Emmett!
Janie scrambled to climb her way out from beneath the desk. Her toe caught the edge of one of the chair’s legs, causing her to trip, and she came close to falling back down.
Ignoring the pain in her stubbed toe, she sprinted across the room in record time. She unlocked the door and swung it open.
It was the first time since the gunfire had started that she felt she could truly breathe.
“Emmett!” Janie threw herself into his arms. “Are you okay? You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“I’m good.” His strong arms held her close. “There was only one of them, and he’s been handled.”
Handled.
She didn’t have to ask him to elaborate, because she already knew what he meant. The man who’d come to kill her was dead.
Janie hated knowing Emmett had been forced to take a life on her behalf. But she was also profoundly grateful he had because it meant his life had also been spared.
“Thank you,” she whispered against his broad shoulder.
He didn’t say anything but gave another comforting squeeze before letting his hands fall back to his sides.
“The team’s on their way. They’ll process the scene and get what they can from the body. But in the meantime, we need to get out of here. Now.”
The body.
She couldn’t think for the multitude of thoughts whirling through her mind.
They’d been shot at. They both could have easily been killed. Emmettdidkill a man. There was a dead body lying somewhere in this very house. And he was saying things like “processing the scene” and how they needed to?—
“Janie!”
His sharp tone as he said her name was the slap in the face she needed.
“Sorry.” A quick shake of her head. “I-I’ll go change and be right down.”
“Make it quick, and don’t worry about bringing your stuff. I’ll make sure you get everything later. For now, we just need to focus on getting away from here as quickly as possible, okay?”
“Quick.” She gave her head a nod. “Got it. Don’t worry. I’ll hurry.”
“I’ll be here waiting.”
She started to walk past, but he stopped her with a gentle hand on her wrist. When her gaze lifted to his, the concern she found there nearly brought her to tears.
“You okay?”
“Mmm hmm.” Janie smiled.
A man was dead, and she was smiling. So maybe she wasn’t exactlyokay. But they were both still breathing, so at least, there was that. For tonight, that was enough.
What about the next time an assassin comes calling?
Janie stepped out of his reach, breaking free from his careful hold.
“I’ll hurry,” she repeated the soft promise and turned away, heading for the stairs.
When Emmett said her name again, the concern in his voice so heartbreakingly clear, she pretended not to hear.
CHAPTER TWELVE
