I have no idea what the hell is happening right now. Has my assistant lost her mind? Do she and Eden know one another?
Raising my hands so I seem to be surrendering, I calmly say, “It’s okay, Sam. You can ask me to do anything. You know that. You’ve always been a great assistant. I tell you that all the time, don’t I? Tell me what you need me to do, and I’ll do it. Just put the gun down.”
“Tell her you don’t love her. Tell her you love me. That’s why you asked me to come to that party. Tell her.”
I could say those words. I wouldn’t mean them, but I could say them. The problem with that is people who are out of their minds are never logical. No matter how much I tell Sam what she wants to hear, it won’t matter.
“Come on, Sam. Put the gun down. You don’t want to hurt Eden. She’s never done anything to you. If anyone deserves to have you hold a gun to their head, it’s me. You know that, so let her go.”
Sam’s expression twists into a distorted grimace, and she shakes her head wildly as I try to calm her down. “No! She’s the problem, not me. I’m not the problem. I’ve done everything you ever wanted me to do. Tell her! I have, and you know it.”
I take a step toward where Eden sits on the bed, but Sam screams, “Stop! You can’t be with her! You’re supposed to be with me.”
Eden looks up at me with eyes filled with dread for the person behind her with the gun. I wish I could tell her everything will be okay, but I have the feeling if I speak to Eden at all, that will only enrage Sam more.
So I keep my focus on the person who could make or break my entire future right now and give the woman I love a tiny smile to let her know I won’t let her get hurt.
I force myself to give Sam a big smile and say, “You don’t want me. You know that. I’m terrible with remembering what I have to do. You have to remind me constantly. I drink too much, and how many times have you complained that I smell like cigars and liquor when you’ve seen me at a shoot? Think about it, Sam. Being with me would be like working twenty-four seven with me, and that sounds awful, now doesn’t it?”
Tears fill her eyes, and she continues to shake her head as I attempt to be as self-effacing as possible. “We had a good time on the shoots you took me on. Remember Fiji? I bought that pink bikini especially for that trip. You said it looked great and that I looked as good as the models you were shooting.”
If I tell her the truth—that we’ve never been more than employer and employee—she’s going to lose it and probably shoot Eden. If I lie, though, that might backfire too.
Then an idea pops into my head, and I go with it. If she shoots me, at least I can pray Matthias will come running in and save Eden. That’s all I’m hoping.
I sneak one more glance at Eden and pray to God she understands what I’m trying to do before I start walking around to the other side of the bed. I’m betting on Sam regretting shooting me and not being able to hurt Eden before Matthias can come rushing in.
“Sam, listen to me. You’re a great girl, but I’m too old for you. I’m nearly thirty. What would a beautiful twenty-year-old want with me when you can have guys your own age? Think about it. I’m old, a pain in the ass to deal with, and I have terrible habits like drinking and smoking. You don’t want me.”
As I talk, I make it halfway around the bed before she screams, “Stop! You’re just saying that because you don’t want to hurt her feelings!”
Shaking my head, I keep walking toward her. “I’m not lying. You know me as well as anyone does. How many times have Ibeen late for a shoot because I was having too good a time the night before? And that’s saying nothing about how I often don’t work for months at a time. Who wants someone like that?”
Sam winces like what I’m saying bothers her. “You take time off because you have your family to worry about. I know that. I understand the kind of man you are. Anyway, what does it matter since you’re a billionaire?” she says, her voice filled with sadness.
I take another few steps toward her, and finally, she turns the gun on me. Tears roll down Sam’s cheeks, and I sense she’s about to have a breakdown at any moment. Now’s the moment when Eden has to escape.
“Duck, now!” I scream before lunging at Sam.
We fall to the floor as I try to wrestle the gun away from her. I don’t know if Eden got away, but as long as Sam is busy with me, she’s not aiming her gun at my Duck. That’s all that matters.
As small as my assistant is, she’s got a hold of that gun like it’s stitched to her hand, and I can’t wrestle it away. I hear Matthias bark out something, and then a second later, the gun goes off.
“Marius! Oh, God! Marius!”
Between Sam’s crying and screaming my name, I’m not sure what’s happening. My brother grabs her by the back of her shirt and lifts her off me, but when I try to stand up, I see blood.
My blood.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Eden
Matthias untiesmy hands and feet, and I finally spit that goddamned gag out of my mouth. I want to smack the hell out of Sam, but I’ve got other concerns right now.
Immediately after hearing the gun go off, I scream, “Marius! Are you okay?”
I begin to cry before running around the bed to see the man I love on the floor with blood pouring out of his left arm. Oh, God! That crazy woman shot him!
