The blonde nodded and gave her a pained smile.
Emma stood and straightened her shoulders, her blue eyes still wet with tears as she met his gaze. “You good to go out the fire escape?”
CHAPTER FIVE
EMMA STOOD BACK as Jason shoved open the rear window of the apartment and stepped out onto the metal balcony shared by the flanking units. His hand was warm and urgent as he helped her through the opening, and then gestured her ahead of him.
Their footsteps clanged off the brick walls of the narrow alley between buildings as they descended the staircase to the cobblestones, cloaked by the shrill cry of sirens at the front of the building. Those sirens went quiet just seconds after the two of them reached the bottom of the lower ladder.
Heart pounding, she took Jason’s hand and forced herself to stroll slowly to the end of the alley, turn onto a busy shopping street, and slide into the crowd. Golden light limned the buildings and washed the streets, the beauty in stark contrast to the scene they’d just escaped.
Shudders wracked her body and she pressed a hand to her stomach. God,Natalie. Visions of her teammate lying injured on the floor filled her brain like toxic sludge, stealing her focus, undermining her nerve. Nat, Viktor, the goon with holes in his chest that she’d put there…
She swerved into a narrow side street and puked. Twice. Pressing her hand to the rough, warm wall, she closed her eyes and tried to slow her breath, inhaling through her open mouth.
“Hey.” Jason stood beside her, blocking her from the view of passersby. “You all right?”
“Not even close.” How could she be? Viktor was dead. Natalie might be next. And someone wanted Emma dead too. And oh yeah, she’d justkilledsomeone. Fear and grief strangled her. “I’ve never… I mean I’ve practiced at the range, but…”
Rather than questioning why she appeared to be an expert-certified shooter, he rubbed his palm gently between her shoulder blades, magically easing her pulse. “I’ve been there.”
He had?
Of course he had.
She glanced up at him, feeling a little lightheaded. Could it be shock? Adrenaline crash? She was strong. She could handle anything. Or so she’d thought. Somehow knowing Jason understood what she was going through helped a little.
“Did you have a choice?” he asked.
“No.” Not if she’d wanted to live. “He shot Natalie and then aimed at me.” Her stomach heaved again.
All she really wanted was to curl into a ball in a dark corner somewhere, but since that wasn’t an option, she breathed deeply for the several minutes it took before she was steady and strong enough to stand up straight.
Jason dropped his hand and took a step back, eyeing her with concern. “So…earlier, when you said you didn’t find anything on me—”
“I lied.”
The breath punched out of him.
“I’m sorry. I really am.” She found a tissue in her bag and wiped her mouth. Hand gel and a piece of gum completed her hasty cleanup. “I was trying to protect you.” For whatever that was worth. Of course, she’d been protecting herself and her team too.
“Was it a memory card?” he asked.
She nodded and sighed, stuffing the horrific images in her head into a vault and slamming the door. Breaking down again would only put the two of them in more danger.
He crossed his arms. “Do you still have it?”
The tiny drive dug into the side of her breast. “Yes.”
“Any idea what’s on it?” he asked.
She hesitated. “Not specifically. And I’d rather not discuss it in public.” If he didn’t trust her this time around, he could leave. She had what she needed.
He contemplated her for several heartbeats, a deep frown on his handsome face. “Okay.” He raised a finger. “Stay here. I’ll get you some water.” Before she could protest, he disappeared around the corner.
What the hell? Should she chase him? Ditch him? She had the files. She didn’t need him anymore. But he’d almost been killed for being with her, possibly by men who worked for his own brother. And she had too many questions to walk away.
Plus, water sounded really, really good.
