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do this if I had any choice whatsoever?”
    â€œJesus Christ!” Kyle’s violent outburst scared me all the more, because he was a bit of a loose cannon while he still learned the bodyguard ropes. There was no telling what he might do to save me. The very reason I’d asked him on more than one occasion to reconsider this new quest of his to protect me when Dane couldn’t be here with us and when Amano had FBI business to attend to.
    â€œThey forced my hand,” Tom continued. “That’s the only reason I let someone on-property to plant the snakes. The only reason I’m standing here, pointing a gun at you.”
    â€œYou won’t hit your mark,” Dane said. “I won’t let you. It was a good attempt, but you’re not getting to Ari. Whatever happens to your family because you failed is on you.”
    â€œI know that.”
    Despite Dane’s cold words, I suspected his mind worked feverishly with how to get Candace and Ruby out of the clutches of Hilliard’s henchmen. Dane wouldn’t let them suffer if there was anything he could do about it.
    I watched as Tom’s arms dipped in defeat, in surrender. My eyes squeezed shut from relief—and to fight back tears.
    He wouldn’t shoot Dane.
    Yet a heartbeat later the sound of a gunshot ripped through the house. I screamed. The noise and the sinister, horrific implication jolted me. My eyes flew open. Dane reeled backward, plowing into Kyle.
    â€œDane!” I cried out.
    Just as Amano slammed the butt of his gun to Tom’s temple.
    Tom Talbot dropped to the floor.
    I stood and whirled around to face everyone. Tom’s rifle hit the tiles and Amano kicked the weapon away. I scrambled around the counter as Kyle helped Dane to a chair, which he slumped into.
    â€œOh, shit!” I stared in shock at the blood gushing from the gaping hole in his shoulder. Kyle bled, too. The bullet must have exited Dane’s shoulder and grazed Kyle’s biceps.
    A rush of adrenaline propelled me forward. I snatched two clean linen napkins from the kitchen table where Dane sat and pressed them against Kyle’s arm. “Hold these firmly.”
    Then I raced back to the island, jerked open a drawer, and extracted several dish towels. I hurriedly returned to Dane and held the thick material to his wound, applying as much pressure as I could with shaky hands and panic vibrating through me.
    Kyle had to help me with his free hand while keeping the napkins to his arm. Dane fished his iPhone from his pocket and hit a speed dial number. Amano was on the phone, too. From the sound of the conversation, I’d venture to say he spoke with Jackson. A man who knew how to handle dire situations such as this.
    I certainly didn’t know what the hell to do.
    Luckily, Dane had a private physician, and that was whom he called.
    Amano also told Jackson about Tom’s wife and daughter being in jeopardy. All the while, Amano kept his gun trained on Tom. Who didn’t so much as flinch. He was out cold.
    To be honest, I was surprised Amano hadn’t shot him. It must have tested the very limits of his restraint not to have inflicted mortal injury when it came to someone he’d trusted with all of our lives—who’d betrayed us all. Someone who’d just threatened my life and used Dane for target practice.
    â€œThis is getting a little too real.” Kyle’s voice was tense, rough around the edges. “Like, seriously? Now we’ve reached the point of dueling over breakfast—to hell with high noon?”
    â€œPressure’s on the society,” Dane said. His gaze slid to me. “It’ll get worse before it gets better. So you get your wish. Creek house. And you don’t leave Amano’s or Kyle’s sight. Do you hear me?”
    I nodded, not even capable of cracking my usual joke about whether they’d follow me into the ladies’ room. Tears crested the rims of my eyes