“No, thanks.” She opened the overhead cabinet where she stored her purse and lunch bag. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine.” The garage was gated, well lit, staffed with security guards, and wired with cameras.
So far, the reporters hadn’t found a way in, though now that Mars was dead,their short-lived interest in her might have rekindled. At least with no trial looming, they’d probably move on quickly. She’d be quite happy to never be in the news again, thank you very much.
“All right,” Jeff said, with a shrug. He rapped his knuckles lightly on the counter. “Have a good weekend.”
Several minutes after he left, Tara exited the elevator into the garage beneath the high-riseoffice building. The sharp tap of her heels echoed across the concrete as she strode toward her car. She’d bought the red Mini Cooper after taking this job at Steele nearly four years ago, and it still made her smile.
“Tara?” a rough voice asked from behind her.
She turned without thinking and inhaled sharply. A large man wearing a black hoodie and sunglasses stood five yards away, holdinga gun.
Her heart bucked and took off like a spooked horse. Suddenly the key gripped between her thumb and forefinger—exactly the way they’d taught her at self-defense class—seemed ridiculous. She took a step back on unsteady legs. “What do you want?”
His skin was sallow under the fluorescent bulbs but she couldn’t make out any other features besides his thin lips and brown eyebrows. “Everythingyou have.”
“Here.” She whipped her purse at him, aiming for the gun.
He dodged and stepped closer with a chuckle, exposing his overlapping front teeth. “Nice try.”
Shit. What now? “All my money and credit cards are in there. You want my car too?” She held out the key fob, her hand trembling.
“Drop your weapon, motherfucker.”
Jeff!Tara’s breath left her in a relievedwhooshas he emergedfrom behind a large truck to her left, his weapon and gaze trained on the guy who took his fashion cues from the Unabomber.
“Lose yours, or I’ll shoot her,” Hoodie said.
Tara pressed the panic button on her key fob and dropped to her knees.
The blare of the Mini’s alarm bounced off the walls.
Hoodie gave a start and glanced at the car.
Jeff rushed him.
Her attacker took a shot at Jeff,the sound puncturing her car’s squawking.
Tara screamed. “No!”
Anotherbang. Hoodie cried out and swiveled.
Tara curled into a tighter ball against her car door.
More shouts and the sounds of footsteps receding.
Bang!
Bang!
The noises faded.
When she looked up, everyone was gone.
Crawling toward the rear of the parking stall, she peeked around a concrete column, heart thunderingin her ears, but the men were nowhere in sight.
Was Jeff okay?
She tried to stand, but her knees gave out and she sank back to the ground, her body shaking uncontrollably.Oh. My. God.Nausea climbed her throat and she took slow, deep breaths to calm her roiling belly.
