Page 31 of Marked for Danger

Keeping an arm and one-half his torso over her back, he scanned the entire area for the person behind the shot. “Be ready to move in three…two…now!”

He lifted himself off Izzy’s back and she took off as instructed. With his gun up and his head on a swivel, he followed closely as the two made their way around the car’s front bumper. Keeping his eyes peeled for the threat, he covered her as best he could while she opened the back passenger-side door and hurried inside.

“Lock the doors and keep your head down,” he ordered.

Wide, terror-filled eyes found his from over her shoulder. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. You just do as I said and stay down.”

Only a second’s worth of hesitation passed before Izzy gave him a jerky nod and squeezed her way down to the floorboard. He could tell she didn’t like the part of his plan that kept him outside the car, but he was thankful she trusted his judgement and didn’t put up a fight.

That’s my girl.

Careful not to slam her feet in the door, Grady shut it and then spun around, leaning his back against the car’s smooth metal. Within minutes, the entire area was swarming with patrol units, an ambulance, and a few curious neighbors standing around trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

That’s what I want to know.

As soon as the officers were finished canvasing the area gave him the all-clear, he opened the door and assisted Izzy as she exited the vehicle. The minute she was back on her feet, Grady began a visual assessment to make sure she was okay.

“You’re good?” He held her steady with his hands on her shoulders, he held her steady as his eyes did a quick head-to-toe scan of her body. “You sure you weren’t hit?”

“I’m fine.” Those big eyes of hers searched his for answers. “Did someone really try to shoot us?”

Not us, sweetheart.

Despite having no tangible proof, Grady’s gut screamed that bullet was meant for her. But since he had no way of knowing for sure, he kept that to himself for now.

Izzy turned and looked across the street, toward her brother’s building. When she spotted him amongst the crowd, the two made eye contact and she gave him a slight nod and a half-wave.

Grady watched the man closely for any signs he may have been behind the attack. But even from across the street, he could see the worry the other man held for his sister.

This wasn’t him.

“I should go over there and let him know I’m okay.”

But when she took a step off the curb, he reached out to stop her. “Wait.” His fingers wrapped around her wrist in a strong yet gentle hold.

Izzy halted her forward movements and looked back at him. “What? You said it was safe.”

“From the shooter, yeah. It most likely is.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Your brother could have tried to come over here himself, but he didn’t.”

“So?”

“So my guess is, he’s keeping his distance in case Valdez has people watching.”

He could see the wheels turning in that intelligent brain of hers. It didn’t take long for her to reach his same level of understanding.

“You think Valdez was behind this?”

“I think we have to assume that until we’re proven otherwise.”

A slight pause preceded her response. “If it was him, and he’s trying to somehow test Olly and I go over there…”

“You could blow his cover before he ever gets the chance to wire up.”

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