Page 59 of In The Trenches (Owens Protective Services)

“You want me to be her friend?”

“Without growling at her or accusing her of being a terrorist,” she added quickly. “You catch more bees with honey.”

“I’m not looking for honey. I’m looking for answers, and my gun works pretty well for that situation.”

“I’m telling you, boss, she’s not who you think she is. You hired me for a reason. Now listen to me before you scare off the only possible lead we have.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “But I reserve the right to use my gun if necessary.”

22

BETH

There wasno way I was going back to my old job. There was definitely something off about Adam Hayes, but I knew that before he sent his man after me. Whatever he wanted from me, I wasn’t giving it. I never should have gone back to work to report what happened the night of the blackout. Now, I wasn’t even sure if it was safe to stay in the city. But I needed a plan. The last time I ran without having one, I ended up losing most of my money. In the meantime, I needed another job to tide me over until I could get out of town.

The first thing I did was grab a box of hair dye from the local pharmacy. They were barely operating with no power, so I had to fumble my way through the dark to find what I was looking for. When I was done, I headed back to my apartment, using a meager amount of water to take care of my hair. It wasn’t the best dye job, but it would do for now, leaving my hair more of a strawberry blonde. I would need to go in for a cut soon, but that could wait a little while longer. I was hoping to change my look just enough to blend in and not draw attention to myself. Black stood out in a crowd. I always noticed people that dyed their hair such a dark color.

With that taken care of, I walked to the diner just a few blocks from my apartment to see if I could get a job. I was just turning the corner when I ran into what felt like a giant slab of meat. Then something hot soaked through my shirt, instantly heating my skin.

“Shit!” I cried out, pulling my shirt away from my chest.

“Crap. I’m so sorry.”

I looked up instantly at the familiar voice, taking in his brown eyes and clean shaven face. It was the man from the gym. I swallowed hard, taking a step back as he advanced on me, only to stop when he saw me move.

He watched me for a moment, his brows furrowed as he studied my face. I took the opportunity to stare back at him. I wasn’t sure why I was being so bold. I didn’t trust this man any more than the next, but the way he cared for me after I hurt my arm rang through my mind. I just couldn’t make up my mind if this man was good or bad.

“I know you, right?”

I wasn’t sure if that meant I had a forgettable face or if my dye job worked. “Um…I don’t think so.”

“You look so familiar. Maybe it’s just one of those faces,” he grinned, but his eyes were still scanning me. “The gym,” he said suddenly. “That’s where I know you from.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I wanted to walk away, but I felt rooted to the spot. I didn’t miss the way he stood in front of me, using his body to block everyone else from getting close. I would have guessed that was just a coincidence, but when a man tried to walk between us, he inserted himself in the way, his large frame keeping the man at bay. The way he stood beside me, tall and strong, made me feel protected. But then I remembered how Adam seemed nice at first too. I thought maybe he was just interested in me, but the truth was, he wanted information from me.

“I remember you now,” he grinned. “You were kicking ass.”

“I puked,” I stated bluntly.

“You were in pain.” His eyes flicked to my shoulder. “How’s your arm?”

I glanced down, realizing I was cradling my forearm. “It’s fine,” I said, quickly releasing my basically useless arm. “I took some painkillers and was fine.”

His knowing expression said it all, but he didn’t call me on my bullshit. “I wish I could say we’ll be running more classes soon, but with this power outage, that’s not very likely unless we hold them in the park.”

“That must be bad for business.”

He shook his head, glancing down the street. “I’m actually working with the mayor to get the city running again.”

“That sounds like a big job.” I glanced around, suddenly feeling like I was being watched again. My eyes darted around in search of the man that chased me the other day, but I couldn’t find him anywhere.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, his gaze quickly shifting to our surroundings. He stepped closer to me, his arm nearly wrapping around me as his other hand went to his hip. My eyes widened at the sight of his gun, and he must have noticed my body tense, because he quickly explained.

“I run a security company. I never go anywhere without my gun.”

I gave a tight nod, but I knew all too well how guns were used, and it was never in my favor. “I have to go,” I said in a rush.

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