Youâd hate to follow that up with something more caring.
He held the paddles in place and said urgently, forcefully, âStand back.â
âWant to get closer, doc?â Lowlife chuckled.
Cody froze. Never before had he heard such an evil chuckle. It was a match for that hideous laugh. He tried for reasoned and calm. Tried very hard. Snarled, âStand back. If the doctor gets zapped, so will you.â Dumb idiot. Hadnât thought of that, had he?
Behind him Harper was hauled back so fast she lost her balance and fell into the man behind her, who also lost his balance.
The hand holding the gun wavered, the fingers tightening as Lowlife struggled to remain upright.
The air stuck in Codyâs chest as he waited for the explosion as the trigger was inadvertently pulled. It didnât happen.
Instead, Harper dropped lower, fell to the floor. Deliberately? Lowlife no longer had her by the throat, or the gun at her head. Cody sprang forward, his shoulder aimed directly for the assailantâs chest. They went down together, sprawling across the floor while the gun spun out of reach.
Harper crawled after the weapon as Cody worked at subduing Strong by flipping him on to his stomach and planting a knee in the small of his back. âDonât even bother trying to get away.â Sometimes it was a bonus being a big man, Cody admitted as he looked around for Harper.
She was standing now, holding the gun as though it was about to go off and shoot her. Her hands were shaking and her eyes were wide with shock.
Codyâs heart squeezed for her.
Jess called from the bed in a terrified voice, âStill no sign of cardiac function.â
Harper blinked, shook her head abruptly and shoved the gun into the waistband of her scrubs. Rushing across to pick up the paddles from where Cody had dropped them moments ago, she instructed, âStand back,â and delivered a jolt of electricity. And another, and another.
âJess,â Cody called as the man under his knee squirmed and started swearing loudly. âGo get help. Let everyone know weâve got Strong under control, but as soon as the police arrive Iâm more than happy to hand him over.â
Harper was zapping Mick like her life depended on it. âCome on. Donât leave us now.â Tears ran down her cheeks and her bottom lip trembled.
âHarper. Stop.â Cody desperately wanted to go and wrap his arms around her, take away some of the shock presumably making her react like that. As if heâd get away with doing that. Even in the circumstances he knew Dr Harper White would not thank him for showing her concernâespecially in front of the staff. Her reputation for being strong, solid and independent went before her, and in the week heâd been working here he hadnât seen anything to negate it.
Suddenly the room was full of gun-toting men dressed in the dark-blue overalls of the armed defenders squad and Cody relaxed for the first time in what seemed like hours but according to the wall clock was little more than ten minutes.
He couldnât help himself prodding the man beneath him as he stood up. âYouâre history.â What he really wanted to do to the guy wasnât going to happen even though the creep deserved every moment of pain for what heâd done to Harper White. The fear in her eyes would stay with him for a long time. And then the anger. She was something else; she really was.
As cops grabbed their man, Cody crossed to Harper. âItâs over, doctor.â
Her hands were shaking as he took the paddles from her. âMickâhe didnât stand a chance.â
As her fingers oh-so-gently closed Mickâs eyes she said quietly, âIâm sorry, Mick Frew. I am so sorry.â Then she slashed her sleeve across her face. âDamn.â
Cody muttered around the road block in his throat, âWe werenât exactly given much of a chance.â
Watery