Page 137 of Triggered By Love
Someone had to have taken her home that night, cleaned her up, and put her in her girlhood bed. She’d been numb when she’d awakened, dressed in her mother’s nightgown.
She hadn’t gotten out of that bed for a week, unable to face the inevitable—Brando’s funeral where she’d gotten a glimpse of Jason Burnett, roaming the crowd with his ever-watchful eyes.
Had the person behind the shooting lurked in the back, or had he or she sat in the front of the church with family and fellow mourners?
Had it been one of her father’s friends or her mother’s art crowd, the aging Bohemians who dressed like Woodstock was still a thing? Or perish the thought, one of Brando’s fellow firefighters? Even a pallbearer?
She shuddered and jumped when the bathroom door opened and Jason stepped out.
“Something happen?” he asked, his hand out for his phone.
“My parents aren’t coming to the show. Sorry for peeking.”
“No problem.” He swiped in the passcode and read his messages. His frown darkened as he scrolled farther. “Maybe they got wind of something going down, or one of them isn’t feeling well. Why don’t you call and ask?”
“How did Blade find out?” She put her shaking hands underneath her thighs. “Does he know them?”
“Don’t know,” Jason said. “But he’s been asking questions of all the people associated with the show. Maybe he spoke to Damon.”
“Yeah, they must be worried about me. I did text Damon and tell him I’m with you. Hope it’s okay.”
“It’s always okay.” He set the phone down and wrapped her in his arms. “I have nothing to hide. Why don’t you get ready and we’ll do something to unleash all that nervous energy coiled up inside of you?”
“I did get a great night’s sleep, but it didn’t last, did it?” She kissed him, and he turned it into a grindy hot and promising tongue lashing.
He detached with a loud, sucking smack and swatted her behind. “I’ll go get breakfast while you get ready.”
* * *
“Hey,this isn’t the way back to the city,” Avery protested as Jason steered the car off the highway. The dense woods soon gave way to an overgrown field thick with waist-high weeds.
“We’ll get there,” Jason said, chuckling. “But first, we let off some steam.”
She wasn’t going to admit it, but she’d thought the bed was the perfect place to let off steam. Instead, that frustrating man had brought back two hot, steaming mugs of coffee, and a takeout container of chocolate chunk fudge brownies covered with vanilla ice cream. Her favorite comfort food.
“I have to burn off calories after that treat,” she said. “Are we going hiking?”
“Even better.” He pointed to the side of the barn and what looked like clumps of rusted metal. “See that obstacle course there?”
She looked down on the loose jeans, rolled up hems, and the stilettos which were her only footwear. “I can’t hike wearing this. Your pants are too big. I’m going to trip.”
“I didn’t finish.” His smirk was too big for his face. “That old barn holds a generator to power up the shooting range.”
“Shooting range? I don’t see any targets.” She peered at the weathered gray barn with nothing painted on its side.
“Come with me.” He crossed over to the passenger door and offered his hand.
Holding his hand, both to steady herself and because she loved the feel of his grip, she walked with him to a control panel on the side of the barn.
He unlocked it, checked a dial, and pulled a string several times on a contraption that was probably a generator. She wasn’t going to be embarrassed to ask—city girl that she was.
The engine sprang to life, rumbling and giving off gas fumes.
Jason went to the control panel and flipped switches. Whirring and clanking sounds of motors, belts, and equipment rattled among the weed-covered and rusted appliances.
Human-like pieces of rusted metal sprang up and moved from clump to clump, with various speeds. Some darted from their hiding places and disappeared around a corner. Others bounced up and down, appearing and disappearing behind an obstacle.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
