“I'll stay out here. Whatever you hear, don't make a sound.” His mouth was thin, and she couldn't look away from the rip on his shirt. She reached for his hands.
“Carter...” She looked up at him, knowing he was protecting her. There was so much that she needed to say. There was so much that she still needed to tell him, that he needed to know. This wasn't the place. “I didn't want to tell you like this.”
The door shook and the man outside screamed and tried again.
“When did you find out?” Carter asked quietly. His eyes stayed on their hands, not wanting to look into her eyes. At least he hadn't pulled away yet.
“A couple of days ago.” Her voice caught at the end.
“A couple of days?” Anger flashed through his blue eyes and Mia shrunk down as he took his hands away.
“I didn't know how to tell you,” she whispered. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for all of this.”
A rage scream filled the air, and the door shook again. Another bullet hit the door, making a large, strange dent in the fortified wood. “YOU KILLED HER. YOU DESERVE TO DIE.”
Carter's shoulders slumped. He raised his eyes from her hands to her face. There was such grief and betrayal that it broke her heart. She felt a tear run down her cheek, but she didn't move. She didn't know what to do or what to say. She turned her face from his gaze, her heart already shattering.
There was a blast from outside the door, and Mia was sure it was the end. She was sure that the man had finally broken down the solid wood door and was going to kill them all. He was going to kill Carter, her and their baby.
But the door remained intact. There were shouts and a scream from the other side. Mia held her breath until the shouting stopped. It felt like ages.
“Mr. Williamson? You can come out now.” The voice this time on the other side of the door was Brian. Mia recognized it and sagged with relief. She felt like her knees were going to give out.
Carter stepped away from her and went to the door. He unlocked it.
“I have the desk next to the door. Tell me when to push,” he told Brian.
At Brian's signal, Carter used his feet against the wall and his back to the desk to help push while the security team on the other side pushed as well. The floor made a horrible noise as the desk scraped against it, but they were free.
“Are you all right, sir?” Brian asked, poking his head through the doorway. “The threat has been removed.”
Mia came out of the closet, surprised that her feet were steady enough to walk. Through the open window, she could see security vans arriving, and the howl of police sirens floated through the air. She noticed how cold it was in the room with the window wide open.
“I'm fine,” Carter told him, pushing past and through the open door. “I just need some air.”
Mia stared after him. He was angry. He had every right to be.
“Are you all right, ma'am?” Brian asked her, coming into the room.
She nodded meekly. Physically she was fine, but she wasn't sure how she was emotionally just yet.
“Excuse me,” she said, knowing that she needed to go after Carter. She needed to talk to him. So she went through the broken door and hurried after the man she loved.
Chapter 34
Mia
Mia glanced at the office door on her way out and recoiled. It was a miracle the man hadn't gotten through. Just a few more moments and he would have had them. The door on the opposite side of the office was in tatters and stamped with blood. She could only assume it was the man's with his attempts to get in.
She wasn't far behind Carter. She could see the blue of his shirt as he disappeared out the front door. A sea of uniformed security stood in her way, but she wiggled between them hot on his tail. She had to catch him.
Outside, the police had finally arrived. Ten squad cars all stood in the big driveway loop of the ranch with more lining up down the road. It hurt her eyes to look at all the lights, but she did see an officer putting a man into the back of one.
He was tall and relatively good looking. He had the dark uniform of the security team, though it didn't seem to fit him very well. The man looked up, and she saw his eyes. They were ice cold and full of such fury that she had to take a step back even though she wasn't close to him.
“He killed her,” the man screamed, starting to thrash. Spit sprayed from his mouth like venom as he tried to get away.
She took another step back, needing to get away from him. The police had him, but given her afternoon, she wouldn't feel safe until he was firmly behind bars. Her back pressed up against another body, and she spun.