Page 74 of Falling Too Late

“It was just a knife.” I kicked the silver thing away from them. A butterfly knife that was still folded together lay on the ground. I shook my head. This guy had underestimated the wrong girl.

Forty-five minutes later, I leaned against Mario’s truck while he finished up with the other officers.

“So much for a day off.” He walked up to me. “Good eye.”

I shrugged. “All that training with you paid off.”

“Here, let me take you back toyour car.”

“Wren?” A familiar voice caused me to look away from Mario.

Jonathan jogged up to me, his arms out, a concerned look on his face. “Are you okay?” He enveloped me in a hug. One arm banded across my back, the other cupping the back of my head. I took in a deep breath of his clean, crisp scent. He pulled back, looking down at me. “What the hell happened?”

I looked up into his handsome face, disheveled blond hair and light blue eyes. “I’m fine, Jon.” I gave him a reassuring smile.

He gestured around us to all the police cars. “This doesn’t look like everything is fine. Tell me what happened?”

“A guy tried to drug her, but she caught it before it happened. Helped get him out of the building before he could get anyone else involved,” Mario explained. There was a hint of pride in his voice.

“Why is she helping you? She’s not law enforcement. That’s your job!” Jonathan's voice continued to rise the more he spoke.

“Jon,” I interrupted, stepping in to take the heat off Mario. “I’m fine. I can handle myself.”

He closed his eyes, and I could tell he was counting to ten. His icy eyes leveled me with a look that told me he was going to argue.

“Jon, you need to stop treating me like glass.” My temper flared hot and I could already see that he was melting. Jon hated to fight with me, which had been something we did off and on for the last few years.

He had been treating me like I was going to break, but what he didn’t realize is that I had broken a long time ago.

Now when someone fucked with me, they ended up bleeding.

“I’m sorry.” He looked between me and Mario before he cupped my face in both of his hands. “Alex would never forgive me if something happened to you.”

His words were heavy, and I could see the weight of them. After everything that had happened, Jon took it upon himself totake care of me. He stepped into Alex’s role like it had always been his responsibility.

I tried to convince him that I was fine, that I would be fine, but he wouldn’t have it. I think it was his way of comforting himself, so I allowed it.

“Come on, let me take you home.” Jonathan's eyes pleaded with me.

I nodded before looking at Mario. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

Jon’s arm came around my shoulders, guiding me to his car. He opened the door for me and even reached in, buckling me before pressing a kiss to my forehead.

He stood outside his car door, seemingly talking to himself before he got in, turning to me. “Are you crazy?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his worry. Jon was wary of the way I had chosen to cope with everything. I had joined every mixed martial artist class there was to offer. I gained the strength and the confidence to never let myself be put in a position where I was going to end up the victim.

“Just a little.”

Shaking his head, he started the car.

“My car is at the gym.”

“No, no, I’m taking you home. I’ll pick you up tomorrow for breakfast and we will visit Gloria andthenI will take you to your car.”

“And Alex,” I said softly.

He reached over, grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it. “And Alex.”

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