Page 35 of Guarding Bristol

“Hey, easy,” TJ said in a low voice, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender when Mark swung the weapon toward him.“There’s no need for that.She doesn’t know anything.”

“Did you set me up?”Mark took a nervous step backward, his gaze darting to her.

“No.”

“Then what the fuck is she doing here?”He jerked the gun back on her.

“She doesn’t know anything, man, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.Put it away.”

How could TJ be so calm?Bristol retreated a step, mouth dry, heart beating a hundred miles an hour.Oh my God.Oh my God—

TJ moved so fast Bristol didn’t even understand what was happening until Mark was on the ground and TJ had the gun in his hand.

He turned and raced toward her.“Run!”he shouted.

Eyes wide, she spun around and bolted, the awful crawling sensation at the back of her neck telling her she was being chased by someone else.Not daring to risk a look over her shoulder to find out, she ran straight for her car, her legs like jelly, the sound of TJ’s pounding footsteps on the asphalt almost as loud as the thudding of her heart in her ears.

Her eyes had finally adjusted enough to the darkness for her to be able to see her car.She fished her keys out of her pocket and fumbled to hit the unlock button.The taillights flashed.She raced to the driver’s side, ripped the door open and jumped inside.Then let out a yelp when the passenger door flew open and TJ hopped in, slamming his door shut.

“Go!”he snapped, twisting around in his seat to look behind them.

She made the mistake of looking in the rearview mirror and saw two shadows racing toward them.

Reaching for her seatbelt, Bristol frantically started the engine and put the car in reverse.The car jerked backward.TJ grunted as he hit the dash.

She winced.“Sorry—”

“Go, go,” he commanded, still looking behind them.

She yanked the transmission into drive and floored it.The tires skipped for a moment before they found traction and shot them forward.She sped for the parking lot exit, casting a terrified glance in the rearview.A pickup was swerving around some parked cars where she’d been moments before, chasing after them.

“Which way do I go?”she demanded, her heart stuck so far up her throat she was about to choke on it.

“Turn right,” TJ ordered.

She put her blinker on without thinking and made the turn as fast as she dared, tires squealing in protest, speeding for the light up ahead.Thankfully it stayed green.“Which way?”

The pickup turned out of the parking lot and barreled after them.

“Head for the highway.Fast.”His voice was clipped, the tension rolling off him palpable, making her heart slam harder against her ribs.

A hundred questions flooded her brain but she shelved them all, focused solely on keeping control of her car and trying to lose the truck behind them while not getting killed in the process.

Brittle silence filled the interior as she raced toward the next intersection.Every time she looked in the rearview, the truck was still back there.And it seemed like it was getting closer every second, even though she was doing thirty above the speed limit.

“Faster,” TJ ordered.

She gritted her teeth and pushed down harder on the accelerator, her little car hurtling toward the intersection at a speed she was far from comfortable with.But the light ahead was still red when they got close, leaving her no choice but to ease up on the gas.

Turn.Come on, turn green!

“What the hell?Don’t slow down!”he barked.

“The light’s red,” she shouted.“I’m not getting us T-boned!”

“Fuck the light,drive!”

---