Page 11 of Saving Bonnie

Tearing away, I manage to string together the words, “Get the door.”

She blinks, trying to focus. “What?”

“You have the key to the door.” Please let her have the key with her. If not, I might break through the damn thing.

“It’s not locked,” she murmurs.

That statement is enough to snap me out of my stupor. I jerk back, glaring at her as I pull my gun. How the hell could she be so careless?

“Stay here.” Turning away, I head upstairs to clear the apartment even though I can verify two guys came in. But this is a crucial moment I need for myself so I can shake whatever cobwebs are still in my head after kissing Bunny Bustos.

The door opens into a small sitting room with two overstuffed chairs. A bookcase sits in one corner and an empty coat rack in another. She put a large rug over the floor tile in what used to be the showers when the building was a firehouse. Going past, I step into the galley kitchen. Everything’s tidy, with a single plate, pan, and cup in the dish rack. An open door shows a well-stocked pantry sitting against the far wall, disproving my thought that she ate from the restaurant’s daily menu.

Around the corner is a long hallway with a door standing open at the end. To the right, there’s a small bathroom. Cherry blossoms cover the teal shower curtain matching the decorations in the room. Out of habit, I flatten against the door, reaching over to check behind the curtain. As expected, the area is empty, except for a couple of white candles set at the far corners of the tub.

Now I’m at the last room. Bunny’s bedroom. I check a dresser with a TV next to the closet, just to be sure. Across the room, a double bed with no headboard covered in comfortable pillows and an end table with a lamp and laptop.

The bedroom is done in shades of green against the cream-colored walls. I can imagine her naked in here, white sheets pulled up to her breasts, dark hair spread across the pillow, her eyes another rich accent in the room.

Fuck.I don’t need to go there. I should be focusing on the opportunity that’s fallen into my hands. No more having to sleep on a hard church bench. We can watch from wherever, including the hotel around the corner, and head in when the mark comes by so we can track her.Aw hell, I’ve gone soft.

Sticking the piece into my belt, I retrace my path through the apartment. Although I try not to look at anything too closely, I’ve already memorized every framed nature print on the walls, along with the furniture. I just need to add Bunny’s naked body to start spinning another fantasy.

The door, though thick and sturdy, barely has a latch. I’ll have to fix that, regardless of what else I do. Pulling it open, I find her on the stairwell, waiting. Her eyes are huge, but I blow past her. “Go to bed.” She shrinks against the wall.

The door gives way to the night sky and light drizzle that met me earlier. In the few minutes that have gone by, the temperature dropped a few degrees. Then again, maybe I’m more aware of my surroundings now that my head isn’t focused on fucking Bunny.

Facing the sky, I stand there a minute, letting the rain clear my head. I have a lot to do before sunrise. Starting with security for the building and a lock for Bunny’s door. I’m damn well going to keep her safe, even if it’s just from me.

CHAPTER FOUR

Bunny

Darkness closes in at the edge of my consciousness, surrounding me. In the distance a copper shield pushes through, disintegrating the mass into a curtain of smoke. The exhaust swirls, going faster every second. The world shatters in front of me, pushing against the center of my forehead. I snap my eyes open. The room is dark, and my frightened breathing is the only sound.

What brought me awake? The alarm? No, more like the alarm not going off. My heart races, and I sit up in bed, still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Every detail from last night slams into me. The gun, the guys, the cleanup, and Tino.

Swallowing hard, I swing my legs off the bed and reach for my phone. The spot is empty. I turn on the lamp and check again. Where’s my cell? Tino. He kept it last night, and I hadn’t even realized it was missing.

Out of sorts, I go to the kitchen and check the clock on the stove: five fifteen. Oh my goodness. I should’ve been downstairs fifteen minutes ago to start on the prep and the tortillas. There isn’t even time to shower. Running my hands through my hair, I rush to the bathroom. A quick brush, and I’m pulling it into a bun. Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Done. Splash of water on my face, not that I need anything to wake me up at this point, and I grab a towel to dry off as I run to the bedroom.

After changing clothes in record time, I’m heading downstairs when I catch sight of the box by the doorway. Tino was here at some point. The heat of embarrassment rushes across my face and body. I waited last night, not knowing if he’d be back. Apparently, he came and went while I was knocked out hard.

There’s no time to worry about it now, not when I’m nearly twenty minutes late on the morning prep. I’m halfway across the living room when I find another surprise. A bright little square is stuck to the front door. I pull it off to read the numbers seven, seven, five, nine followed by instructions to work the new four-digit code lock. The heat on my face rises. It would be too much to think this is a coincidence when it’s the exact amount my ex took from my bank account. Tino made it the code to the keyless lock he installed on the front door.

Crumpling the note, I shove it in my pocket and head downstairs. Stopping on the third step, I exhale and double back. Once I push the button in the middle, and the lock engages, I continue down the stairs.

It’s still raining, so I’m careful about where to step. Inside the kitchen, Tino is at the table,mytable, focusing on a laptop in front of him. My tummy does a flip-flop as last night’s little sexcapade goes through my mind.

“Glad you thought to go back,” he says, appearing pleased. “You’re learning.”

How did he know?

“Come look at this,” he says, without looking away.

The way my body reacted last night, I really don’t want to be that close to him. Certainly not while I’m all flustered over being late. Though right now, that’s the perfect opportunity to avoid him. “I need to start prep or we’re going to get slammed.” I grab an apron from the rack in the storage room and pull the neck strap over my head. Actually, with the rain, we might have a little slack, but he doesn’t need to know that. I grab a sack of flour and head to the table, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Fine.” He lowers the screen. “I was going to show you your new security system.”

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