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  “We’ve gotta get out of here,” the shorter of the two men insisted. “Jail time wasn’t a part of any of my plans.”

  “We still got time,” the other robber, the one who seemed to be in charge, declared.

  The tellers stopped frantically stuffing money into the bag, and he fired another shot into the ceiling of the bank. “Keep moving,” he barked at the bank employees. To the other man he said, “Someone must have hit a silent alarm. We’re going to need a hostage if we want a chance in hell of getting past the police. And I don’t want to hang around to deal with no negotiator either.”

  He looked in Daisy’s general direction. “Go grab the blonde over there. We’ll take her.” Without waiting to see if his partner in crime did as he was told, the bank robber returned his attention to the tellers and the backpacks, which were now bulging with money.

  Daisy’s lungs felt like they were burning. That’s when she realized she’d stopped breathing. She frantically gulped in a few breaths of air before moving back toward Carson. It was stupid, considering they spent most of their time tiptoeing around each other, but he made her feel safe.

  This could not be happening. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. It was as if Daisy was stuck in a nightmare, unable to wake up. The sad thing was that staying safe in Rancher’s Bend had never been a concern for her. Not even when she took the job at the bank.

  This was Rancher’s Bend. Nothing exciting ever happened here. Well, almost nothing. There was the matter of the bogus bomb threat and several gunshots that were fired outside the courthouse a few months before.

  Her friend Sara Beth’s husband was a lawyer. He’d been working at the courthouse that day. And Sara Beth had been beside herself with worry. Kyle and most of the other people in the courthouse had been lucky that day. Daisy hoped everyone at the bank could say the same when this was all over.

  ****

  “I’m armed,” Carson heard the man next to him whisper low enough so that Daisy or no one else would overhear. “If you can distract this guy and keep him from leaving with Daisy, I can take both of them out.”

  “I don’t want customers or employees injured. They’re my responsibility,” Carson insisted.”

  “I will disable the bank robbers enough to make sure they’re not a threat to anyone in the bank. The police have gone silent, but I’m sure they are outside planning their next move. We don’t want Daisy or anyone else caught in the crossfire. We need to end this now.”

  Carson knew Derek well and trusted him to get the job done. Fear for Daisy made him hesitant, however.

  “Just do it, Carson. If they make it out the door with her, she’s as good as dead or worse.”

  Carson didn’t want to think about what the or worse part of that statement meant. Daisy did something to him. She shook up his orderly world. The woman made him want things he hadn’t wanted in a long time.

  Before today he’d done his best to ignore Daisy and the desire she stirred inside him. That ended today. But first he had to make sure both of them lived long enough to explore and pursue whatever this intense thing between them was.

  The bank robber closed in on their location. Adrenaline coursed through Carson. He didn’t have any more time to think. “I’ll do it, Derek. And I trust you won’t miss when you aim that gun,” was all he had time to say to the man next to him.

  Carson glanced over at Daisy. Luckily she wasn’t paying attention to the two men next to her. Instead she was watching the bank robber stalk closer and closer. Carson figured the masked man must be like a monster from her worst nightmare. Her beautiful light-brown eyes were wide and laced with terror.

  Seeing Daisy so scared was like a kick in the gut. Carson felt as if an invisible noose was tightening around his neck. Derek’s plan had better work, because Carson didn’t think he could live with himself otherwise.

  Daisy scooted back until she was against the wall and had nowhere else to go. Her fear was palpable. Carson steeled his nerves and got ready to make his move. He reminded himself that failure was not an option, there was too much at stake.

  The bank robber stalked over to Daisy. “Get up,” he demanded.

  She didn’t move. And the man was getting agitated. It was now or never. Carson had to intervene before the gunman lost all his patience and got nasty.

  Carson slowly lifted his hands outward and stood, placing his body between the gunman and Daisy. “Why don’t you take me as a hostage instead,” he said. “I’m the president of the bank.” He sent Daisy an apologetic glance. “She’s just a secretary. I’d be a much more valuable hostage.”

  The man hesitated, as if he was thinking it over. He didn’t seem inclined to make a major decision on his own. His partner, however, was distracted. He was too busy intimidating the tellers into moving faster and bagging as much money as possible.

  Daisy was trembling from head to toe. It was obvious to Carson that she was petrified. He redoubled his efforts to put himself between her and the gun-wielding bank robber. “Bank president,” he waved a nonchalant hand toward Daisy. “Or secretary? Whom do you think is worth more?”

  He said a silent curse when Daisy rose to stand next to him. He did not want her getting any closer to the unstable man with a gun. He moved in front of her, using his large body to shield her.

  The bank robber hesitated for what seemed like an endless amount of time. He looked from one to the other. Carson knew he was having an internal argument and weighing his choices carefully. Carson could almost see the wheels in the man’s head turning.

  He needed to nudge the man in the right direction. “You needn’t worry about incurring the wrath of your boss. I’m sure he’ll be impressed with your initiative in scoring a more valuable hostage.” Carson tried manipulating the man into choosing him.

  Meanwhile the sirens could no longer be heard. Carson hoped it was because the police were closing in and trying to stay undetected. Otherwise things could go from bad to worse any moment.

  Carson knew that Derek was a decorated military hero who’d served three tours of duty overseas. There was no one he trusted more to help keep Daisy safe. And that was Carson’s only concern, making sure Daisy got out of this mess alive and well. Once again he stated his case to the gunman.

  “Take me,” Carson said, in the most neutral and nonthreatening manner he could. “The bank will be willing to negotiate for my safe return,” he insisted. He put a little swagger in his voice to sound a little more convincing in his argument.

  “Personal assistants are a dime a dozen,” Carson insisted. “But this bank can’t run without me. The board will pay a pretty penny to get me back. The death of their president would be bad for business.”

  Carson held his breath and waited. He hoped the man didn’t think too long and hard about why someone actually wanted to be a hostage. Much to his relief, the bank robber gave in and forgot all about leaving with Daisy.

  “Fine,” the man suddenly agreed. He grabbed Carson’s arm and roughly shoved him toward the front of the bank toward his partner, who was grabbing the overflowing backpacks.

  TWO

  Adrenaline pumped through Derek’s blood. He was a warrior and well trained for situations like this. His eyes quickly fluttered around the large, open, square room. The timing had to be just right when he made his move. There was no room for error.

  Daisy was the closest person to him. She looked shell-shocked. Derek’s heart went out to her but he didn’t have time to coddle her. While he was watching, she folded right before his very eyes. Daisy sank down onto the floor like a deflated balloon.

  Derek glanced around the bank. He could spare a few seconds. He quickly and quietly scooted to her side. He grabbed her arms and slid her into the alcove under the desk in front of Carson’s office door.

  Her eyes were slightly glazed over. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her. “Stay here and keep your head down,” he ordered. She focused on him and nodded her agreement.

&n
bsp; Derek needed to get his head off of Daisy and back in the game. Lives were depending on him. He slithered around the corner of the desk quickly and quietly, moving further away from Daisy and anyone else in the immediate area.

  The training and instincts of a natural-born protector took over. He was about to put himself in harm’s way. And he didn’t want anyone else to be in the direct line of fire when he captured the gunmen’s attention.

  The first robber was distracted with handling the bags of money and making a quick and unimpeded escape. The second one was marching Carson forward. The man’s weapon was pointed right at the middle of Carson’s back.

  Derek checked the layout of the area and the position of all the innocents. His entire body tensed in anticipation of what was to come. It was like being back on the battlefield, and he thrived on the challenge and the pressure.

  Derek had been biding his time, waiting until the two perpetrators and Carson were right in front of the door and well away from everyone else in the bank. The moment of truth was upon them. Time to rock and roll!

  “Now, Carson!” Derek’s gruff voice shouted out the order, which startled everyone.

  The gunman holding Carson turned toward the abrupt noise. At Derek’s cue, Carson tensed his body. As soon as the weapon and the gunman moved away from him, Carson immediately dropped to the floor. He intentionally clipped his detainee’s knees on the way down.

  The masked man went down hard. Advantage, Carson! He pounced on the downed gunman, holding nothing back. Carson hit the would-be bank robber with as much force as possible.

  During the struggle, the gun was jostled from the robber’s hand. The weapon skidded across the tiled floor. The two men wrestled, fighting to gain the upper hand and control of the weapon.

  Trusting Carson to take care of gunman number one, Derek focused his concentration on the ringleader. The man was inches from the door and about to make his escape. Derek refused to let that happen. Led by instinct and an aim honed by hours of target practice, Derek made his next move. He squeezed the finger that had previously been resting against the trigger.

  A bullet shot from the chamber. The loud report of the firing weapon had most of the captives covering their heads and shrieking in alarm. They had nothing to fear. Derek’s aim was true. The bullet hit its mark.

  The second bank robber dropped his gun. He clutched his now bleeding and injured shooting hand to his chest. The man was in obvious pain, if his howling was any indication.

  Derek took advantage of the bank robber’s preoccupation with the wound. He moved in, cornered the bank robber, and confiscated the weapon. The two would-be bank robbers had been disarmed, and the situation was under control. It was all in a day’s work for a man like Derek.

  ****

  The imaginary fist that wrapped itself around Daisy’s heart at the sight of a vulnerable Carson in such obvious peril loosened its hold. The danger that he’d brought upon himself in order to save her had passed without him being hurt. She slowly breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. She owed Carson and she owed him big. Not many people would have volunteered to be a hostage in someone else’s place. It highlighted the kind of man Carson was.

  He was brave and courageous. Carson didn’t run or even walk away from a challenge. He was the kind of man who stole hearts. And, deep inside, Daisy had always known that. It was why she’d tried so hard to stay away from him since moving back to Rancher’s Bend.

  Daisy pulled herself together. The horrible men were still in the bank. This wasn’t over yet. And she wasn’t going to cower under Renee’s desk anymore. She was going to do her part.

  Daisy grabbed the phone from the desk and dialed 911. As soon as the dispatcher answered, she gave her name, position at the bank, and an update on what was happening inside. The dispatcher told her that a caller from inside the bank had already called to notify the police of the robbery in progress. RBPD were already on the scene, the woman assured Daisy.

  “It’s safe for them to come in now,” Daisy told the woman on the other end of the phone. “There were only two gunmen. And Carson Miller and Derek Barnes disarmed them. The police really need to come take the bad guys into custody,” Daisy insisted. “But please make sure they don’t harm Carson or Derek,” she quickly added.

  “Oh, honey,” the dispatcher chuckled. “If you’ve got Derek Barnes there, then you’ve already got the police. And the best that Rancher’s Bend has to offer at that.”

  “Huh?” Had Daisy heard that right?

  The dispatcher continued to talk over Daisy’s sounds of confusion. “Don’t worry about a thing. All the officers with RBPD know who Derek Barnes is. Stay on the phone with me, but I’m going to go ahead and give the officers on the scene the all-clear to enter.”

  Daisy breathed a sigh of relief. Tightly clutching the phone between shaking fingers, she waited for the police to come inside and do their job. She glanced at Carson and then Derek. They still had the upper hand on the two criminals, who were huddled together in a corner at the front of the bank.

  Derek stood guard over them with his weapon and a menacing look, cold and hard enough to turn even a grown man into a block of ice. Daisy was sure that look was enough to make any man shake in his boots. She shivered from its intensity, and Derek wasn’t even looking at her!

  Seeing the fear on the two criminals faces while they sat slumped in defeat helped Daisy relax just a little. However, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop shaking and regain control of her thoughts and equilibrium until the gunmen were out of her sight. Even then, she wouldn’t be able to completely relax. She was afraid that the trauma from this day would be with her for a long time to come.

  Even though she knew it was going to happen, Daisy just about jumped out of her skin when several men in blue burst through the front door of the bank. The policemen’s weapons were drawn, their stances defensive in nature. They quickly assessed the situation and moved into action.

  Two of the officers stepped forward to apprehend and handcuff the masked men. The other four officers began talking to Derek, Carson, and the bank tellers. Daisy figured they were taking witnesses’ statements. Remembering every little detail didn’t seem as important as it had before.

  Daisy had high hopes that this case was going to be a slam dunk for the prosecution. The two criminals had been caught red-handed at the scene of the crime. And if what the dispatcher said about Derek was true, they’d been brought down by a member of the Rancher’s Bend Police Department. And Daisy was sure that Derek’s cool and calculating brain would remember everything about the incident right down to the most minute detail.

  Daisy continued to take in all the action with wide eyes. When the two arrested men were finally escorted outside the bank, she took a deep breath. Thanking the dispatcher, Daisy loosened her grip on the phone and hung up.

  Now that the calming connection with the dispatcher was broken, Daisy’s nerves finally got the better of her. She was going to be sick. Daisy’s hand flew up to cover her mouth. Not wanting to embarrass herself, she rushed down the short hallway to the ladies’ restroom.

  She shoved open the door and ran right smack into Renee Jenkins, who was trying to exit the bathroom. Daisy was relieved to see the woman unhurt, but she couldn’t take the time to stop for small talk. Stepping inside the first stall, Daisy noisily retched, emptying her stomach.

  A gentle touch on her shoulder had her tensing until she realized it was Renee. The older woman had stayed behind to help.

  “Let me get you a cool, damp paper towel,” the woman offered.

  When Renee moved away, Daisy reached forward to flush the toilet. She slowly raised herself to her full height. Her stomach seemed to be settling. Satisfied that she was done throwing up, Daisy stepped out of the stall and took the offered paper towel from Renee. After wiping her face and rinsing out her mouth, Daisy felt much better.

  “I’m relieved to see that you’re okay,” Daisy finally said after she’d cleaned up the
best she could. In truth during the chaos of the attempted robbery, she’d forgotten all about Carson’s missing personal assistant.

  Renee wiped a hand across her forehead. “Whew, you and me both, honey!” I was on my way back to my desk when I heard the first shot. I hid back there in the last stall. Fortunately I usually touch up my face powder and lipstick every afternoon. So I had my purse with me. I called 911 to get help. They advised me to stay on the line, and to stay hidden, for as long as I could.”

  Daisy gave Renee a big hug. “Thank goodness those two horrible men didn’t find you, especially while you were on the phone with the police dispatcher.” Daisy shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to her friend if Renee had been caught. The two bank robbers came across as having more brawn than brains.

  Renee laughed. “Luckily for all of us, those two men weren’t mastermind criminals. They never even came back here to check for stragglers. Idiots, both of them, but we can’t complain about their questionable IQ. It only worked in our favor.”

  She put a comforting arm around Daisy. “Why don’t you fill me in on everything I missed while I was hiding like the old lady I am? I bet Carson had a hand in the heroics. That man isn’t one to sit back and let people around him be harmed, especially in his bank.”

  Daisy’s heart hammered in her chest when she thought about how Carson had gladly volunteered to take her place as a hostage. “Carson Miller and Derek Barnes are heroes,” Daisy agreed. A brisk knock sounded on the door before she could say anything else to Renee.

  “Daisy, it’s Carson. I need you to come out, sweetheart.”

  Daisy’s eyes jerked toward the door, but not before she saw the questioning look Renee gave her.

  “Sweetheart?” Carson’s personal assistant echoed the endearment. “Now that’s an improvement over what he’s normally yelling at people.”