Page 26 of Reclaiming Adelaide

“Whose shit you stealin’, boy?”

“Boy,” I laughed. I was at least five years older than him and more filled out than his scrawny ass could dream of.

Running my hand down my jaw, I smiled. “Go back into your apartment.”

“Handover what you just put in your pocket, and I’ll be on my way.” He put his hand out and walked towards me, his feet wide to hold his pants around his ass as his inseam dropped to his knees.

“Don’t even think about putting your hands on me,” I warned.

He laughed. “You hear him, Rachel?”

A woman in her late fifties with wild-colored hair and a pistol pointing my way stepped out of the room.

Well, this just got interesting.

“I did. You heard him, mister. Give him what you put in your pocket.”

“I’m good.”

If I ran back to where I came from, I’d need to take them both out before she squeezed the trigger… highly unlikely. If I bolted around the corner and ran toward the glass door I saw there, I’d have to make it through before she shot me in the back. Again…unlikely.

The kid took two more steps my way, his hand held out.

“Have it your way.”

I grabbed his arm and jerked, pulling him into me as my other ripped the chain from his hip. He spun his back to my chest as I wrapped the metal links around his throat. She’d have to shoot my human shield to get to me.

“Put the gun down, and he’ll live,” I said as I backed around the corner toward the door.

“You’re gonna kill him.”

“Only if you don’t put that gun down.”

I tucked my body tight against his, making my target area smaller.

“You’re who she’s running from, aren’t you?”

The mention of Adelaide, even without her name being drawn out, caused me to pause.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” The boy in my grasp sputtered, his face taking on a purplish-reddish hue. “Your boy here doesn’t have much time.”

I tipped my head, catching the whites of his eyes when he tipped his body to the side. His elbow struck my brow with a deadening thud, causing my teeth to jar together and a bone-splitting ache to spread like lightning across my face.

My mistake.

I stepped back, keeping hold of the chain until my butt hit the glass door and a warm trickle rippled down my cheek.

“Maybe I’ll kill him on principle now.” I jerked the chain tighter, spittle spewing from his lips as he gasped.

“All right, fine.” She lowered her gun, one hand out in surrender as she squatted.

“Kick it over and be quick.”

She slid it over, and I stopped it with my foot. Tucking the toe of my shoe underneath it, I gave it a jerk and sent it flying into the air, catching it mid-flight. I shoved the man into her and charged, slamming the butt of the pistol into her forehead as she put her hands out to catch him. They tumbled to the ground, Rachel out cold, and the boy holding his throat and coughing.

“Next time, listen.” I pocketed the magazine, including the bullet in the chamber, and tossed the handgun to the ground. “Let’s see if you’ve learned your lesson. Okay?”

Dipping down, I fisted his shirt and pulled him up as he held his bruised throat.

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