Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3 Laura Burton (books to read this summer .TXT) 📖

He opened his mouth to talk but Julie spoke first.

“Harry, not here. Can’t you see how much he’s bleeding? We need to call the police and get an ambulance to take him to hospital,” Julie said, quickly. Harry stared at Benjamin as Julie tugged at his jacket.

“Harry, come on,” Julie urged. Forcing Harry to his feet.

He turned to Julie, as if seeing her for the very first time. He cradled her cheek and smoothed his thumb across her clammy skin.

“I’ve missed you,” he said shakily. Her eyes were like two balls of fire, warming his heart. There were so many unanswered questions and he wasn’t quite sure if he was about to wake up at any moment. But he knew one thing. “I love you,” he said before planting a kiss on her lips. Julie laughed against his mouth and broke away, still attempting to hold the gun on the two men on the ground.

“Is now really the time?” she asked.

Harry opened his mouth to speak when a loud bang almost exploded his eardrums and knocked the wind out of him. Julie’s smile faded and the look of horror covered her face as Harry fell to his knees.

“Harry!” Her scream sounded far away and muffled, as if he was floating in water. An unearthly siren filled the air and there were more bangs. Harry fell down, his cheek pressed against the cold, damp cement, and he tasted blood in his mouth.

Harry blinked slowly as his body became numb and heavy.

“No, please, don’t leave me.”

Never.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Conspiracy Theories

Julie took a shaking hand to her face and stared at the blood drenching her index finger. Harry’s blood. She looked over and was shocked to see Benjamin dead on the ground with his eyes still open.

“Are you all right ma’am?” a police officer approached her as another handcuffed the two men who’d remained silent. They did not even try to fight or argue against their arrest.

“We need an ambulance,” she said to the officer as he inspected Harry. He gave a nod and pressed his gloved hand on Harry’s back.

“We need to keep pressure on the wound. Hold on, there’s a first aid kit in the car. Put your hand here––” He lifted his and Julie pressed down, stemming the blood flow. The officer jogged back up the pass to his car. The lights flashed red and blue, illuminating the entire area. Julie felt Harry’s pulse through her hands.

“Stay alive. Just please, stay alive,” she said.

“Julie, oh thank goodness. Julie are you okay?”

Julie looked up to see Emily running to them while holding her skirt up.

“Emily, what are you doing here? How did you––”

Emily held up her phone.

“After what happened to you in London, I wanted to keep an eye on you. Our friends app shows me your location. When Harry ran after you and I saw you were here, I knew something was wrong. Thankfully, I persuaded these guys to drive me over.” She gestured to the police car.

“Are you all right?” she repeated, kneeling down beside her and placing a hand on her back. Julie nodded but her arms were shaking. She was nauseated and light-headed.

“He’s been shot. It’s bad, Emily.”

Emily nodded slowly with saucer-like eyes.

“Help is on the way. He’ll be okay,” she said in a weak voice. Julie was not convinced.

“We won. We had them, Emily. Then there was a gunshot and Harry just fell.” She broke off and closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her face leaving a burning trail over her cheeks. When Harry collapsed, Julie saw Benjamin on the ground with a gun in hand. He must have had another one on him that he’d pulled out when Harry had his back turned. Then in a flash, there were more gunshots and Benjamin was dead.

The next few hours passed by in a blur of questions, camera flashes, sirens, and Emily’s non-stop talking. She rubbed Julie’s back, handed her a bottle of water, held her hand, and guided her to the waiting room at the hospital. Then, in her anxious state of mind, talked endlessly.

“Let me get this straight, Benjamin was paid to spy on Harry.” She started to pace the waiting room as Julie clutched the cup of hot chocolate in her hand and stared at the floor.

“And all the threats, that fake goat display––” Emily gasped as Julie nodded along.

“Yes. When we saw it, Benjamin got his men to take the sign down and when Harry asked him about informing the police and fingerprints he just dismissed it and told us he would handle it and just needed to get us to safety. Wow, it’s all starting to make sense now.”

“You’ve got to hand it to them for imagination.” Emily noted.

Julie shot her a look. “Really?”

Emily’s face fell as if she realized the seriousness of the situation, then began to pace again.

“So… Ebony is innocent in all of this? She didn’t hire people to beat Harry up?”

“Yes, but she knew what Harry’s mother was doing. I wouldn’t exactly call her innocent.” Julie took a sip of the hot chocolate and sighed as the sugary fluid calmed her nerves.

“But why would Benjamin turn on Harry like that? He’s got money too, probably pays him far more than he should, and he’s so likeable. I don’t get it.”

Before Julie could think of a reply, a bustle of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Mrs. Bowood entered the hospital and hurried over to the reception desk.

“I got on a plane as soon as I heard––” she said in a breathy voice then turned to see Julie. “Heard anything yet?” Julie shook her head. Mrs. Bowood’s face wrinkled as she broke down.

“How did you know?” Julie blurted out. Benjamin was dead, his cronies were sitting in a cell, and Harry had been in surgery for the last six hours.

Just how many spies does this woman have?

“Heavens’ sake. You’re all over the news,” Mrs. Bowood said