LITMIR.BIZ

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way down, right into his arms. “Are you okay?” he asked. Her T-shirt and khaki pants didn’t seem to show any evidence of blood.

      She shivered but nodded as she found her footing. “I saw a light on the other side of the attic. It’s the Robert guy. He’s up there.”

      “Then we don’t have a lot of time.” David yanked the ladder down to the ground, grabbed Aria’s hand and sprinted for the curved staircase.

      “Short legs,” she huffed. He let go of her hand but almost came to a complete stop at the sight of George. He was on the tile, on his side, his hand over his heart.

      Aria passed David on the staircase and sprinted across the lobby floor. “George,” she whispered. She fell to her knees in front of him. “George. Answer me,” she begged. “Please!”

      David reached her side and kneeled. His friend, and boss for a day, had his eyes closed and looked pale. Even if help arrived within the minute, it didn’t look as if he had a chance. David felt for George’s pulse on his right hand.

      George’s eyes fluttered open and darted between David and Aria. The man smirked and closed his eyes again. “Two favorite people,” he whispered, his voice hoarse from the strain.

      “Help is on the way. We need to get you away from those men. Just hold on.” Aria placed her hand on George’s left hand, pressing against his gunshot wound. “Help me move him, David.”

      George licked his lips and opened his eyes again. “No, sweetheart.” He took a ragged breath. “I’m ready.” His stare moved to David. “My desk.” Another breath. “The drive.” He sighed. “Make it right.” He closed his eyes. “Proud of you.”

      “I can’t lose you, George,” Aria said. George didn’t move or respond. She turned to David and shook his arm. “Help me! I can’t lose him.”

      The pulse beneath David’s fingers disappeared. His shoulders sagged. “We can’t save him, Aria.” He cleared the emotion from his throat. “He’s gone.”

      She shook her head. “No. George, stay with me.” Her voice cracked. Tears filled her eyes.

      David’s chest burned with restrained agony. He let go of his boss’s hand and reached for Aria. He was ashamed he’d ever spoken to her with anything but kindness.

      A thump reverberated from above. In his peripheral vision, he spotted a flash of black approaching the balcony. The gunman had jumped from the attic. David shoved Aria down to the ground as a bullet crashed through the twenty-foot-high front window of the lobby. A cascade of shattered glass dropped to the floor.

      His eardrums seared with the pain of such a violent crash, but his first priority was Aria’s safety. He jumped over her, grabbed her arm and slid her crouched form across the floor until they were past the corner of the reception counter. He ducked as a series of bullets lodged in the wall behind him. “This guy’s nuts!”

      Aria’s wide eyes and shallow breathing grabbed his focus. He put his hands on her shoulders. “Aria. Are you okay?”

      She shook her head. “No,” she whispered. She blinked and, as she inhaled, pulled her shoulders back as if she’d put on armor. “But I know we have to go. I think I know the way out.”

      She slithered past him and into a closet. At least he thought it was a closet, judging by the pillows and blankets in the cubbies lined against the wall. But once inside, he spotted two doors. The door to the right was marked Conference Room, but the door to the left simply said Management. Aria stood and flung the left open. Of course. George’s office—and George had his own private entrance. Or exit, in this case.

      David locked the office door behind him, then crossed the room to open their escape route. Aria had taken to rifling through George’s desk drawers.

      “What are you doing? The guy’s got to be clear across the lobby by now.”

      She ignored him. Rage filled his veins. Every second increased their chances of being shot. “I can’t keep you safe if you don’t—”

      “Got it.” She thrust a thumb drive up in the air. “I think this is what he wanted us to find.” She lowered her hand and stared at the drive. “It’s got to be.”

      David lunged for her wrist. “We leave now.” He pulled her out of the building. The wind rushed past him, the snowflakes melting on his skin. The conference center campus was placed diagonal to the coast’s jagged shoreline. Half of the buildings were built on a hill, above the main conference lodging. It ensured every building had at least partial access to an ocean view. His truck was attached to a trailer full of tools at the opposite end of campus. “Where’s your car?”

      Her eyes, dark with worry, surveyed the area. “Parked near the cottages, next to the garden. If we run across the parking lots with him after us, we’ll be target practice.”

      She was right but he didn’t have any other solution. He shook his head. “We don’t have a choice. My truck is too far away—”

      She grabbed his arm, her eyes widening. “The caves.”

      David whipped his gaze to the ocean. “Is it low tide?”

      Her curls blew across her face. “No.” She started running. He pumped his arms to catch up as he heard her say, “But it’s not high tide yet either.”

      He blew out a breath. Could the day possibly get any worse? Side by side they tore through the wet sand. Only ten feet until shelter. Just as they rounded the corner of the nearest rocky cliff another gunshot rang out. A sting ran across his right shoulder and wet warmth ran down to his elbow. David heard his own cry before he fully registered what had happened. His shoulder had been hit but they couldn’t afford to slow their pace. He ran harder, his thoughts fueling his rage. The anger helped tame the pain.

      A nearby wave crashed beside him, and a moment later the ripples hit their feet. It was harder to keep up a fast pace, especially in his boots. They were sinking into the sand. Aria jabbed a finger past his face and came to a stop. He turned to follow her gaze. A thin crevice.

      He looked over his shoulder. The gunman had yet to round the corner. It was now or never. He entered first with Aria right on his heels.

      Once again they were in the dark together. The crevice was tight, especially in the front where the ocean slapped against the face of the cliff. The space opened slightly. Shoulder to shoulder they sloshed through the six-inch-deep ocean water. He gritted his teeth. The air might be in the forties, but the water could only be ten degrees warmer. Only the hardiest of surfers would brave fifty-degree water, even with a wet suit. He had never been one for surfing...or for enjoying cold temperatures.

      They couldn’t afford to slosh in the water much longer, or their health would suffer. The rock opened up into a small cavity. The sea cave. The air grew stale and musty. He reached out and his fingertips found Aria’s shoulder. She stopped walking, but her body shivered underneath his hand. Without a hint of light, they had to stay together.

      He sniffed, making sure there weren’t any unpleasant smells that might indicate new sea lion territory.

      Memories flooded David’s mind. Four years ago they had strolled the same beach hand in hand, discussing their dreams for building their own resort similar to the Shoreline Conference Center. Their center would serve as a ministry and provide groups, and most important, families, access to amazing vacations and marriage conferences in beautiful locations they’d otherwise never be able to afford. Exactly like George had done for their own families.

      Aria had claimed the designs were already sketched in her mind, and David had boasted his resourcefulness would allow it to be built under budget yet still strong enough to handle the toughest earthquakes and floods. When they had discovered the sea cave that day, years ago, they were just going to check it out and come back to the beach straight away.

      But when Aria had heard a sound behind her and jumped into his arms, the darkness had given him the courage to kiss her forehead...and then

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