Chapter Nineteen
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H eart hammering halfway up her throat, Bristol gripped her bat with bloodless fingers, ready to hit the attacker again if he so much as twitched. Thankfully, she didn’t have to, because TJ pounced on him, wrenching the guy’s arms behind him and securing them with a...sock?
The prisoner was cursing and making guttural sounds of pain but wasn’t fighting anymore. She’d hit him hard in either the back or side, actually felt a bit queasy when she thought of the sound it had made. A horrible thwack-crunch that told her she’d probably broken his ribs.
“Okay, Slugger. You can put that down now.”
TJ’s voice wrapped around her, deep and shockingly calm considering what had just happened. She swallowed hard and lowered the bat, her nervous system still trying to decide whether it was in fight or flight mode.
She’d never hit anyone in her life, but when she’d seen this guy trying to kill TJ on the kitchen floor, a switch had flipped. Even still, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to swing at his head. Just the thought of doing that made her want to throw up.
She took a step back, suddenly shaky as hell. “What do you want me to do?” Her voice was high and tight, probably because the muscles in her throat were pulled taut as guitar strings around her hyoid bone.
“Get my phone. It’s on the coffee table.”
She pivoted and hurried into the next room, her legs turning rubbery now that the immediate danger was over and her adrenaline level was dropping. She got the phone and hovered uncertainly in the kitchen entryway, not wanting to get any closer to the attacker than necessary, even if he was tied up and incapacitated.
“It’s okay. He’s not going anywhere. Trust me.” Crouched next to the prisoner, TJ stretched out a hand toward her.
She gave him the phone, stood there shifting her weight from foot to foot while he messaged someone. What if this guy wasn’t working alone? What if someone else was outside waiting to get them, or more were coming? “What now? Want me to call the police?” she said, trying to ignore the awful sounds the guy was making.
“No,” TJ said without looking up. “Go into the bedroom. Wait there until I come get you.”
It went against her gut to leave him without backup, but she did as he said, shutting the door for good measure and perching on the end of the bed. She was still on edge. Part of her wanted to clap her hands over her ears to block out the guy’s sounds of pain and whatever happened next, but the rest of her was too afraid she might miss something important.
From down the hall, she could hear TJ questioning the suspect. She couldn’t hear the exact words, but cringed at the sudden bellow of pain and more scuffling that told her the prisoner wasn’t in a cooperative mood. She wished she could call Cassie or even Beckett for backup, but TJ had taken her phone earlier, apparently not trusting her to leave it off.
The interrogation in the kitchen didn’t appear to be going well as the minutes ticked by. There were more cries of agony, more sounds of struggling. Then things got quiet. Way too quiet.
She fidgeted with her hands, one knee bouncing up and down. Then TJ’s voice called down the hall.
“Stay in the bedroom. Backup’s on the way, ETA ten to fifteen minutes.”
It felt more like an hour while she sat there, straining to make out any sounds outside her window. Eventually, she heard a vehicle pull up out front, then footsteps and the front door opening.
TJ’s voice was muted as he spoke to whoever it was. The low volume told her things must be more or less under control. She breathed a little easier.
A few minutes later she heard muffled shouts like before, then retreating footsteps. Vehicle doors opening and closing. The engine started, and the vehicle left.
A knock on her door made her jump.
“It’s me,” TJ said. “All clear. You can come out now.”
She got up and opened her door, shooting a glance past him down the hall toward the kitchen. “Is he gone?”
“He’s gone. The DEA took him.”
She looked up at him, wanting to bury her face in his chest. “Do they know who he is?”
“One of the guys who chased us earlier.”
Oh, shit. “Do they think he was acting alone?”
“Yes, but on orders.”
A chill snaked down her spine. “How did he find us?” The truck had been undriveable, and both suspects had been lying bound on the pavement. He shouldn’t have been able to move, much less track them here. It meant someone else was watching them, and that was terrifying.
“Don’t know. They must have had eyes on us somehow.” He searched her eyes. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
She nodded, even though she felt very much not okay. He was so composed. And tall and strong and gorgeous, his frame filling the doorway. She didn’t want to seem weak by comparison. But she really wanted to burrow into him and hide for a while. “You?”
“I’m fine. Thanks to you.” Grudging admiration laced his tone.
She swallowed. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You did great. You’ve got one hell of a swing. Remind me never to piss you off when your bat’s nearby.” One side of his mouth kicked up in amusement, transforming him from sexy-aloof to irresistible.
The situation wasn’t remotely funny. She was still worried as hell, but an answering smile tugged at her lips anyway. Except a second later the tug inexplicably turned into a wobble.
She sucked in a breath, covered her face with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut before she fell apart, struggling to hang onto the last shred of her control. That guy had somehow tracked them down, broken in, would have killed TJ and probably her as well if they hadn’t stopped him. So presumably, when the guy didn’t check in with whoever had sent him, they would send someone else.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“Hey.” Long fingers circled her wrists with warm, gentle pressure. “It’s okay now. It’s over.”
Was it? He had no way of knowing that for sure.
She sucked in a shaky breath, then another. Come on. Stay strong. You can do it.
When she was reasonably sure she had most of her composure back, she wiped the heels of her hands under her eyes, and he let go of her wrists. He was still so close, those dark eyes delving into hers in the dimness, pulling her in with an invisible magnetic force, and she was powerless to resist.
When she leaned toward him, he didn’t pull away. His heavy arms banded around her and held her tight to his chest, her cheek resting in the muscular hollow of his shoulder. The feel of all that masculine strength surrounding her was such a relief, a little shudder ripped through her.
“You’re okay,” he said in that same hypnotically calm, deep voice, his grip sure and firm.
Bristol nodded, closing her eyes and breathing him in. Focusing on the feel of him holding her and blocking everything else out. He felt amazing. Warm and solid, holding her as if he’d needed it as much as she did. She forcefully cleared her mind and drifted on the sensations, holding onto the feeling of security he gave her, even if it might actually just be an illusion.
She didn’t notice the change in him right away. The gradual tension that crept into his muscles until she finally noticed that his whole body was rigid. Confused, she opened her eyes, lifted her head to look up at him.
Her heart stuttered at the intense look on his face. The raw desire in his dark eyes that echoed inside her and made the breath catch in her throat.
A heartbeat later, he released her like she’d scalded him and stepped back, expression suddenly guarded. As if she’d only imagined what she’d just seen.
Except she knew she hadn’t imagined it.
“We need to leave,” he said brusquely.
The abrupt shift in his demeanor was like a bucket of ice water dumped over her. “Leave? To where?”
“Somewhere they can’t track us. We can’t stay here, this location’s compromised.”
It sure as hell was. “Is your handler—”
“She’s handling the situation with our intruder. Beckett and Jase are trying to find us another place nearby.” He turned away. And she wished she could turn the clock back to when she’d been cradled in his arms just moments ago. “Get your stuff together. We have to move.”
He left her standing there, confused and aching for him. For something he clearly didn’t want to give her.