Page 47 of Traitor

He glanced around the gym, as if he too had just become aware of it. “I guess I don’t have anywhere to be right now. I’ll just make sure you get your stuff and get out of here okay.”

“Thanks.” I quickly retrieved my gym bag and tucked my gun into the holster before going back out to where Jimmy was waiting in the hallway. We walked toward the exit in silence while I tried to work out why I couldn’t be attracted to the nice guy. He was so incredibly sexy, had a great personality, a nice house, and the most adorable dog. And I felt about him the same as I felt about the guy who delivered our mail to the office. Nothing. The spark had only lasted for a second before flickering out completely.

I again wondered what was wrong with me.

I couldn’t have a bad boy complex if I’d only ever been with one guy. Right?

Jimmy moved closer to me and I briefly considered the possibility that his mind was going in the same direction as mine when his arm shot out and knocked me to the ground. He was on top of me in an instant, covering me completely.

I opened my mouth to protest when there was a loud pop, followed by the sound of glass breaking. Jimmy’s arm moved up and I struggled to see what was happening just as there was a deafening bang that left my ears ringing.

My head swam in confusion as I looked up to see him firing on a black suburban near my car with a gun that I didn’t know he had on him.

I let out a cry of horror as all the windows on my car were shot out. Before I could fully come to terms with it, someone in the suburban threw a flaming bottle into the back and suddenly, my car was a fireball.

Jimmy fired off another round, striking someone inside before they raced out of the parking lot. The entire thing from start to finish had only lasted maybe sixty seconds, but it felt like much longer. Gym employees raced outside and someone called 911. I kept a death grip on Jimmy’s shirt while his hand tightened around my shoulder.

“You okay?” He asked gruffly.

I nodded, even as tears began to leak from the corners of my eyes. “Are you?”

He nodded and calmly holstered his gun inside the waistband of his jeans. “Is there someone who wants you dead? Because either they had the wrong target or you’re a wanted woman. I managed to take out one, but there’ll be more.”

I took a deep breath. “I was supposed to meet with the police department this morning. My mother was killed in January, but they ruled it a drug overdose. I was going to go in and get her case reopened with the evidence I have. Obviously, they don’t like that very much.”

Jimmy glanced up toward the street again before running a hand roughly across his face. “Okay. Is there anyone you can call right now? Someone that could get you to a safehouse?”

Who was this guy?

What happened to the funny giant with no secrets? Normal people didn’t react like Jason Bourne in a crisis, did they?

I retrieved my phone from the small pocket of my leggings, wincing at the pain in my left elbow. It was just another reminder that I wasn’t going to make it out of this unscathed. He answered before it even had a chance to ring.

“Lauren? Are you okay?”

My voice cracked as I whispered, “No. Someone just tried to kill me.”

Mike cursed before asking, “Where are you, Darlin’? Are they still there? Can you get somewhere safe?”

I shook my head and tried to speak before Jimmy pulled it from my ear.

“4th and Milwaukee. Asset is safe, but the rabbit has fled.”

He ended the call and I stared at him incredulously. Maybe my head hit the pavement and I was concussed. He still held tightly to my shoulder even as gym employees helped get us up off the ground.

“Jimmy?” I asked, while moving into a sitting position.

“Hmmm?” He responded as he checked me over for injuries.

“What the hell was that? Rabbits and assets?”

His brow furrowed and he frowned back at me. “What? You’re not making any sense. Let’s get you inside.”

I attempted to argue, but he handed me off to a female gym employee before stepping back outside to wait for the cops. Maybe he wasn’t the open book I’d pegged him for.

Chapter Six

June 2015

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