The stench aggravating my nostrils reveals the guy’s kneeling in a puddle of piss.
For a split second, save for the ever-present murmur of the small town, silence blankets the alleyway.
Until another man tries his luck, rushing at me. There’s three here now. Three on one. Not fair, but I’ve beat worse odds.
I don’t offer him a sliver of attention, gripping the man in front of Hailey by his collar. Killing two birds with one stone, I hurl him at the approaching daredevil, sending them both tumbling onto the piss-slick ground.
A distant wail of police sirens works like sobering salts on Hailey. She finally looks past the memories, her eyes snapping to mine. And sheseesme, a mix of emotions clouding her tear-stained face.
I glance over my shoulder as the men scramble to their feet, wondering whether I should take them down or grab Hailey and make a run for it.
“Nash,” she breathes.
Relief shakes me from head to toe. Just hearing her voice loosens the coil of fear cinching my chest.
“Where...? What—” Her voice breaks.
The other men hesitate, exchanging confused looks, their aggressive postures melting away when Hailey rushes right at me. I open my arms in time to catch her as she burrows into my chest. The familiar, sweet scent of her fills my lungs, grounding me faster than a shot of whiskey ever could.
“Shh, you’re okay, I’m here.”
Grasping the lapels of my jacket, she pulls herself closer. “I... I don’t know what happened, I had a flashback and then...”
“You scared the hell out of me,” I admit, deftly tangling my fingers in her blonde locks. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”
“Miss... are you okay? Do you know this man?” One guy asks, his stance rigid, face no longer murderous, but puzzled instead. “Do you need help?”
She peers up, and my muscles relax further. She’s pale, still scared, still clinging to me like she can’t stand not to, but that spark in her eyes is back.
“I’m fine.” She sounds stronger than before. Stronger than she looks. “I... I had a panic attack.”
Sirens grow louder making the cobblestones beneath our feet vibrate. I pull Hailey closer. Her warm, shaky breath whispers against my neck.
A sense of clarity fills my mind, quickly reminding me what’s at stake: my mission, my fake identity and, by extension, Rhett’s freedom. Maybe his life.
Hailey’slife.
I grab my phone from my back pocket, sending Ryder a short text.
Me: Pull my location and send it to Andres. Cops are coming. Make sure he handles it.
It’s a good thing Andres’ business is dependent on Dante, or my cover would be blown before the night ends.
40
Hailey
Police sirens pierce my frayed nerves like thousands of tiny needles. My heart rate kicks into a higher gear, every muscle painful, so stiff I feel like a porcelain doll.
“It’ll be fine,” Nash says against my temple, his voice low and soothing in jarring contrast to the firm grip that tucks me further into his chest.
For a fleeting moment, it’s just the two of us. The world shrinks to his arms and the calm heartbeat under my palm where I’m latched onto his hoodie. My knuckles are white with the effort. If I loosen my grip, I’ll pool at his feet.
I don’t know how he’s so calm.
He turned to wrath itself less than two minutes ago, throwing lethal punches left and right, but there’s no trace of that madness left in his eyes. He’s perfectly composed... as if he hasn’t just knocked out three men without breaking a sweat.
The steady thump under my palm is grounding, hypnotic even, but my mind’s not calming down.
