Mike gave a heartless-sounding laugh, taking a few steps toward me. His pistol was pointed at Joey. He looked nothing like the man I'd met in Minnesota. That version of Mike had been a charming, helpful friend, who truly seemed sincere in his actions. I never would've guessed he'd put transmitters in our phones and send the bad guys – his partners – after us. He'd even had Joey fooled. How could he do that to someone he'd been friends with for so long? I started to wonder if there had been any signs and we'd just failed to notice them.

"So you finally figured it out, huh?" Mike smirked. "Guess you're not so stupid after all."

Joey had yet to reveal his gun, but I was sure the men all knew he was concealing one. I watched his eyes zero in on the car keys to his most recent steal for just a split second. They were lying on the kitchen counter and it didn't look like anyone else had noticed them. Was Joey working through a plan to escape in the Impala out front?

"Why'd you do all this?" I demanded, trying my hardest to get my damn knees to stop shaking. "What's in it for you?"

I kept my peripheral focus on Joey, anxiously waiting for him to make a move and get us out of there. He seemed to be waiting for the perfect moment to whip out his gun.

"Money," Mike said in a duh tone. "I get rid of you, bump off your aunt's boyfriend... I get a cut of the winnings."

Joey and I shared a perplexed look. "What?" We asked in unison.

"Why would you have to kill her boyfriend?" I frowned. "I thought he was the one who killed her and wanted me dead so that he could get her life insurance or whatever the fuck it is. How would you get anything out of it if he's dead?"

Mike looked affectionately at his revolver, dangerously twirling it around his pointer finger. He leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his ankles like he couldn't have been more comfortable.

"You're missing one very important detail," he chuckled. "It's not him who's paying me."

I was beginning to gain confidence, mentally preparing myself to start shooting any minute. I was thankful Joey had given me a gun, or I would've felt much less safe. Not that I felt safe anyway, but the pistol tucked under my sweatshirt was a nice sense of security.

"Then who is?" Joey spoke up, still glaring at Mike.

"His other girlfriend," the hitman laughed darkly. "He was cheating on your aunt with a high-dollar prostitute for a couple years. He told her his plans to take the money and run away with her. It was a good plan until she came up with her own."

Now I understood where he was going. "So me and my aunt die, he gets the money, then you kill him, and his side chick takes the money, pays you, and disappears with millions."

Mike nodded, that awful smirk still on his face. "Bingo, Blondie. 'Cept you're still missing something."

"What's that?"

"The boyfriend's already dead," Cadillac Man piped up with his sickening raspy tone. "Killed him myself this morning."

I frowned so hard it made my head hurt. "But that doesn't make sense. I'm not dead yet. He couldn't have gotten the money already. Could he?"

Mike laughed again. "It's funny watching you try to figure this out."

Joey cleared his throat, stepping closer to Mike, sizing him up. "That's what you needed Brad for, isn't it? That's one hell of a plan you had there, Mike. You have Brad make it look like I was in on it and that Jess doesn't want protective custody. Then he pays off somebody at the coroner's office with the money you prepaid him to fake Jess's death certificate and make it look like natural causes. The insurance company overnights the money to the boyfriend and all you have left to do is kill him and then make sure we don't stick around to ruin everything."

"It would've been easier to kill you first. Wouldn't have had to bother with Brad." Mike said to both of us. "But I didn't count on Officer Shithead being so good at escaping. So I improvised. Now I'm tying up my loose ends."

"Who's to say Brad's not going to rat you out?" I asked.

"I get a third of the money. That's a million fucking dollars. Your buddy, Brad, gets a hundred grand of that. That'll keep his mouth shut."

"Enough of this bullshit talk," Cadillac Man said. "Let's end this!"

Faster than my eyes could follow what was going on, Mike lunged at Joey, Joey pulled his gun from his waistband and fired at Mike, and Cadillac Man made a run toward me while the third man stayed in place, shifting his aim back and forth between Joey and me.

A bullet whizzed by my head as Cadillac Man began shooting. I dropped to the floor and slid under the table, kicking a chair in his way and causing him to trip over it. A bang sounded when he went down and the man let out a pained yelp. His gun had gone off by accident. He'd shot himself!

Joey had managed to knock Mike's gun out of his hands. It landed a few feet away from where they were now struggling for control of Joey's revolver.

I rushed toward Mike's gun but the third man reached it first. He now held two pistols, both pointed at me. I froze on the ground, staring at the black barrels.

"Now you're dead, bitch!" he exclaimed.

Just as he began pulling the triggers, I leaped toward him. His bullets peppered the floor where I had just been. I threw my body against his legs and yanked him to the ground. I reached back to grab my gun, but before either of us had a chance to shoot the other, the gun Joey and Mike were fighting over went off, missing me by only an inch and hitting my opponent right in the chest. He was dead before he could even scream.

I quickly collected Mike's and the dead man's pistols so no one else could grab them, and retrieved my own gun from my waistband. In a panic, I tried to recall what Joey had taught me about how to sight a pistol. I located the little raised notches on the barrel and tried my damnedest to focus my aim on Mike, but the two men constantly moving was making it nearly impossible. Fists were flying, shins were being kicked, and that damn gun was being pointed all over creation as they struggled for dominance. Every time I thought I was clear to shoot Mike, they moved again and Joey got in the way.

"Look around you, Mike!" Joey said, breathless. "Your men are dead! You're not going to make it out of this! Give up while you still have a chance!"

Mike's eyes found his partners, both lying on the floor in pools of their own blood. The sight distracted him long enough for Joey to land a strong punch to his jaw. Mike's grasp loosened and Joey gained control of the pistol, stepping back from his former friend and taking aim at the blonde haired man.

"You're not going to shoot me, Cavannaugh," Mike dared, wiping blood from his mouth where Joey had hit him several times. "You wouldn't shoot your own friend."

Joey's jaw tightened and he spoke through gritted teeth. "You're not my friend, Mike. And it appears you never were."

Mike's eyes widened when he realized Joey wasn't the only one preparing to shoot him. I was crouched down on the floor in front of the TV, using the coffee table for support. I had a firm hold on my revolver with the other two pistols beside me, and I was staring down the barrel at Mike's head. It would take a miracle for him to get out of there unharmed.

"Come on now, guys," Mike panted, raising a hand to both of us as if it would hold us off. "We can make a deal here. How 'bout we make a deal? Huh? I'll split the money with you. I don't have to pay these two now, anyway. It works out perfectly. What do ya say?"

Mike's eyes were darting around the beach house, searching for an escape route. He resembled a frightened, cornered animal.

"You're not so tough now, are you?" Joey breathed a laugh.

"Come on, Joey-"

He shook his head, ready to pull the trigger. "No deal."

Gunshots rang out. It was an ear-piercing round of pops that shattered windows and ricocheted off objects. I squeezed my eyes shut when the window behind me broke into a million pieces, most of the shards landing on my back. I grimaced at the thunderous noise, praying it was all over now. But when I finally opened my eyes, it was Joey who was lying on the floor in pain, and Mike was standing a few feet from where he'd previously been. He hadn't even been hit.

Joey's pistol had clattered to the floor at the feet of Cadillac Man, who had managed enough strength to pull himself up and shoot Joey before he could shoot Mike. The bastard hadn't been dead after all.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Mike mocked Joey with a coldhearted laugh.

Joey cringed in pain, gasping as he pressed a hand to the wound in his side. Blood was soaking the wood floor beneath him while he tried to suppress it.

Cadillac Man picked up Joey's gun and handed it to Mike who grinned like he was about to win the lottery.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Mike asked his partner with an evil smirk.

The two villains exchanged a look like they couldn't be prouder of themselves and Cadillac Man pointed his gun at Joey to finish the job.

Joey's eyes found mine and he mouthed I'm sorry, biting down on his tongue to keep from screaming in pain.

Cadillac Man pulled his trigger.

I pulled my trigger.

Joey had been a damn good sighting instructor. My round hit Cadillac Man right in the throat, killing him instantly. His limp body fell to the ground behind the kitchen table with a powerful thud.

Adrenaline shot through my veins and I scrambled toward Joey, clasping my hand over his where blood was coating his fingers. He swallowed hard, breathing raggedly. His usually vibrant blue eyes were dull and scared. Blood was gushing over my hand now. I had to get him out of there or he was going to die.

I heard Mike's heavy boots behind me and turned to see his pistol aimed at Joey. His glare was more determined than ever.

"Mike, please don't shoot him!" I begged, clutching Joey's bloody hand. "Let me get him out of here!"

He slowly shook his head, his eyes never leaving Joey's. "No."

"He's going to bleed to death!" I shouted.

"Then we'll put him out of his misery."

I reached for my gun with my now blood-soaked hand. He might shoot me, too, but I wasn't going to let Mike kill Joey.

I tried to grab ahold of my pistol, but the sticky liquid on my hand was making it difficult. Mike laughed wickedly. I finally gripped the handle and raised my arm to shoot.

Another round of gunshots rang out, but I hadn't had a chance to pull my trigger. Mike went down with a slew of curse words, clutching his stomach. He'd fired at me, but his bullets had missed both of us. I looked at Joey to see if he'd managed to reach another weapon, but he hadn't.

Mike gave one last cough and the life drained out of his body.

I heard footsteps near the front door. There stood Brad, gun in hand, breathing like he'd just finished a marathon. His arms were still raised with his pistol aimed at the now dead hitman in the kitchen.

"Brad?"

I was in shock. Brad had killed Mike. He'd probably just saved both mine and Joey's lives.

Brad slowly lowered his weapon and turned his attention to where Joey and I laid on the floor. He started to make his way to us, but I raised my gun and aimed it at his chest.

"Whoa! Whoa! Jess, it's okay!" Brad said, stuffing his gun in his holster and holding his hands up in surrender.

"How can I trust you?" I spat, my finger shaking on the trigger as he carefully inched toward us.

Brad's eyes zeroed in on Joey's wound and I could see the color leaving his face.

"Jess, I'm on your side," he said cautiously.

"Are you?" I demanded. "Or is this another sick plot twist where you swoop in to collect the money that Mike would've gotten?"

He quickly shook his head, keeping his hands up as he stepped closer. "That's not what this is, Jess. I changed my mind. I couldn't be a part of this."

"You already are!"

"It's not too late for me to change things!" His voice was pained and scared. "I fucked up! You don't know how sorry I am! You can't imagine how sorry I am, Jess! But I'm trying to fix my mistake!"

Brad's begging words and pleading eyes seemed sincere. I could see the horror in his eyes at the sight of his partner lying in a bloody mess on the ground. I wanted so badly to believe what Brad was saying, but he'd already fooled both Joey and me once. What if this was just another ploy?

"Jess, please believe me," he begged. "Let me help."

Joey coughed beside me and a trail of blood had begun its descent from his mouth down his chin. He had to get help immediately.

"Help me get him out of here!" I ordered.

I got up and gestured with my gun for Brad to go to Joey. I kept my gun pointed at the other officer until I was convinced that he wasn't about to pull a one-eighty on me.

I replaced my gun in my waistband and grabbed a kitchen towel, tossing it to Brad. He lifted Joey's shirt and wadded the towel up, pressing it to the wound and instructing Joey to hold it there as a compress.

"On three, okay?" Brad said to Joey who nodded and swallowed back a gasp.

"One... Two... Three..." they said together.

Brad lifted Joey up in his muscular arms and I followed as he carried his partner outside to a waiting squad car. He helped Joey to climb into the backseat and I got in beside him, helping him hold the compress to his wound.

"We don't have time to wait on an ambulance," Brad told me, jerking the wheel to make a rushed U-turn back to the road. "This is our only hope."

He turned on his lights and siren and floored the accelerator down the bumpy gravel road. Once we reached the main road, Brad forced every vehicle out of his way, racing to the nearest hospital.

"Jess..." Joey panted beside me. "I'm so-"

"Shh. It's okay," I told him. "We're going to get you to the hospital. You're going to be okay."

He leaned his head back against the headrest and coughed. He was barely clinging to consciousness.

I thought back to the night before and what I thought I'd heard Joey say. I couldn't be sure if I'd dreamed it or if it had really happened. It didn't matter, though. I wasn't going to say it just to say it back. I was going to tell him because I meant it and this might be my only chance to tell him how I felt.

"Joey." I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks as I held on to the man who had saved my life countless times. "I love you. Please know that. I love you so much, damnit. You can't die!"

I caught a hint of that familiar sparkle in his eyes and he opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, his eyes fluttered shut and he lost consciousness.