “You stabbed him.”
“It was a sedative,” Ethan told her. “He'll be fine. Well, he'll have a nasty headache, but it was better than the alternative.”
Laura shivered. She didn't want to think ab
out alternative ways this could have gone down.
“He said that he told you to come alone,” she said. She looked around at the swarm of police, SWAT, security, and EMTs. “This isn't exactly alone.”
“He did tell me to do that,” Ethan replied. “I should begin at the beginning.”
Laura nodded. “That would help.”
Ethan took a big breath in before starting his story.
Chapter 40