Soon, Donna pulled into the driveway. She shifted into park, switched off the engine, and grabbed her bag from the front seat. No sooner had she stepped out of the car and closed the door did she hear footsteps hurrying toward her.
In the dark, Donna couldn’t see who was approaching. None the less, she snatched her gun from its holster and searched for a target. Almost as soon as she spotted the dark figure coming out of the bushes, the sound of gunshots disrupted the night’s silence. The force of a bullet, slamming into her chest, sent her crashing violently against her sister’s car. A second projectile hitting her chest, took her breath away and sent her to the ground. Without the benefit of air in her lungs, Donna grabbed the handle of the door and struggled to stand. She had made it to one knee by the time the shooter came to stand before her. Just before another shot echoed in the darkness, she managed to look into the eyes of the man who wanted her dead.
LINCOLN
The roar of Bella’s dual exhausts alerted Lincoln to Donna’s presence. He’d been sleeping at Bella’s house since the day Donna had moved in order to impersonate her sister.
Lincoln got up from the sofa and walked over to the window just as she pulled into the driveway. For a few seconds, he watched, waiting for Logan, the retired army ranger, who was paying to watch after her. When Lincoln realized that there were no headlights approaching, he grabbed his pistol from the cocktail table and moved toward the door. As soon as he grabbed the knob to exit, the sound of a gunshot rang in the quiet night air.
Lincoln snatched the door open and ran on the porch just in time to see a figure, dressed in black, pointing a weapon at Donna. Lincoln raised his weapon, but not fast enough to stop a second shot. Donna’s body jerked, and he nearly collapsed when she did.
Lincoln raised his weapon and aligned the sights to connect with the shooter’s head. Even though he wanted nothing but to run to Donna, he held a breath, stilled himself, and squeezed the trigger. The shooter dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, but Lincoln held his weapon, covering the area from left to right. After deciding that the threat had been neutralized, he tucked his gun in the back of his pants and ran to Donna.
Lincoln dropped to the pavement and scooped her in his arms. “Donna?” he breathed, praying that she was alive.
Lincoln jumped and pointed his weapon at the sound of screeching tires. When he realized it was Logan pulling up, he returned his attention to Donna. “Baby, can you hear me?”
Relief flooded his brain when she opened her eyes.
“Oh, fuck!” Logan shouted when he reached them.
“Callan ambulance!” Lincoln roared. He cupped Donna’s head and pulled her close to his chest. A warm tear trickled down his cheek as he held her close. “You’re gonna be okay, sweetheart. Help is on the way.”
When Donna grabbed his arm, Lincoln thanked God that she was alive. Silently, he prayed that she would remain so. Using more strength than she should, Donna pushed off his chest. She looked up until their eyes locked. “Vest,” she coughed.
With eyes widened from optimism, Lincoln ran his fingers down his torso. To his shock and delight, Donna was wearing a Kevlar vest.
“Shit!” Donna blurted. “Itstillfucking hurts!
“I know, babe,” he whispered as he lowered her to the ground and tore her shirt open. He stuck his hand into the bulletproof vest in search of blood. Thankfully, the vest had done its job. His fingers were dry. Lincoln exhaled in relief for the first time since Donna pulled up. “Oh, thank God,” he prayed over a sigh.
CHAPTER 28
NIYAH
“Here’s yourmega-pintof wine,” Xander teased, mocking Johnny Depp’s amusing court testimony.
Niyah accepted the large glass with an appreciative smile. “Thanks. This is a much welcome end to a ridiculously busy day.”
Xander sat next to her on the sofa and sipped from a smaller wineglass Over the last two weeks of Xander staying with her, they’d settled into a pleasant routine. He slept in the guest room. In the morning, they dressed for work and shared coffee before leaving. With Lincoln’s man tailing them, Xander dropped her off at work every day and pick her up every night. On nights that she was on-call, he drove her to crime scenes and waited. If she needed to go back to the ME’s office, he dropped her off and returned for her later. And when they finally made it back to her condo, they either ordered in or cooked together.
Niyah had no problem admitting that she liked having Xander around with the only downside being lack of privacy. She took another sip and looked down at the bracelet dangling from her wrist. Soon and very soon, she would have to shake her bodyguards and handle some personal business.
“Hey!” Xander’s voice and a nudge to her leg shook Niyah out of her daze.
“Y-yes? What’d you say?”
With wrinkled brows, Xander tilted his head as if studying her. “You okay?”
Niyah chuckled nervously. “I am. What did you say?”
“I asked if you wanted to pick up where we left of with the Son’s of Anarchy?”
Niyah shook her head. “No. I’m too tired. I don’t even think I can keep my eyes open through dinner. I’m just gonna go to bed.”
Xander’s hand caressed her shoulder. Niyah could see the concern in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
With a smile, she nodded to assure him that she was.
