Читать книгу Copy That - ХеленКей Даймон, HelenKay Dimon - Страница 9

When the car eased around the corner and slowed to a stop, Meredith thought she’d gone to sleep and woken up in the middle of a strange action movie. She leaned forward, balancing her elbows on her knees. Her hands shook as she examined the cuts and scrapes on her palms.

Real people went to the hospital after being thrown by an explosion and nearly turned into a piece of burned toast. Real people did not chase after bad guys. Real people ran to the police and screamed for help.

Real life sure didn’t include finding out about a previously unknown twin brother or hanging out with men who carried guns. Not her life. Not anymore. She’d left violence behind in favor of stability. She didn’t run from the law.

She glanced over and saw the gun in Jeremy’s hand. Heard him tap his foot against the floor as his knee bounced to the steady rhythm only he could hear. “Who are you?”

His focus never wavered. He stared out the window. “Jeremy Hill.”

“You know what I mean.”

His gaze locked on her, all his intensity boring into her, and the next words she intended to say jammed in her throat.

“I’m going to protect you.”

The promises men made. “I’ve heard that before.”

At nineteen she’d heard and believed them. Vows of love and fidelity, talk of being together forever. But between the sweet touches and mind-blowing kisses he’d drop a line about her weight. About her friends being loud or dumb. About her leaving school and following him back to the Midwest because she wouldn’t need a job once they settled in their house.

She justified his behavior and made excuses for the way he isolated her. The latter made her nuts. She sneaked out to meet friends for coffee and ignored their concerned stares and dropped comments about male friends they knew who would love her. She pretended she didn’t hear the whispers as she walked away and fell deeper into his cocoon of supposed protection.

Just thinking about those days made her stomach tumble until she thought it would roll right out of her and land on the floor. The familiar fear rushed back and momentarily panicked her. The bile in her throat and trembling in her muscles—it all played like a broken record of a song she’d rather forget.

Clint had stolen something from her and she’d been fighting her entire adult life to get it back. Dignity. Selfrespect.

The safety classes and hours logged at the shooting range helped. But now, sitting in a car with men she didn’t know, all those old insecurities rushed over her. She fought off waves of debilitating self-bashing and reached for that inner balance she’d vowed never to lose again.

Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. “What does that cryptic comment mean?”

“I don’t need a man to take care of me.”

“This isn’t a liberation issue or some sort of battle of the sexes.”

“Really? Feels like it.”

“No one appreciates a strong woman more than I do. I saw you kick and fight and go after that intruder. You’re a survivor and there’s nothing more attractive to me than that.”

Joel cleared his throat. “Uh, Jeremy? Maybe we should focus.”

Jeremy talked over him. The rise in his voice’s volume was the only nod to the fact that Joel had made any noise. “But, like it or not, we have to be realistic about men’s physical advantages. Weight and strength all matter. I’m not saying you can’t win, but it’s not easy.”

She didn’t want size to play a role, but she was smart enough to know it did. Her self-defense instructor made that clear. He also gave some hints on how to even the battle.

“I’m quite familiar with men who lead with fists,” she said.

Jeremy’s gaze wandered over her face. It felt as if an hour passed before he spoke again, though it was probably more like seconds. “I don’t want the guy hunting for Garrett to target you. He’ll have a gun—”

“I can shoot.”

Jeremy’s head snapped back as if he hadn’t expected that answer. He glanced at Joel in the mirror then back to her. “Practicing on a target or cans of whatever and actually aiming at a person are different things.”

She knew that all too well, but she had no intention of sharing that information. “And?”

“I’ll shoot without blinking.”

“People will look for me. I have friends and neighbors. People are going to ask questions.”

At least, she hoped that was true. She hadn’t lived in Coronado long. She spent her time reading in the park and dreaded any invitation to hang out in a bar with coworkers looking for men. The whole “get drunk and find some random guy to sleep with” thing left her feeling hollow. She wasn’t a prude but the bar scene, complete with all the stupid games and fake attraction stunts, had never appealed to her.

Joel stretched his arm along the back of the seat. “She’s right. Her absence will cause questions.”

“I’m only asking for a few hours.” Jeremy’s jaw tightened to the point of cracking with each word. “You can trust me that long.”

“Not if you’re running around shooting at people.”

“Last time I pulled a weapon I stopped a guy from touching you.”

The memories of the horrible morning bombarded her. The headache kicked in a second later. “True.”

“Sorry.” He exhaled as he put his hand on her knee. “Look, someone tried to kill my brother, to kill you. I need to know who and why so I can protect you both. And time is slipping away. The guy has a huge head start. It may already be too late to find a trail.”

“Good.” The answer worked for both his comment and for the warmth spiraling through her body at the touch of his palm against her bare skin.

“I’ll be careful, but I do need to do this.” He gave her leg a quick squeeze then tapped on the back of Joel’s seat. “Stay here.”

She was no longer panicked about her safety. Now she was ticked off. Being dragged around without any explanation did that to a woman.

“Absolutely not,” she said in her best teacher voice.

The locks clicked right before Joel turned around. “For the record, I agree with the lady.”

“My name is Meredith.”

“Meredith.” He smiled at her before his mouth flat-lined and his attention returned to Jeremy. “How does this play out? There are cops everywhere. We have a civilian in the car.”

Civilian?

“Unlock the door.” Jeremy’s deep voice rattled with a deadly echo.

A second click bounced around the silent car. Then he was gone.

The whole rescuer thing should impress her. In some ways it did. In others it filled her with flaming frustration. If Jeremy intended to save her, she needed him to be alive to do it.

“Let’s go.” She opened the door before Joel could lock her in. That would teach him to hesitate.

“Whoa.” He jumped out of the car and raced around to meet her at the hood.

“That’s the fastest I’ve seen you move since you drove up.”

“I’ll be running pretty damn fast when Jeremy tries to kill me for letting you out of this car.”

“I’m not rushing in to help. You are.”

“Wait, what?”

The plan seemed simple enough in her head, but Joel’s scowl suggested otherwise. “I know you won’t leave me alone. I also know Jeremy should have backup. So, you move and I hang back and then maybe, just maybe, we’ll live through the next ten minutes.”

“I can’t guarantee that.”

“Or I can scream for the police and end this now.”

His entire demeanor changed. His hand went to his gun and he rolled his shoulders back as every inch of him vibrated with a new alertness. “You don’t fight fair.”

She doubted he even knew how. With the mention of a battle he automatically prepared to step in. That instinct appeared to be ingrained. “I have a feeling it might be the only way to win an argument with you or Jeremy.”

JEREMY TRIED TO concentrate on tracking but Meredith’s comments ran through his head. He’d seen her survival instinct in action. He’d expected her to shake and cry after being pawed and nearly blown up. Any sane person would. Instead, she’d soldiered through.

Now she talked about guns and protection like a woman who had done battle and knew there were rarely any real winners when it came to violence. Made him wonder what she’d seen in her life and who had taught her those tough lessons.

The idea of her being on the receiving end made him want to hit someone. He still wanted to kick his own butt for not being able to disarm the device at the back door and get to her faster when that animal touched her in Garrett’s family room.

In a little over an hour she’d managed to worm her way into his thoughts. Instead of focusing on the task in front of him, he was thinking about her past.

It wasn’t the first time that worrying about a woman had thrown him off stride. He had the knife wound in his side as a constant reminder.

He stopped along the side of a house. Without moving, he drew on his powers of concentration, trying to bring his focus back to the hunt. He shoved out the sirens and talking, the roar of the fire and chatter from all the people gathered to watch Garrett’s house melt into ash.

Centered again, Jeremy slipped into the backyard of the beige bungalow at the end of the block. He took in the small patch of grass and the fenced-in vegetable garden in the far left corner. Two steps led up to an entrance and an open screen door. No one lingered, but the attacker could have dragged a new victim into the house as his shield.

The tingle at the base of his neck had Jeremy glancing behind him. The sight of Joel sneaking across the lawn and Meredith hovering within shooting range sent rage burning through him. He didn’t need a team. He’d planned to go in and out before Meredith faced one more second of danger.

Not going to happen now.

At the near-silent tap of a shoe against cement, Jeremy tensed, waiting for the shot to come. He ducked as he spun around, but the attacker made his move and launched his body off the top step at Jeremy’s midsection.

The flash of a gun and a hint of a feral smile. A heavy body crashed into Jeremy, slamming him into the flagstone path leading around the house and sending his gun skidding into the grass. Air rushed out of his lungs as his side screamed with blinding pain.

In the second before his vision cleared and his senses returned, his attacker pinned his arm to the ground with his knee. Jeremy’s muscle cramped and tore as he tried to roll the other man off him. He shifted enough to nail the guy in the back with his leg.

Jeremy could hear Joel’s shouts and Meredith’s cries for help. Knowing they were closing in and drawing unwanted attention, that with one simple shift the attacker could shoot and take them out, Jeremy dipped into his strength reserves. He bucked his hips and grabbed for the gun in the grass as he knocked his other fist into the side of his attacker’s head.

“Put the weapon down!” Joel yelled.

Footsteps slapped against the walkway as Joel and Meredith came closer. Jeremy grabbed for the attacker’s gun. Anything to keep it from pointing in Meredith’s direction. Joel could fight back and defend. He had the training and the skills. She was an innocent bystander.

Jeremy’s fingers wrapped around the hot metal as he strained to push the barrel toward the other man. Jeremy braced his back against the ground as he kicked out to unbalance his attacker. The guy’s quick look at Joel gave Jeremy an opening. He slammed his elbow into the attacker’s jaw, sending his head flying back and loosening his hold on the gun.

Jeremy tore the weapon away, ready to fire, but the attacker stopped him with a sucker punch, right on his fresh wound.

Fire raced through Jeremy’s body as his breath hiccuped and his body jackknifed. Pain exploded in every brain cell. His fingers went numb and the gun dropped to the ground next to him.

With a sound somewhere between a roar and a laugh, the attacker slipped a knife out of his belt and aimed it right for Jeremy’s gut. One second he saw the other man’s teeth and a face splotched red with rage. The next a boom thundered around them.

As if in slow motion, the attacker slid off Jeremy and fell to his side. Blood trickled from the small hole in his forehead as a sea of red pooled beneath him in the grass.

Jeremy looked up in time to see the bleak determination in Joel’s eyes as he lowered his weapon. He’d done exactly what Garrett had taught him to do…kill the bad guys. The question was whether the answers they needed stopped with the man bleeding out on the ground.

“Jeremy!”

“I’m okay.” He could barely move his mouth, but he forced the words out. He also put up a hand to keep Meredith from plowing into him as part of her rescue plan.

A few more seconds and he’d pass out. Being knocked unconscious would be the perfect ending to this crappy day. But instead of hugging him, she dropped to her knees and brushed her hands over his chest as if he were made of glass.

“He shot you.”

“How did that happen?” Joel checked the attacker for a pulse then took up position on Jeremy’s other side.

“It didn’t.” Jeremy leaned on both of them to sit up and couldn’t hide the sharp inhale when he pressed his hand against his side. “He alive?”

“No,” Joel said.

“There’s blood all over you.” She reached over Jeremy to Joel. “Give me your jacket.”

Joel didn’t hesitate. He ripped it off his shoulders and wadded it into a ball.

When she pressed it against the wound, Jeremy’s world started to spin. “Not shot.”

Meredith bunched his shirt in her fist and exposed his bare chest before returning the makeshift bandage to his side. “He got you.”

“Old knife wound. I reopened it. Not a big deal.” With each breath he took, the house in front of him shimmered and shifted. With his head tilted to the side, the landscape morphed from bright colors to dull gray. That had to be a bad sign.

“That’s it. No more excuses.” She jumped to her feet but stayed crouched at his side. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

Jeremy grabbed her arm and tightened until the black-and-white vision in front of him blurred then shifted back into place.

“She’s right.” Joel took out his cell. “You need medical attention.”

“Just a safe house and a first-aid kit.” Jeremy tried to harness all his energy to get to his feet. If he sprawled on his back he’d lose any chance of convincing them to go along with his plan.

“You’ll bleed to death if we don’t get you help.” She nodded at her hand and the blood seeping through the jacket.

She had a point but he wasn’t ready to admit it. “I need an ID on the dead guy and for someone to find Garrett.”

Jeremy pushed out the worst fears about his brother being hurt or injured. He’d know. He’d feel it in his gut. The connection they shared extended that far. It bound them when the miles kept them apart for months. Like when Garrett got shot two years ago and lay bleeding in a hospital in a country where no one knew his name. Jeremy had sensed it all.

“You win. I’ll call it in to the office.” Joel pressed a few buttons, then put the cell to his ear.

All the color rushed out of her cheeks. “You two can’t be serious about treating this with simple first aid.”

“We’re going into hiding,” Jeremy said.

Her hands flattened against his chest. “We?”

“The two of us.”

“Oh, really?” Her voice turned positively frosty as she sat back on her heels.

For some reason, her slip from panic to angry teacher mode restored some of his strength. “I’m afraid you’re going to be stuck with me for a while longer.”

“Who says?”

That one was easy. “Me.”