Page 47 of Xavier

Getting to the podium, I see the three of them hunched down together. The mayor has his arms wrapped around both women, trying to keep them safe and protected.

He might be shady and keep secrets from everyone, but he is protective over the ones he loves.

Without another thought, I rush to Brianna’s side to see if she is okay. My gaze meets the mayor’s worried gaze.

If he didn’t know how serious the situation was before, he does now.

The killers want Brianna dead, and they will do whatever they can to make that happen.

I need to get her out of here as soon as possible.

As soon as I place my hand on her arm to pull her away, she fights back. She tries to pull her arm away, but I tighten my grip around her arm.

My tight grip might leave a bruise, but at least she will be safe and alive.

She continues to fight back, throwing her arms around and even trying to roll away.

I glance around at the near empty area. Most of the crowd has scrambled away safely, but some are still squatting down on the open lawn.

“Brianna, stop fighting. I’m only trying to keep you safe.”

At the sound of my voice, her body relaxes. At least now it will be easy to carry her somewhere safe.

I carry her behind the row of bushes that line the town hall building, giving us privacy and protection from the shooter. I don’t think he stuck around, but I’ve seen crazier shit happen, so I’m not taking any chances.

Brianna is shaking with fear and whimpering.

The sight breaks my heart. I wish I could make everything better. I wish I could make her forget everything bad that had happened over the past several days.

“Shh, it’s okay.” I whisper in her ear.

Her voice is shaky as she speaks. “I need to help the puppy. It’s probably lost and hungry from the storm.”

What the hell is she talking about? What puppy?

She whimpers again and my brain finally puts the misshapen pieces of her puzzle together.

She thinks the whimpering is a dog. She doesn’t know it’s coming from herself.

I try to keep my voice soft and gentle as I break the news to her. “Brianna, there isn’t a puppy around here.”

Her eyes widen for a moment before she glances down at her shaking body. Her eyes narrow with confusion.

My hand runs through her long blonde strands, trying to comfort her. It feels strange. It’s been years since I’ve been this close to a woman.

Not since… I shake those memories away. One crisis at a time.

Leaning closer to Brianna, I whisper, “It’s okay. I got you. You’re safe here.”

Her eyes fill with tears a second before she clamps them shut. I understand the feeling of not wanting to face reality all too well.

But unlike my past, she has me to help her along the way.

“I need to check to see if you are alright. I need to make sure they did not hit you.” I’m pretty sure the shooter missed, but even a nick can cause serious problems if not treated.

I carefully lift each of her arms, check her stomach, and check her back for bleeding before letting out a long sigh. “You’re okay. You weren’t hit, but we need to check on everyone else.”

She shakes her head rapidly as another whimper comes from her.

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