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“A few more hours won’t kill anyone”

Chapter 9

Emmaline reached over to curl into Peirce But there was no one there Instead there was a whisper of sound near the dresser, a quiet, metallic slide followed by an ominous click

“Don’t move,” Peirce said, his voice so hushed she al of her heart

Then, faintly, fro open

Someone was in the apartment

Peirce hting through the blinds accenting the efficient play of histhe sheet tightly around herself

He n of ta—then moved toward the kitchen He paused for only a e of the half-wall His shoulders bunched, his gun rose and he turned sharply around the corner

She heard the gunshot, saw the flash illue The other ers curling on Peirce’s wrist Peirce dropped the gun and ith thehimself in a split-second

Their bodies s as punches, elbows, knees hit their marks She couldn’t follow it all between the speed and the darkness

One second, Peirce was ducking theas he took an elbow to the side They crashed through the kitchen table, hit a wall Peirce got a hold and threw theone-two-three fast punches to the man’s kidneys

A low kick to the knee stopped his assault, but he was back up before the ht, feint left, dodging punches and grabs His body was coiled, ready to explode

He was just waiting for the right moment

The man’s punch was a half-second too slow A swift jerk and the ed close to Peirce, rapped a forearh, the other forearm a band around the man’s chest A quick lift, a quicker drop, a deep, wet crackling and the led wheeze Peirce rolled the body forward off his knee, sinking to the side, taking up his gun again, expression blank, unruffled, as he rose

Two shots