Page 18 of Shielded Secrets

If Kelly was facing trouble, who would’ve been here to help her? I hated that I might not have been. Try as I might, I struggled under the thought that I’d arrived just in time to save her from whatever that punk had in mind.

Up ahead, a woman screamed.

It was her. It had to be her. I was near her building. I recalled the pitch of her voice.

“Goddammit!” I ran harder, ignoring the bite of pain in my arm as I ran forward.

I shouldn’t have left that fucker for dead. I shouldn’t have fucking left him there.

If she was being followed and targeted by that asshole again, or if his buddies had come to help him get her on her walk to thebar to work, I’d never forgive myself. My options were limited. I couldn’t have spent time questioning that punk I’d fought away from her. I didn’t have the space to take care of him and make sure he never bothered her again. I had been expected at that meeting.

Which ironically had been canceled, anyway.

Locking down on the anger making my heart beat faster, I raced ahead to save her again.

I’d be damned if anyone hurt her. Not when I was near.

I never wanted to be far from her in the first place, and as I approached the man raising his arm to backhand her hard, I saw red.

She wouldn’t be out of my sight after this, both for her safety and for my peace of mind to see and know that she was out of harm’s way.

You’re mine, Kelly.

Mine to have and hold.

To protect and secure.

Starting right now, not a moment too late as I reached the man attacking her.

9

KELLY

Ishouldn’t have even tried to go to work after that man rushed after me. Jerome either had a lot of friends willing to do his work or the first one who’d been stopped got back up to come after me again.

Only the need to get to work and pick up my paycheck urged me to leave my apartment at all. I needed money to be able to keep this dumpy place, and I refused to be homeless ever again.

I went out a back exit from my building, hoping that this route wouldn’t be watched as much as the side door I usually came in and out of.

And the second I exited and stepped into the cool night air, I realized how stupid I had been to ever leave my apartment.

A man was waiting nearby, and as soon as I was clear of the lobby’s double doors, he rushed at me.

“Stop right there, bitch!” he yelled.

I froze, too far to retreat back to the building. I was too far out here, intent on rushing the whole way to the bar. I’d be safethere. I’d blend in and just be one among the many. If anyone tried to capture me or attack me in a public setting like that, others would witness it.

Out here, with no one else out and about, I was defenseless.

“No!” With another repeat of the fight-or-flight response, I sidestepped and broke into a run. Adrenaline fueled me to run hard and fast, but I didn’t have a chance to get away. This man wasn’t wounded from a recent fight. He was right here, too close. Within a few seconds, he had me in his grasp. Strong fingers circled around my wrist, and in his grimy grip, he tugged me back toward him.

“Let me go!”

“Shut the fuck up,” he growled, pulling on my arm until I swore it yanked out of the socket. I gasped out at the acute pain and flung to the opposite side to prevent him from whirling me around so he could hold on to more of me.

“Let me go!”

His hand made impact on my side. Those strong fingers had curled into a thick fist, and taking his direct punch knocked the breath out of me. Stunned by the ache that lit up like a fire along my rib cage, I doubled over and tried to draw a breath through the shock, fear, and pain.

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