The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 14

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The CEO and the Country Wildflower


Chapter 14: The Sniper’s Gamble


The red dot flickered on Lucas’s forehead like a deadly firefly. Emelly’s breath hitched, her fingers instinctively tightening around his wrist. David’s grip on the steering wheel turned white-knuckled, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror.


“Don’t move,” Lucas murmured, his voice eerily calm despite the laser sight trained on his temple. Emelly’s mind raced. Tracker. Sniper. Leo’s doing.


The pieces clicked together with terrifying clarity. She swallowed hard, her pulse hammering in her throat. “We need to get out of this car,” she whispered. Lucas’s jaw clenched. “If we bolt, he’ll shoot.” David’s voice was taut. “I can hit the gas—” “No,” Lucas cut in. “He’s waiting for panic. We don’t give him that.”


His gaze slid to Emelly, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. “You’re good at distractions. Think of something.” Emelly’s lips parted in disbelief. Now he wanted her quick wit? After their screaming match in the backseat? But there was no time for resentment. She scanned the street—dimly lit, mostly deserted. A flicker of movement caught her eye: a shadow shifting on a rooftop across the road.


Her fingers twitched toward the door handle. “When I say now, floor it.” Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “What are you—” Emelly didn’t let him finish. With a sudden, dramatic gasp, she flung the car door open and tumbled onto the pavement, wailing, “Oh my god, I think I’m dying! Help!” The laser wavered—just for a second—as the sniper’s attention snapped to her flailing limbs. “Now!” she shrieked. David slammed the accelerator. Tires screeched as the car lurched forward. Lucas lunged for Emelly, yanking her back inside just as a bullet shattered the pavement where her head had been.


The door slammed shut, and the car swerved violently around a corner, leaving the sniper’s line of fire. Silence. Then Lucas’s voice, low and rough: “You idiot.” Emelly, still sprawled half on top of him, wheezed out a laugh. “You’re welcome.” His hands tightened on her waist—whether to shake her or pull her closer, she couldn’t tell. David cursed under his breath, weaving through back alleys.


“We’re not safe yet. That tracker’s still on you, Lucas.” Lucas exhaled sharply, finally releasing Emelly to pat himself down. His fingers brushed against the hem of his jacket, where a tiny device was sewn into the lining. He ripped it free and crushed it under his heel. Emelly slumped against the seat, adrenaline making her limbs tremble. “So. Leo wants you dead, Linda’s sabotaging your reputation, and the board probably thinks you’re conspiring with a ‘country wildflower’ to destroy York Group.


” She shot him a sideways glance.


“Any other disasters you’d like to add to the list?” Lucas’s mouth twitched—almost a smile. “You’re forgetting the migraine.” As if on cue, he winced, pressing his fingers to his temple. Emelly hesitated, then reached for his hand. The moment their skin touched, the tension in his shoulders eased. David cleared his throat. “We need a plan. Leo won’t stop.” Lucas’s thumb absently traced circles on Emelly’s palm. “First, we deal with Linda. That photo’s a bigger threat than the sniper.” Emelly groaned. “Great. So we’re storming corporate headquarters next?” “No,” Lucas said.


“You’re going home. This isn’t your fight.” She yanked her hand away, the warmth between them vanishing. “Excuse me? After I just dodged a bullet for you?” “Exactly!” Lucas’s voice rose. “I won’t have you—” David’s phone buzzed, cutting him off. He glanced at the screen, then paled. “It’s Jane. She says Tony’s missing.” Emelly’s blood ran cold. Tony—her only ally at York Group, Jane’s secret crush.


“What do you mean, missing?” David’s grip on the phone tightened.


“Last seen leaving work with Linda.”


Lucas’s expression darkened.


“She’s tying up loose ends.” The car screeched to a halt outside Emelly’s apartment building. Lucas turned to her, his voice leaving no room for argument. “Stay here. Lock the doors. I’ll handle this.” Emelly opened her mouth to protest, but the look in his eyes—fierce, almost desperate—stopped her. For once, she nodded. As the car sped away, she pulled out her phone, her fingers flying over the screen. Jane’s frantic texts lit up the display: Tony’s car is still here. His desk is cleared out. Emelly, something’s wrong.


A new message popped up—unknown number. A photo attachment loaded slowly: Tony, bound to a chair, a gag in his mouth. The caption beneath sent a chill down her spine: Come alone, Wildflower. Or the traitor gets a bullet, not a laser. Emelly’s hands shook. Lucas had told her to stay put. But Tony’s terrified eyes stared back at her from the screen. She grabbed her coat and ran into the night…