Page 114 of Hot Momosa

My mind immediately went back to Enzo saying the same thing to me earlier in the night—right before we’d both ended up bleeding in the backseat of the SUV. “No. I’m okay. You need to focus on getting Gunnar in the car.”

Stuart went out first and used his size to shield us from the cameras. When we reached the car, he jerked the passenger’s side door open and stood guard as I eased myself into the seat.

Leo hurried to the other side and deposited Gunnar into his car seat. The boy wanted no part of the straps and buckles and fought him every step of the way. “Come on, little man. Cooperate.”

“I want your phone!” The volume and pitch of his voice drilled straight through my temple.

Camera flashes left me half-blind and fighting nausea.

“Give it to him so we can leave,” I pleaded.

“Be careful with it.”

A split second later, a clattering noise sounded from outside the car. I couldn’t turn to see, but I had a sinking feeling Gunnar had chucked the cell out the door. “Gunnar Joseph. That was not okay.”

The boy grunted.

Oh yeah, he needs a time out.

Leo bent to pick up the phone. “Fuck.”

“Did he break it?”

“Don’t move and don’t react.” Leo reached in and calmly began to unlock the safety harness on the car seat. “We need to get away from the car.”

I couldn’t get the air into my lungs to ask what he’d seen, but my brain had no trouble filling in the gaps.

The shooter? A bomb? The specifics didn’t matter. We were in danger.

“I’m going to pull him out. When I say so, go inside. Make it look like we are arguing. Yell, scream, call me names. Meet me back at the waiting room.” Leo’s cold as steel voice surprised me.

Anger I could handle. The edgy calmness freaked me out.

Not to mention, the two people I loved the most were in the car, and something was wrong.

Seriously wrong.

“Gunnar, me and Mommy are going to play fight. We aren’t really mad at each other. It’s a game. Do you want to play?”

“Play fight?” He sounded unsure.

“Yep. You get to scream as loud as you can until we’re inside. Okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.” The toddler didn’t wait for the signal to start wailing.

“Now. Dahl.”

I flung the door open, and I did as I was told. “You son of a bitch! How could you!”

Behind me, Leo shouted his response, but I couldn’t make out what he’d said over Gunnar, the reporters, and my pulse pounding behind my eardrums.

I hit the glass doors and resisted the urge to turn and see what the heck was going on.

Stuart followed close behind me. “Where are you going? What happened out there?”

“I think Leo saw something under the car.” I kept walking. As long as I could hear Gunnar’s fake screams, I knew they were all right. “We’re meeting in the family waiting room.”

“No, I have a better idea.” He pulled out his phone and dialed. “Hey. Change of plans. Meet us with the truck outside the ambulance bay. Love you, too.” The bodyguard’s voice softened, reminding me he wasn’t just an employee. He had more to lose than a job. He had a family.

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