Page 141 of Play Book

“Oh my God.” She throws herself on me, hugging me tightly.

Then I hear the back door crash open.

“Saylor!”

That voice belongs to someone else.

“Who the hell are you?” Canyon sounds ready to kill.

“I’m from Westfield & Carruthers Security. What the fuck happened?”

I try to talk, but Ally is practically suffocating me all over again.

Canyon lowers his voice as he talks to Rage’s replacement, and I lift a hand, gently stroking Ally’s hair. “I’m okay, Ally. I need you to let me up.”

“O-okay.” She’s crying, but she slowly moves away.

Then strong arms lift me off the floor, and I find myself against a warm, solid chest, tender lips against my temple.

“Babe. Did he hurt you?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper.

“I’m calling an ambulance,” the security guy says.

“No. Please.” I push against Canyon’s chest to turn.

I recognize the guy.

He’s worked for me before.

They call him Grim.

“Grim. I’ll go to the hospital to get checked out, but no ambulance, please.”

“Saylor, we need to call the cops. This guy—” He motions to where Russell is unconscious on the floor. “—tried to kill you.”

I cough, still a little dizzy from when he’d choked me.

“Do what you need to do,” I say, collapsing against Canyon’s chest again.

Ally is safe.

Canyon got to us in time.

Everything else is just background noise.

FORTY-ONE

Canyon

I’d just made the turn onto Wilshire Boulevard, having stopped to pick up flowers for Saylor. I’m not really apologizing for anything, but it feels important to bring her something. And she loves flowers.

Then Ally called, and all hell broke loose.

I can’t remember exactly what happened after that.

Ally had been crying, something about Russell and a knife and Saylor being in trouble.

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