Page 53 of Bulletproof Love

Strong hands grasp my shoulders and I freeze. I know it’s Jasper before I turn. “I need you to stay back here… just for now.”

I flip around and try to make myself tall, although that’s laughable considering I come up to his chest. “I want to help.” I know I sound like a petulant child, but there’s no avoiding it.

“Please, Falin.” He says my name with the kind of desperation you’d hear from a man begging for his life. It takes me aback.

I glance over at Blake, who’s most likely getting the same talk from Damon, judging by her body language. If something were to happen to my best friend because of my stubbornness, I’d never forgive myself. I nod, my shoulders sagging in defeat. “Fine, but I swear you better get us on the comms if anything goes wrong.”

He’s relieved. It’s difficult to tell in the dark, but I see how his chest loosens like he’s finally taking his first full breath of the night. “I promise, I will. We’ll need you to keep an eye out here. Let us know if anything at all looks off.”

I wrap my arms around my chest and take a few steps back toward the van. Blake must have given in as well. Her eyes meet mine and she jogs over to join me. “Watch out for black ice,” I warn.

“I know, I know.” Man, I must be extra on edge tonight if even Blake is sassing me.

Jasper turns back, pulling on his mask with a smirk—his ridiculously sparkly mask. Even in this fucked up situation, I can’t help but smile.

Blake and I climb into the warm van, squeezing close so we can watch from the side window. “I can’t believe he’s wearing that mask,” Blake says.

I laugh. “You know, if it were anyone other than Jasper, I’d agree with you.”

She shoulder bumps me. “So, you and Jas have been getting pretty close.”

I knew this conversation would come. I’m honestly surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. “Not any closer than all of us in the house.”

“Hmm, if you say so.” She does that twirling her necklace thing that she always does when she’s thinking. I tap my ear, and she understands what I’m asking. We turn off our comms.

“I mean… I don’t know. There’s an energy with us. He makes me laugh even when we’re driving each other crazy. And yeah, he’s hot. Of course he is. But I know there’s more to him.” I cut my rambling off when I realize Blake’s totally smirking at me.

“I knew it! You like him. I’ve never seen you get flustered over a guy. Actually, I’ve barely ever seen you get flustered, period.”

“I’m not flustered!” I say as I raise my voice to prove my point.Wow. “Fine, you got me. I might be just a tad bit flustered, but to be fair that man is the definition of irritating.”

Blake laughs again. “You’re not wrong, but he’s a giant teddy bear. He’d be good for you, Fal.”

I blow out a long groaning sigh. “It’s complicated. Some things have… transpired,” I choose my words carefully, “and I’m not sure either of us wants anything serious.” Focusing my gaze out the window, I add, “And really, with all of this going on, it’s not good timing anyway.”

“You’re probably right. If Damon wasn’t so… Damon, I doubt things would have moved so quickly for us.”

A plastic shopping bag blows across the street, catching my eye. I follow its path until it vanishes over the hill. Time stretches. Each minute since the guys walked toward that house could have been an hour. My hands ache from the cold, and I curse myself over and over for not grabbing the van keys from Leon.

“Should we check in?” I ask, my finger messing with my comm.

Blake’s already tapping her phone screen. “It’s only been ten minutes. They’re fine. Right, guys? What’s happening in there?”

The silence feels wrong in my chest. “Weird. Jasper never shuts up on these things.”

Blake takes hers out and jabs the buttons. “Maybe they’re not working.”

My skin prickles, that ominous feeling washing through me for the second time tonight. A shadow flickers on the hill—or does it? I narrow my eyes to take a closer look, but before I can focus, gunshots shatter the night.

“Shit!” My body moves before my brain catches up, legs carrying me out of the van and toward danger. Blake’s footsteps pound behind me, her medical bag thumping against her side. “What the fuck is happening? Jasper, answer me!”

I knew we shouldn’t have let them go alone.Why didn’t I trust my instincts?

I tear through the yard, my boots crunching in the packed snow, my heart pounding. Through the darkness, a shadowed figure appears from behind the house—Jasper, mask rolled up on his head, face grim. There’s something in his arms?—

“Falin,” he calls out. “Here, come take her.”

I move on autopilot. A child is placed in my arms, her cries are distant, like we’re underwater. Blake moves beside me with outstretched arms, so I pass the child over and catch up to Jasper.

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