Damn it. I should’ve tied Sugar to the bed at home. He took a breath, controlled his heartbeat, and swallowed his emotion. “Wrong, Sarah. He’s here. Alive. With me. Everything’s all good, except you need to go.”

Her purse slid down her shoulder and left her tiny hand exposed, wrapped around a .38 special. An instant tightness strangled his lungs. The only thing worse than a woman scorned was a woman hell-bent on revenge.

“I need to talk to Sugar. She’s the only one I trust.”

The wrought-iron security door at GUNS’ front entrance slammed open. “Sarah, I’m here.” Sugar sashayed into the parking lot as if the mess unfolding there was just two chicks chatting. “The boys have business, so you have to go. We’ll catch up soon. Promise.”

“Is Brock alive?”

“He would’ve been if you’d stayed with me.” Baer cackled. “Now, Sugar, I’ve been looking for you, pretty lady.”

Sarah spun toward Baer, the .38 held outstretched in an unsteady grip. “I hate you. You’ve ruined our lives.”

Baer laughed again. Nothing good was unfolding. Sarah didn’t need to be antagonized. She needed a swift kick toward calm-the-hell-down alley.

“Sugar, get inside. Sarah, get out of—”

Faster than Jared expected, Baer pulled his sidearm and trained it on Sugar. A half-ton tanker could’ve landed on Jared’s chest, and it would’ve been lighter than the weight crushing him. On instinct, he had his Glock in hand. His heart thumped. His mouth went dry. A lifetime’s worth of training and discipline skittered into the breeze as he watched a sadistic smile pull Baer’s cheeks back and make his eyes shine.

Sarah was in Jared’s kill-shot line of fire. This was all a game. Maybe Baer didn’t have the balls to take out Sugar. Maybe he wanted Jared to suffer, to know that he could’ve saved his woman if he’d taken out Brock’s wife.

A shot rang out. Sugar hit the ground as Jared dove toward her. Sarah screamed. Spinning. Falling. Someone cursed. Another shot fired in the background, and he crawled the remaining distance to cover Sugar’s body. There was blood. Lots of it.

He ran his hands ran through her hair. Checked her face and her skull. Ran down her neck. So much goddamn blood.

Rocco’s orders carried in his ear. Another scream followed another shot. Jared scooped Sugar against his chest. Her harsh voice didn’t make sense as he hustled across the open space toward the front door of GUNS.

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Roman swoop in and head toward Sarah. None of that mattered. Jared had to secure Sugar. He wanted the kill shot on Baer, but more than that, he needed Sugar alive and in his arms. His head was spinning. There was just too much blood.

“Jared!” Sugar took a panicked breath. Her eyes reached past him. “Help me!”

Maybe the bullet hit her chest? Fuck, not good. Inside GUNS, he lifted her onto a table, searching with his eyes and fingers for the entry wound.