The Pleasures of Spring Read Free Page A

flesh was startling in the silence of the empty shopping centre and she cried out in pain.
    Andy’s jaw locked and he forced himself to relax into his role of a businessman caught up in something nasty – the perfect bait for a pair of losers who needed a way out.
    The woman emerged first, clutching helplessly at the arm around her neck. Her face was tear-stained and Andy could see the beginnings of a bruise on her cheekbone. Keeping his back to the wall, her captor moved them slowly along the walkway towards the emergency exit.
    The second man exited the shop, clearly nervous.Without a human shield he was exposed. He scanned the area as if fearful that a police sniper was already in place.
    Andy came to his knees and raised his hands. ‘Please don’t shoot me.’
    Relief swamped the younger gunman’s face.
    ‘Grab him,’ the older man ordered.
    Andy put up no resistance as he was dragged to his feet.
    Like a chain gang from a black and white movie, they shuffled slowly towards the exit. Andy weighed his options. He needed to sort this out before the police got involved. His boss didn’t pay him to spend time explaining fuck-ups in police stations.
    The blaring sirens outside warned him that he was almost out of time.
    Feigning clumsiness, he stumbled against the pair in front and they staggered. Andy pulled the smallest knife from his boot. As he righted himself, he stomped down hard on the younger gunman’s foot. He slammed his elbow into his captor’s solar plexus, driving the air from his lungs before spinning and jabbing his fist hard into the man’s face. He enjoyed the satisfying crunch of bone and gristle.
    Andy pulled out the second knife.
    The older man turned swiftly, dragging the woman with him. His eyes narrowed and Andy could almost hear him weigh up his options. His grip tightened on the gun he was pointing at his hostage.
    Acting purely on instinct, Andy let the knife fly. Like a slow-motion sequence from an action movie, it sailed through the air and the woman shrieked as it embedded itself in her captor’s throat.
    There was a noise behind him. Andy spun around. The younger robber was on his feet again and he was clutching the smaller knife.
    Did these guys not know when to quit?
    Andy reached into his pocket and grasped the handle of the largest knife but it tangled in the lining of his coat and refused to come free.
    With a roar, the man lunged forwards. ‘I’m gonna fucking gut you.’
    The knife came straight at his eyes but Andy sidestepped. He tugged again at the knife in his pocket, but was forced to give up when the next slash grazed his jaw. Fuck. He was running out of options and time. Grasping the bone handle, Andy jerked the blade upwards.
    As intimate as a lovers’ dance, his assailant clutched at him. His expression slid from vicious anger to disbelief as a scarlet flood spread across his chest. ‘Motherfucker,’ he gasped, his knife dropping to the ground.
    Andy stepped away and pulled the blade free. He forced his knife through the lining and it clattered onto the tiled floor.
    ‘Ma’am,’ he nodded to the woman as he stepped over the unconscious thief and returned to the moneylender’s shop.
    The brunette peeked out from behind the counter. ‘What took you so long?’
    ‘I was a bit busy,’ he said. ‘No kiss for the conquering hero?’
    She snorted. ‘You’ve had one already.’
    He laughed. ‘That wasn’t a kiss.’
    Was it his imagination or had her Yorkshire accentfaded? There was definitely something familiar about her. Those startling blue eyes reminded him of someone.
    She struggled to her feet, her belly getting in the way, and he reined in his unruly imagination. ‘Come on, I’ll help you get to an ambulance.’
    She froze. ‘No. No ambulance.’
    The woman put her foot down on something wet and slipped. As she went down, Andy was there at her side. He caught her in his arms and registered that she felt slighter than he had expected. Then something