Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 75107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
But I couldn’t let her slow down.
Not as the door somewhere behind us flew open so hard that it knocked against the wall.
Everyone’s attention followed.
And I knew the guy’s gun was out in the open by the gasps, by the cries of alarm that went up around us.
Fuck.
How the hell was this happening?
At this event, of all places?
“What’s going—” Steph started to ask as we closed in on the door.
Before I could push it open, though, a loud bang filled the kitchen. And the fucking bullet whizzed right past my ear to lodge in the door.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I yanked Steph in front of me, half curling over her as I shoved the door open.
The cold bit at my skin, and I knew Steph had to be freezing in her gown.
But there was no time to worry about comfort.
I scanned the alley, grabbed Steph’s hand again, then dragged her with me toward the gate at the end.
“Was that… did he…”
“Yes,” I said, running faster as I heard the door fly open again.
I fumbled with the gate lock, then threw it open and pushed Steph forward through it, blocking her body with mine as she rushed out.
She didn’t ask any more questions as I took her hand again and broke into a sprint. She just forced herself to run along with me, her heels clacking hard on the cement with each stride.
“What—” she started, only to get cut off as a shot rang out and a mirror to the parked car at her side shattered.
A choked cry escaped her as I yanked her down the cross street, my heart fucking hammering. Not from the running. It was from how close of a call that had been.
That bullet was for me.
And it could have taken her out.
The near miss had her lengthening her stride, allowing me to move faster too.
Bodies close, I was able to nudge her toward the next cross street without having to say anything, saving my breath for what really mattered—getting us the hell out of Dodge.
We zigzagged up and down several blocks before I no longer saw him on our tail.
Only then did we run down the steps to the subway.
My heart was pounding as we got to the turnstiles. I whipped out my MetroCard, ran it through once, then twice, and pulled her along with me.
I hoped the guy would keep scanning the streets, not run down to check out the subway.
“Shit. Run,” I demanded again as I saw one train car’s doors open to let people off.
I didn’t care where we were going.
I just wanted to get there quickly.
As far away from this fucker as possible.
We made it through the doors by the skin of our teeth, though Steph nearly lost the edge of her dress in the process.
The car was surprisingly empty, allowing me to lead Steph down toward some empty seats near the corner between cars.
For a moment, Stephanie was huffing too hard to get any words out.
I reached to remove my jacket, placing it around her shoulders and pulling it tight around the front.
Only when the train pulled away did I drop down beside her and suck in a steadying breath.
Steph turned to me slowly, studying my profile until I was forced to stop being a coward and face her.
Her voice was low but fierce when she spoke. “What the hell was that?”
“A guy with a gun,” I said honestly.
“But… but why?”
I couldn’t exactly tell her it was because I’d murdered his buddy, now, could I?
“Are Andy and Sammy at risk?”
“No. There’s no reason to think there was someone else.”
She sat with that, but I watched the gears turning behind her pretty eyes.
“He was coming after us. Specifically. I mean… if he just wanted to shoot people, that kitchen was full.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“Why was he after us? Shouldn’t we be calling the police?”
“I’m sure the cops were already called.”
“Then maybe we should go back? They are going to want our statement.”
“Did you get a good look at him?” I asked.
“I… no. No.”
“Then you can’t tell the cops anything anyway.”
The only reason she wasn’t asking a thousand more questions was the shock. And I felt like a dick for being glad she was experiencing that.
“That bullet,” she said, gulping hard at the memory.
“Almost got you,” I said.
“Almost got you,” she said at the same time, making my gaze cut to hers again.
“It didn’t,” I said, reaching out to give her thigh a quick squeeze. “We’re both okay.”
She sucked in another breath as her body started to tremble.
“I’m… I’m not cold.”
“You are,” I countered. Her skin had been glacial when I’d slipped my jacket on her. “But this is probably just shock,” I told her, rubbing my hand up and down her thigh.
“My insides are shaking.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“You’re so calm,” she said, looking at me with furrowed brows.