Close Your Eyes (21 page)

With
an unexpected
clarity
,
she noticed how similar they looked, even though
Matt
was taller and slightly more muscular. They carried themselves the same way, tall and proud with heads lifted defiantly.
A wave of protectiveness washed over her,
and
her heart contrac
t
ed
painfully as she peeked between their bodies
at
the man who threatened everything she held dear.

‘I think you should talk to me about whatever grievances you have, Burt.’ Henry
Harper
’s voice, strong and crisp
,
broke through the silence.
His face smooth and carefully folded into an expression of polite indifference, t
he old man stood in the entrance
.

Meg
wondered
what
had
made him come back, since he had withdrawn
earlier
from the official dance party. She
preferred
not to think
that
his promise to show her around
had drawn him back
.
Being
the reason
for
anything happening to him
would be unbearable
.

‘
Why
don’t
we talk about it man to man?’
he
prompted again, his blue
,
steely gaze brushing against
the
gun in Burt’s hand. ‘
This
isn’t the best place for it, really.’

‘
We
had our chance to talk, Mr.
Harper
.’
As his face turned even paler,
Burt’s eyes flickered nervously from the old man to the rest of the crowd. ‘I came here to tell this grandson of yours what I think. Your nosy little boy that
likes to
play an adult with
G
randpa’s money.’

Meg
noticed
Rupert
moving slowly from Rosemary’s side where they
had
stood together
when
the surprising entry
had
caught them
. She held her breath, forcing herself to remain calm.
There
is
a method to this madness,
she thought as she listened to Henry
’s
calm, almost relaxed voice.
She
realized
he was serving as distraction
,
and
the subtle shifts in positions of other men in the room
gave
her hope
this could
all end
well
.

Henry
Harper
strolled closer,
and
Meg
admired
his casual walk. Not a second of hesitation or worry showed in his still
-
handsome face as he faced Burt.

‘Now, why don’
t we go to my office instead?’
Henry’s
elegant palm reach
ed
out as if to shake the other man’s hand.

It proved to be a gamble that went too far.
As if fate were playing a cruel joke on them all,
the avalanche of events that followed quickly spiral
ed
out of control into a mess of epic proportions.

There was a sudden movement behind them, in the midst of the crowd.
O
ne of the waiters
was
trying to find his way out, probably to get some help.
As i
nconspicuous as he tried to be, he bumped into a couple,
and
a woman’s yelp alert
ed
Burt
to the movement
. His face twisted with rage
and his breath coming in short, desperate gasps
,
Burt
swung the weapon towards Henry.

Things moved too fast for her to register them properly,
though she was filled with a palpable and
overwhelming sense of impe
n
ding doom. She felt as if she
were
looking from behind a transparent glass wall, distant and observant. Both Ry
an
and
Matt
sprinted forward towards their grandfather. Helpless and horrified, she watched them move, their bodies
blocking
Burt
’s way
as he tried to pull the trigger. There was a noise, dry and crackling
,
like
a branch
breaking
in two. Henry staggered to the
side
as Ryan
placed himself between the old man and Burt.
Matt
slammed into the ex
-
manager
. E
ven in
Megan’s
state of shock and disbelief
,
the strangely graceful movement registered clearly in her dazed mind. She
saw the two
men
,
locked into a tight embrace,
fall to the ground
. It all happened almost too fast to follow
. H
er terrified eyes
clung
to
Matt
’s broad back as he struggled to subdue the
cursing and
writhing
man.
Matt
prevailed, gaining
the
upper hand
as he straddled the man and pressed him into the floor, kicking away the gun.

Matt looked to
his grandfather and Ry
an
,
and it was only then that
Megan
realized something terrible had happened.
A
group of people
was already
around them, helping Henry and Ry
an
to their feet.
T
he old man, shaken and pale
,
took a staggering step
. H
is face twisted in pain as he looked down to the floor.

But… where
is
Ry
?
And
then
she saw
him
.
T
he noise and hubbub disappeared, fading into the background
.
She
looked at Ry
an
, still lying on the ground
,
an unusual
red stain spreading across his pristine shirt. He was breathing heavily, his face unnaturally pale.

Henry bent
to him
.
Rupert
and
Matt
joined him
, both men saying something she couldn’t hear. Blood rushed to her head
. The
steady drum
ming
silenc
ed
everything into a static hum as she fought to remain conscious.
With a tortured expression, Matt knelt
next to his brother.

Megan
pushed forward, oblivious to anything but Ry
an. H
is low voice
reached
her ears once she
joined the gathering
.

‘Oh
,
God,
Ry
…’ she stammered, looking at the bloody puddle and feeling nausea rising.

‘Don’t worry,
Megs
.
’
He attempted to smile weakly
. His
blue eyes
were
glazed over with
pain
. ‘
It’s just
a scratch…’

‘The paramedics will be here any second.’
Rupert
took his son’s hand, pressing his cold fingers with
a
tenderness she
’d never seen from him before
. ‘
We’ll
get you fixed in no time, Ry. You’ll see.’

In a whirlwind of activity, the next ten minutes brought both police and the medical team
.
Ry
an
was
placed on
a
stretcher and whisked away to the ambulance.
Meg
didn’t even hesitate as she climbed into the
vehicle
, Ry
an
’s
cold
hand
in her
clammy
palm.
Rupert
and
Matt
followed
.
T
he small interior
of the ambulance quickly
became
tight and cramped with the four of them and the paramedics.

‘
Should
I leave?’ she whispered hesitantly, afraid
that she was
trespassing. Ry
an
’s fingers tightened on her palm ever so slightly,
and
his eyelids flutter
ed
in an effort to keep his eyes open.