Taking Aim (19 page)

His gaze traveled all over her. “Were you hit?”

“I don’t think so.” She closed her eyes to keep the room from spinning, but the reality of where she was had them popping open again. She tried to sit up, hoping her legs would hold her if she somehow wrestled her fatigued body to her feet. “My employees and the people—”

He put his hand on her noninjured knee, and the light touch held her down. “Everyone is fine. They don’t even know anything happened back here.”

The noise. The slamming doors. The grunts and yelling. None of that fit together with his assurance. “How is that possible?”

“I need a team and possibly medical.” He talked to the air.

He kept issuing orders. Something about identities and watching the front. She really focused on him then, letting her gaze wander over the firm chin and across his broad chest. Apparently he threw knives. He had the attacker’s gun plus another one.

In a matter of minutes he’d morphed from cute flirty guy with an injury to scary fighter guy.

“Is the limp real?” She blurted out the question before she could stop it.

“Yes.” He touched his ear. “Now, Joel.”

“Joel?”

Then she saw it. A tiny piece of silver. He had a microphone and was talking to someone who wasn’t actually in the hallway.

Her eyes closed as a wave of nausea rolled over her. She hadn’t dreamed any of it, and all of her fears of walking into the middle of a terrifying gun battle had come true.

That left one very big question.

She opened her eyes and stared at him again. “Who are you really?”

“Same guy you served the coffee to.”

She tried to scoff but she didn’t have the energy or extra breath. “I don’t think so.”

“You should probably call me Pax.” He had the nerve to smile at her as he stood up.

This time she didn’t buy the full mouth or twinkle in his eyes. “You’re not a normal coffee customer.”

“I am, but I’m also something else.”

Dread spilled into her stomach. “What?”

“Your informal bodyguard.”

ISBN: 9781460317105

Copyright © 2013 by Mary Jernigan

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