“I’m Pocket.”
“Pocket is a friend.” Sidling up to us, Chloe gazed up at me as she slid her hand into the crook of my elbow. “He offered to help me pack up my things. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t give you more notice. It’s just—”
“You don’t need to explain. Ghost told us everything. I am so happy for you, Chloe. But both of you come on in. There was a parcel delivered for you this morning. George wanted to open it.” The man chuckled. “He thought Santa had come, but we managed to save it. Why don’t you both come in and—”
“Where is George?” Chloe asked quickly. “And Tilly? I wanted to see them and say goodbye.”
Tilly was clearly the wife.
“They left this afternoon for her parents. They will be sorry they missed you.” His eyes flicked to the left and the right like he thought someone was watching out of the trees that closed in around us.
Instantly, I felt it. The prickly feeling of eyes on my back. Tucking Chloe into my side, I let my eyes sweep the surrounding area. It was so strange, this was the epitome of country living, and yet my instincts were telling me to get out of view.
“Maybe we should talk more inside,” I said evenly.
“Of course, come on in.” He swallowed and gave a hesitant nod that I couldn’t really decipher before he led us inside. “Make yourself at home.” Again Chloe’s employer hesitated, and this time the bad feeling was coming straight from him. I didn’t know why, but I knew something was up.
“Chloe?” He said in his singsong, almost too high voice. “Why don’t you go and pack up, and me and your friend will grab some drinks? You will both stay, won’t you?” His voice shook and his shoulders stiffened.
“Of course.” Reaching up on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to my cheek. “I won’t be long.”
She had taken two steps away from me when I saw the relief on her boss's face and that look told me everything I needed to know.
He was up to something, and he needed us apart to do it.
“No.” Reaching out so suddenly that they both jumped, I snatched her wrist and dragged her back towards me. If he wanted her alone, it was for a reason, and I didn’t want to find out what that reason was. “We should stay together.”
“No, I—” His head exploded outwards in a shower of blood and bone. The bullet embedded into the wall behind him, narrowly missing us.
“Down, now!” Holding my arms over Chloe’s head, I bodily moved her towards the not fully closed front door. I swung it open just in time to push her through it and into the night as another bullet skimmed past my head, grazing my ear. White hot pain lanced down my body but I ignored it. I didn’t know why someone was in her employer's house shooting at us, and it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that I got her somewhere safe. Once we were there, then I would start asking questions.
“In the car now!” I yelled. Keeping my arms above her, I hurried us across the driveway and pushed her through the door as soon as I had opened it. “Keep your head down, ok. Do not get up until I tell you to,” I ordered, but I couldn’t be sure she heard me. There were wet sobs ripping themselves from her throat. I wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but I couldn’t. Not until we were somewhere safe.
Starting the car, I sped out of the driveway at top speed, making it to the gate as two more bullets pounded the car, but nothing hit anything or anyone important.
Keeping one hand on the wheel, I pressed buttons that would connect my phone to the hands free.
Domino answered on the third ring.
“Pocket?”
“Any idea why I’ve just been shot at from inside Chloe’s employer's house? We almost got fucking killed.”
Domino's shocked silence filled my ears like white noise. “Is anyone hurt?” He asked finally. “Chloe? Or you? What are you even doing with her? I thought she was Ghost's…friend, not yours?”
“Well, she’s mine now and yes, someone’s hurt. Her boss’s head just exploded in front of us.”
From the footwell of the passenger seat, Chloe began to scream. They started off small, but within seconds she was wailing.
“I’ve got to go. She’s freaking out.”
“Take her somewhere safe tonight, Pocket, and make sure you aren’t followed. I’ll send word when to bring her to the clubhouse when I’ve spoken to Ghost and Chance. Until then—”
The line went dead and with it, any chance I had of asking any other questions, and I had a million of them. Just what was going on here/ Chloe was so normal, so sweet, so why was someone trying to kill her? Ghost and the Sons had something to do with it. I just didn’t know what, although I could guess. Ghost always did have an eye for women who didn’t belong to him. But if she wasn’t his to own, whose was she?
“Chloe, come here.” Reaching down, I pulled her up, but she fought against me, screaming even louder. The sound reverberated through the car, making me wince. Slamming the brakes on, I used both hands to pull her up from her foetal position in the footwell and into my arms. Smoothing my hands down over her hair, they came back sticky with blood.
“Chloe, look at me.” Cupping her cheeks in my hands, I forced her to look me in the eyes. Hers were blurry, like she couldn’t quite focus. “Just listen to my voice and come back to me.”
