Page 4 of In The Trenches (Owens Protective Services)

I couldn’t even look at him. I wasn’t ashamed, but I couldn’t confirm what he said either. The more he knew, the more danger he would be in.

“Hey,” he nudged gently. “If you need some place to lay low for a while, you can stay with me.”

Looking up at him, I wanted to believe he was right, but if they found me at the diner, they could find me at his place, and he didn’t need to risk his life for me. “I just need a bus ticket out of here.”

He nodded in understanding. “I get it, but you’re in no condition to travel.” Sighing, he studied my arm again. “I have a friend that might be able to help. He’s going to school, but…it’s the best I can do.”

“Do you trust him?”

“With my life,” he said sincerely. “I’ll pack what you need. Then we’ll get you to my place.”

“What if—” I said quickly, but stopped myself before I said too much. My gaze flicked to the window, and he caught on to what I was thinking.

“We’ll be careful. Whoever was after you…if they knew you were here, they’d already be breaking down your door.”

He had a good point. Now that they knew where I worked, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think they could find my apartment. “What happened with those men?”

“They’re dead.”

I gasped, covering my mouth as I looked him in the eyes. “You killed them?”

“They were trying to kill you. Did you want me to leave them alive?”

“But…the police?”

He shrugged. “Nobody cares about dead people here.”

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean they won’t investigate how they were killed.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll deal with it.”

“Art, you have no idea what you’ve done.”

His jaw clenched hard as he watched me. “What I did was protect you. They were going to kill you.”

I knew that all too well. I still couldn’t figure out how they found me, but I’d worry about that later. Right now, the pounding in my head was interfering with my ability to think clearly.

“I’ll grab your things. Is there anything special you want to take with you?”

I nodded, sitting up a little more. “The corner,” I said, pointing to the corner of the living room. “I have some money stashed under it.”

Frowning, he moved to the corner and yanked back the carpet, staring down at my stash. It was everything I’d saved since I ran. He stalked into the bedroom and returned a moment later with a backpack. After packing the cash, he returned to the bedroom. I could hear him in the other room, packing my things. With my head pounding, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Everything inside me hurt, so I closed my eyes to rest until he was ready.

“Beth,” his gruff voice pulled me out of the darkness. “I have everything I could pack. We need to leave.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t get up. Between the dizziness and the pain in my body, I had a better chance of flying to the moon. Seeing the pain etched on my face, he slid his hands under my legs and around my back, then lifted me effortlessly. With what little strength I had left, I draped my good arm around his neck and held on, resting my head against his shoulder. With every jolt of my body as he carried me down the stairs, I slipped further into oblivion until finally, I felt no pain.

* * *

“I’m not a doctor!I’ve only seen this done a few times.”

“Please, I can’t take her to the doctor. Do whatever you can to help her.”

“I could get kicked out of school for practicing medicine when I’m not properly trained.”

“Nobody’s going to find out.”

“Fine.”

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