Page 71 of Impressing Brett

He looks around. Someone races over to us, gun in his hand. He looms. “You okay, Lacy?” It’s Dagger.

“Yes.” I know I’m going to be sore tomorrow, but right now, my adrenaline is once again pumping so hard I can’t feel anything.

Brett helps me slowly to my feet.

When I look around, I see that a car crashed hard into a light pole. The person I assume is the driver is leaning against the side of the car, holding his head. Blood is running down his face.

The two officers we just left upstairs are with him. They suddenly spin him around so he’s facing the wrecked car, wrestle his arms behind him, and cuff him.

Two more officers pull up. The intersection is at a standstill. Pedestrians are gathering in every direction. People are coming out of buildings.

“Do you think anyone was shot?” Fear races up my spine. Somehow, I know this is because of me. If anyone was killed…

“Don’t know yet, baby,” Brett says as he wraps an arm around me and holds me upright. He looks into my eyes. “Did you hit your head?”

I find his hand and lift it between us. His knuckles are bloody. “No. You cushioned my skull with your hand.”

He glances at the bloody fingers as if he had no idea until this moment.

Dagger rips off the bottom of his shirt and wraps it around Brett’s hand.

When I look up again, the man from the car is being shoved into a patrol car. The two officers I met earlier are coming toward us.

“You folks okay?” one of them asks.

“Yes,” Brett replies.

“What happened?” I ask. I can’t make sense of this.

“Guy says he was hired to shoot you as you left the building. That’s all he knows. He didn’t even try to lie about it,” the officer informs us. “He knew exactly what you looked like and what you were wearing.”

“How?” I glance at Brett. “The Rutherfords didn’t know we were even in town until we stepped into the office.”

The officer nods. “Says he got the call a little over an hour ago. Did Rutherford leave you alone at any point before we arrived?”

I nod.

So does Brett. “Yes. He went to his office to get the will.”

“That must have been when he placed the hit.” He looks apologetic. “I’m so sorry, ma’am.”

“I’m okay.” I glance around, wondering how many more obstacles I’m going to face. Obviously, Rutherford needs me dead. I look up at Brett. “Why?”

“Because the inheritance is his if you’re no longer living.”

The officer rubs his head. “It was meant to look like a random drive-by shooting.”

“Rutherford never would have gotten away with it. This is at least the third person he hired to terrorize Lacy,” Brett says.

“He’s not the sharpest tack in the box. He’ll never see the light of day, but you might want to keep protection on Ms. Harlow for a while until we’re certain no one else is after her.” He points at the will. “I’m going to assume her father left her a lot of money.”

I shudder and cross my arms. It’s hard for me to fathom. It wouldn’t matter to me if it were ten hundred billion dollars. I wouldn’t want it. It’s blood money now.

Cannon and Mace join us. They keep their backs to us, scanning the area.

The officer glances at them. “They with you?”

Brett nods. “I planned for problems.”

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