“Oh my god,” he said in a low, stunned tone. “You’reserious.”
“I’m serious about everything! I’m The Accountant.”
Only the sound of the tires on the bridge leading to the base in New Jersey filled the van.
She shoved her glasses on her face. “I’m actually an accountant. A consultant.”
“You don’t have a weapon.”
“No. I don’t like guns. I don’t use guns. I am mostly gun adjacent, which means I’m protected by default.”
“Jesus Christ. You could have been killed. I thought you were going to defend yourself, and I hesitated. If I hadn’t taken that shot when I did—”
She gaped at him. “You didn’t hesitate. You shot him the instant he aimed the gun at me.”
He made a sharp gesture, like slicing his hand through the air could rewind the footage.
“You’re a good shot,” she said quietly.
Several heartbeats passed before he said, just as quietly, “Thanks.”
She didn’t go into the field. She viewed all the dirty work through a screen. She might have the clearance, but she wasn’t equipped to handle people aiming guns at her.
All at once, the adrenaline wore off, and the situation hit full force.
She folded forward around the fear throbbing in her chest, trying to force down her tears.
“Ellory. Look at me. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She couldn’t breathe.
“Look at me, Ellory.”
She responded to his commanding tone, swinging her head to fix her stare on him.
Whatever he saw on her face through the dim lighting made his jaw flex. “I want to help you calm down. Tell me what to do.”
She dug her fingers into the seat. “Three things I can see.”
“Yeah. That’s good. Tell me what those three things are.”
“Th-the streetlights.”
“Good. Keep going.”
“The parked car. The median.”
“Now touch.”
“The seat. The window.”
He shifted his arm over the console. “Me. You can touch me.”
Without hesitating—nothing like the pause he’d claimed before shooting the man who wanted her dead—Ellory gripped Ash’s muscled arm like a lifeline.
FIVE
The Accountant.
