23. Kennedy
CHAPTER 23
KENNEDY
“ K ennedy, wake up.”
I come awake quickly as Bradyn gently shakes my shoulder. The room is dark, so it takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the fact that he’s hovering over me, his pack on the front of his body with mine hooked to a strap on the front.
“What is it?”
“A dark SUV just pulled into the parking lot. Two men got out. We need to go.”
My heart begins to pound, and my body shakes with the force of my fear. We’re trapped here. I knew this room was a bad idea, and I took it anyway because I’d been so desperate for a place to sleep.
I throw the covers off of me and get to my feet. “I need my clothes.”
“We don’t have time. They’re in your bag, and I’ve got it. I need you to get on my back. We have to move quickly.”
“Bradyn, how are we going to get past them?”
“We’ll figure it out, okay?”
But then someone knocks on the door, and our hope of a quick escape is gone.
“Get over in the corner,” he tells me. “Stay down.” He shoves my gun into my hand and helps me over to the back corner of the room.
He’s going to die. Because of me. They all die. “Bradyn?—”
He turns toward me. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”
“Room service!” they call out from the other side of the door.
“Bravo, fahs,” Bradyn orders.
The door splinters, and Bravo attacks. Bradyn dodges a fist and slams one into the gut of his attacker. He shoves the man’s hand up, and a gun goes off, sheetrock dusting down on top of him. Bravo yelps as he’s flung into the wall, but the resounding growl from the animal is deafening.
Bradyn slams his face into his attacker, and the man stumbles back—then falls all the way out the door and over the railing.
“ Aus,” he orders, and Bravo releases the man. Bradyn slams him into the wall then drops him to the ground. The man lies still as Bradyn searches his pockets, and I stare at my protector in a mixture of fear and fascination.
Soldiers masquerading as cowboys.
I always suspected it, but now I have confirmation.
It only took him and Bravo seconds to take down two armed men without firing a single shot. I don’t even have time to fully process what just happened before Bradyn’s turning toward me.
“Let’s go.” He shoves a wallet, keys, and a phone into his pocket. He crosses over toward me and drops down so I can get onto his back. “Keep your gun handy. I don’t know for sure that there aren’t more somewhere.”
Moving so fast it might as well be like he’s not carrying me at all, Bradyn goes down the steps and rushes toward the dark SUV. The body on the pavement missed a car, and with it being so dark outside, I can barely make out the shape against the asphalt.
Bradyn searches the inside of the SUV then deposits me in the passenger side and opens the back for Bravo. The dog hops in without a command, and Bradyn tosses our bags in after him then rushes over to get behind the wheel.
He fires up the engine and leaves quickly, all while I’m still trying to process what just happened. We were just attacked in an enclosed room—and survived.
Bradyn reaches into his pocket and withdraws his phone then holds it up so Face ID can unlock it before handing it off to me. “Tap Elliot’s contact. He’s at the top on the first screen. Then put it on speaker.”
I do as he says. The phone rings, and a few seconds later, a sleepy-sounding Elliot answers. “Everything okay?”
“We were attacked in a motel room, and I need to know how they found us.”
“On it.” I hear some rustling. “I’ll grab Tucker too. He can run security cameras in the area if you get me an address.”
“An old motel off of I-49,” he says. “Right outside of Harrisonville. Look it up.”
“Missouri?”
“Yes.”
“Sammy okay?”
Bradyn looks at me, so I clear my throat. “I’m okay.”
Elliot breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I’ll get you some answers.”
“Thanks.”
“You should know they’re watching the ranch.”
My stomach plummets. If they’re lingering there, it’s because they think they’ll catch me. And if they do?—”
“There goes Plan A.”
“You have a Plan B?”
“Always. But I don’t want to risk it now. We stole their car, so we’re going to have to ditch it. Make sure local PD knows they have two bodies to find at that motel. One dead, the other unconscious. Call it in so a civilian doesn’t find them.”
“On it. Stay safe, brother.”
The call ends, and Bradyn shoves his phone back into his pocket. His gaze keeps shifting between the rearview mirror and the windshield, but he doesn’t seem shaken. Just in problem-solving mode.
“Are you okay?” he asks after a few more minutes of silence.
“I’m not the one who fought our way out of that.” I glance back at Bravo, who’s sitting up in the back seat, staring out the window. “Is he okay?”
“He’s taken much worse hits than that. But I plan to check when we stop. I asked about you.” His gorgeous hazel gaze pins me in the seat. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I reply honestly. “I’m so tired of running, Bradyn. I’m tired of constantly looking over my shoulder.”
“We’re going to figure it out.” He reaches over and takes my hand and, without hesitating, links his fingers through mine. It’s such a simple gesture, such a kind one, but it brings tears to my eyes and comfort to my weary soul.
It’s silly, but I haven’t held hands with anyone in years. It feels nice. Even as we’re running for our lives.
An hour later, we’re exiting the highway and taking a side road toward a gas station. Bradyn releases my hand and parks the car around the back then shuts off the engine and climbs out. He reaches into his bag and withdraws a leash, clipping it onto Bravo’s working dog vest.
“We’re going to have to dump the car here and find another mode of transportation.”
“Why?”
“If a senator is in on this, they’ll likely have every law enforcement agency out there looking for this thing.”
“Makes sense.”
He nods and sets my small duffel up on the console so I can get my boots and clothes out. I unzip it, and the first thing I see is the Bible my mother clung to in her final moments.
A wave of anger and grief washes over me as I shove it to the side and withdraw my clothes. I’ve just gotten my boots on when Bradyn opens the door and helps me out. With one arm around my waist, he practically carries me to the restroom.
“Take Bravo inside. I’m going to go wipe down the car.”
“Are you sure? You need him. What if?—”
“I’d rather have him watching over you.” He hands me the leash then waits for me to go inside.
“Come on, Bravo.” The dog walks beside me.
The stench of urine fills my lungs, but given that I’ve slept in much dirtier places over the last two years, I pay it little mind. When you’re living day-to-day, the where doesn’t matter so much as the resting part.
A few minutes later, I’ve managed to get changed back into jeans, a sweatshirt, and my boots. I pause at the mirror a moment and look at the woman staring back at me.
I look rough. Exhausted. Worn out. All of the things I’m feeling inside come rushing to the surface, and I grip the sides of the sink as the hold I’ve had on my emotions shatters in a public restroom somewhere in Missouri.
I’ve lost everyone that ever mattered to me.
Been pulled into a war that I have nothing to do with.
Risked the life of the first man who has ever really meant anything to me.
And for what? Some piece of metal that’s hung around my neck for the past two years? Who knows if there’s even anything on it? Or if it’s too damaged to give any of the answers they’re looking for?
But I know they’ll never stop looking for me. If I stop running, they’ll catch up, and then I’ll be dead. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to myself that sometimes that doesn’t seem like such a bad deal.
Then I wouldn’t feel this pain anymore. This never-ending current of grief that continually sweeps me away.
Bravo whines, so I look down at him. “I’m okay, buddy. Sorry.”
He cocks his head to the side then nudges me with his nose. It brings a smile to my face.
“Kennedy?” Bradyn knocks on the door.
“Sorry. Out in a minute.” I sniffle and wipe my eyes. Get it together, Kennedy. Closing my eyes, I try to re-center myself on the fact that I’m not alone anymore. For better or worse, Bradyn has kicked the door in and joined me in this fight. Though, whether that’s a good or bad thing has yet to be seen.