Free Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Ivan

to the chest, though.”
    “I've never been so scared in my life, and I've been through some pretty crazy sh—stuff.  When Dubshenko shot him he stumbled backward, and blood spread across his chest.”  She paused and Remy could practically see the wheels turning in her mind, piecing together what she'd seen and heard.  “I think he was more stunned than anything.  You're right, there was blood on his shirt, but wouldn't a gunshot wound to the chest, especially one near the heart, have a lot of bleeding?  Wouldn't it be pooling on the floor beneath him?”
    Remy had thought the same thing after talking to the Captain.  Things weren't adding up and this whole scenario stunk—like a set up.
    “They didn't find any spent shell casings at your place.  Can you remember anything else, maybe what the gun looked like?”
    Jennifer glared at him, disbelief written across her face.  “Are you kidding?  No, I don't remember what the gun looked like.  It was black.  It was a gun.  I was kind of busy looking at my brother, worried he was dead.  Sorry to disappoint you.”
    “Dial it back, sweetheart.  I'm just trying to piece things together.  It's my job, remember?”  He rolled over to face her, narrowing the space between them.  His hand slid along her cheek, his thumb rubbing small circles on her soft skin. The movement was meant to offer comfort.  He stared into her big blue eyes, which at the moment were glaring daggers at him.
    “We need to get some sleep.  In the morning we'll make some plans.  I've got a few ideas of where we can head.  You'll be safe, I promise.  Shut off the light.”  She turned and flipped it off, plunging the room into near darkness.  A faint sliver of light spilled through the split in the curtains, bathing the foot of the bed in a dim glow.
    They lay side by side in the king-sized bed not touching, but both unable to sleep.  Jennifer tossed and turned.  Remy knew the instant she began crying, silent tears flowing.  Sobs wracked her body even though she fought letting them escape.  She turned on her side, facing away from him, as though trying to spare him the anguish tormenting her.
    Remy rolled onto his side, scooting closer against her back, wrapping his arm over her and throwing his right leg across hers, pinning her body against his.  She stiffened against his hold and started to protest.
    “Shh, little one.   Go to sleep.  I'll take care of you.”  She gave a little hiccuping sigh and relaxed.  Within moments she'd drifted off to sleep.  Remy knew, with her body cuddled against his, it was going to be a long sleepless night.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    D ubshenko glared down at the unconscious man lying on the floor.  He'd had such high hopes for Carlo.  Instead, he'd betrayed him.  Idiot .  Nobody crossed Vladimir Dubshenko and lived to tell about it.  Carlo thought he'd been so clever letting his package get away.  He drew back his foot and placed a well-aimed kick into his ribs.  Too bad he wasn't awake to feel it.  Not to worry, though, he'd make sure the bastard felt every ache, pain and bruise before he finished what he'd started earlier.  Carlo didn't know it, but he was a dead man.
    Dubshenko couldn't help but be impressed, though.  Carlo had been smart enough to wear a vest.  Otherwise, he'd already be dead from the shot to the heart.  No way could he have survived a gunshot at that close range without protection.  They'd found the vest soon after he'd been knocked out in the limo, once they'd left Jennifer's house.
    Ah, sweet Jennifer.  She'd held such promise.  Such a meek, biddable woman.  The perfect candidate for his special buyer.  Long, golden blonde hair flowed past her shoulders in waves. Big, sapphire blue eyes that sparkled with life and joy.  A figure most men would die to get their hands on.   She wasn't one of these anorexic, stick figure women Hollywood and the press seemed to glorify.  No, Jennifer would be the